Modern beach home at the Mount
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Back in 1968 Mick and Trish Lally bought a typical kiwi bach for family holidays at Mount Maunganui. Constructed from weatherboard and fibrolite, it wasn't anything flash – after all baches weren't meant to be. But it served the Lally family well for more than three decades of unforgettable family holidays – with cricket on the front lawn, sun bathing, barbecues, and a constant flow of sandy bodies trailing in from the beach just one block away. By the time the new millennium arrived a third generation of Lallys had too – and it was time to turn that old family bach into something that would suit the now-extended family much better. This result is a stunning piece of beach house architecture – clad in low maintenance James Hardie Linea weatherboards and Titan panelling. “It couldn't be high maintenance. The most I want to do is pull up a few weeds.” Brendan Lally explains how it evolved. “We were all pretty nostalgic about the place, but it was falling to pieces and nobody really wanted to spend their weekends and holidays fixing it up. We all agreed that we couldn't bear letting go of our spot here, but we needed something more practical that could accommodate up to two families at a time.” Family discussions took place and the decision was made to demolish the old bach and start anew. “We wanted to retain the down-to-earth charm of the old structure, and some of the exterior features like the wide eaves and lean-to roof, but we also saw it as an opportunity to go for a contemporary design that met our needs better.” The design process was instigated by Brendan. “I was originally inspired by the pitched roof and wide eaves of a café in Te Kuiti, which I thought would make a great beach house. Then I saw a house in Te Awamutu which was designed by Antanas Procuta Architects in Hamilton. I contacted them and went to look at an award-winning beach house they'd designed at Waihi Beach.” Brendan liked what he saw and had Richard Mauriohooho, of Antanas Procuta go ahead with some concept designs. The end result, he says, is remarkably close to that first drawing. “We wanted a big open-plan kitchen, dining and living space that would form the hub of the house, with a flow through bi-folding doors to courtyards on each side. When both sets of doors are opened up in summer, it's like a big open-sided pavilion. The idea was to keep the bedrooms quite small and separate and make the courtyards and living area the meeting place.” The James Hardie Linea weatherboards and Titan panelling were chosen for their aesthetic appearance as well as their durability in this harsh coastal environment. “The Linea makes a strong reference back to the timber weatherboards of the original bach and the smooth-finished Titan panels give a clean modern aesthetic that takes the strong Pohutakawa Red colour well and works in contrast with the shadow lines of the Linea,” explains Richard. “We didn't want materials that were going to be high maintenance.” Says Brendan. “The most I want to do is pull up a few weeds.” The house design with its bold use of colour, interesting ‘butterfly-style” roof, and wide eaves has attracted a lot of attention since its completion. “We hadn't anticipated people walking in off the street to ask us about it,” says Brendan. “But we're more than happy to talk to them about it.” The holiday home also caught the attention of the Registered Master Builder House of the Year judges. It won the top prize in the Tauranga category 2 section for houses built for $150,000 to $210,000. For local Registered Master Builder, Murray Pedersen, this was one of 6 awards his building company won this year. He's justifiably proud of the Lally House and the roof in particular. “The roof design creates a feeling of lightness, but believe me there was a lot of steel and engineering and hard work that went into achieving it.“ For the Lally family the award is a nice recognition of the careful thought and attention to detail that has gone into the home, but more importantly, the end result is a house that has it's heart in the right place. There's no doubt that the Lally Family's “Bach at the Mount Mk II” will continue to be the hub of wonderful family holidays and weekends for years to come. Read more about this great family beach house and how to create your own contemporary bach style:
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