Showhomes > Minimalist style in Mt Maunganui

Minimalist style in Mt Maunganui

Shannon Moyle and his partner, Patria have created a stunning home that has gone all the way to the national finals of the Registered Master Builder House of the Year.

You don't have to be a builder or architect to appreciate the close attention to detail that has gone into the Moyle's stunning new home at Mt Maunganui. From the James Hardie Linea® Weatherboard and Titan® Facade Panel exterior, through to the tiling in the bathroom, you can sense the hours of careful planning and the passion that has resulted in an award-winning home, built by Shannon (Moyle Construction) on a down-to-earth budget.

“To be honest, it could easily have cost a lot more than that if Patria and I hadn't taken the time and effort to plan it all down to the last detail. A lot of people waste money because they are forced into making decisions in a hurry. They chose a more expensive option to get the look they want, when there's usually a less expensive way of doing it if they only had the time to think it through properly and source alternative materials or fittings.”

“We worked closely with our designer, Sue Tilby, to flesh out her original concept and incorporate other ideas before we started and as we went along. For example, we replaced what was going to be a 4x4 post in the courtyard, with a steel post – it looks great because it picks up the semi-industrial feeling of the express-jointed panels and the concrete paving.”

Another example of this attention to detail is the recessed display case in the lounge. Originally just a small wall beside the doors, Shannon saw it as an opportunity to create a unique display space, with each of the three ‘cubes' lit with small halogen lights, it has become a feature of the living area.

“Because we basically built the house on the weekends, it gave us the time we wanted to get it right and things were able to happen on the go. To build in this way you have to have enthusiasm and passion for details. In this case because I was the builder and the owner, we could make it happen on the run, but with the good communication between builder and client these are the sort of opportunities that come up and can make a real difference to a home.”

The home is relatively small at 184 sq metres on a tight 400m site, but its refined minimalist stye creates a sense of space that transcends its actual dimensions.

A grid pattern creates a sense of unity and flow throughout the house and provides a simple design motif which is utilised both indoors and out. Colour has been used to help unify and maximise the spaces with a minimal monotone palette inside and out.

“You can spend a lot of money on details that don't really add much to the overall look of the home,” says Shannon. “The trick is to put money into things that are really going to create impact and compromise on other things that don't really make such a difference. For example, we've used a dark-oak Meltica finish on the kitchen cabinets, rather than timber. It's surprising how many people have mistaken it for the real thing.”

One aspect of the home that Shannon absolutely refused to compromise on were the internal stairs from the living area to the upstairs bedrooms. The steps are constructed from steel pfc's welded to steel plate and bolted into a block wall between the living area and the garage. With the help of his joiner, Shane Middleton, Shannon created timber façades or ‘boxes' out of Australian Cyprus Mirrortone, stained a dark Black Bean, which encase the steel and create a staircase that appears to ‘float' out of the wall without any visible supports.

“I saw something similar in a book of Japanese architecture, fell in love with them, and had to have them. It was an absolute labour of love, but it was worth it, they are like a piece of sculpture.”

Another labour of love were the steps up to the main entrance. Cast in commercial-weight raw concrete, the exposed edges were buffed to reveal the stones, creating a terrazzo effect.

“Again, they give the illusion of ‘floating' – especially at night when they are lit from beneath,” says Shannon. “But believe me it's certainly an illusion – it took four of us to lift them!”

It's something of a standing joke amongst builders that their own homes are never finished. Maybe that's because they are tired of building by the time they get home, or perhaps because they view them as a ‘work in progress'.

“A couple of people suggested that I'd never get it finished, so I thought - right, I'll show you!” says Shannon.

He not only finished it, but finished it to such a high standard that it has won him a Regional Registered Master Builder House of the Year Award, and a place in the national finals to be judged in October 2003.

Read more about the features of this stunning minimalist style home: