The interior features
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Grant Dobbyn, who built this stunning home on the Omaha Lagoon, is quick to give his client credit for the attention to detail inside this stunning new home. “She had a very clear idea of what she wanted and she was prepared to put in the effort to get the detailing right. It's not just a matter of throwing money at it. It's about thinking things through carefully and having a sense of the big picture. Details like the skirting boards and architraves for example. We got in quite a few different widths and styles and tried them out to see what was going to work best. It's a juggling act sometimes and you have to be prepared to take the time to get it right” says Grant. Entering the house through the big solid timber front door, you step into a magnificent atrium entrance area, tiled with Italian porcelain tiles with a dark oak inset detail which creates interest and breaks up the expanse of tiles. The high vaulted ceilings over the entrance way and stairwell feature James Hardie HardieGroove™ Lining, painted white with white exposed beams, which enhances the sense of light and space. Upstairs, Hardigroove has also been used on the office/library ceiling and around the dormer windows. This creates a Cape-Cod style ambiance, which is enhanced by glimpses of the sea through the small dormer windows. The master bedroom and ensuite are along the upstairs passage way which looks down over the entrance area. All the bathrooms in the house are tiled, with James Hardie's Villaboard® Lining used under the wall tiles and Tile and Slate Underlay used as the substrate under the floor tiles. “I like using Villaboard under the wall tiles, especially when wall-hung toilet pans are used,” says Grant. The Villaboard has the strength to hold the pan securely and provides a very reliable surface in behind the tiles.” The bathroom vanities were designed by the owner and manufactured by Ray Everett, a local cabinetmaker at Matakana. The upstairs bathroom features a marble composite vanity top, while the downstairs bathrooms feature fossil stone tops and vessel basins sitting on top of French Provincal-style cabinets. Downstairs, the kitchen and open plan living areas form the heart of the home, with three sets of bi-folding doors opening out onto the terrace that wraps around the house. The kitchen occupies the central area with living areas at either end, each with its own fireplace and big comfortable sofas. The emphasis here is very much on comfort and conviviality. The fireplace at the southern end is log-burning, with a gas starter. A switch on the wall lights the gas flames under the logs – a very easy way to get a roaring log fire going quickly. The fireplace surround is plastered in an adobe-style finish, with a solid timber mantelpiece which creates a slightly rustic feel which works well with the tiled floor the dark timber inlaid into the tiled floor. At the northern end of the house, the gas fire is set into an antique timber fire surround which the owner resurrected from a Christchurch demolition yard. The mood here is slightly more formal, with carpet on the floor, and Resene Masala, a deep rich burgundy colour used on the wall behind the fireplace, drawing the space inwards towards the fire. The kitchen is designed for people who are passionate about cooking and entertaining. With a massive amount of bench space, storage, two separate sinks and a double oven and gas cook top, the kitchen could accommodate a team of chefs! Again, it's the attention to detail that makes the kitchen very special. White tiles laid horizontally behind the cooker, sand-blasted glass on the cabinet doors, a golden-toned granite bench top and stainless steel appliances have created a professional ambiance, without being sterile. Read more about this home and related stories: |
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