After many years of building for others, Chris of Chris Shearer Builders wanted to build a home that showcased his team's finesse for style, structure and form. The result is a family home that's truly unique.

Words Kathy Catton Photography Sarah Rowlands

Having previously built a very unique home in Prestons, Chris and his wife, Vicki, decided to seek out another section in the area, with a vision already in mind for their next building project. The finished result is a home that has a real sense of space, privacy and rugged-ness.

With Vicki’s love of interiors and exteriors and Chris’s expertise in building, they found a section that suited their requirements on a desirable corner spot that would showcase what they could create.

“We love Corten steel and the semi-industrial look of concrete panels,” says Vicki. “We wanted to incorporate this with the cedar and stone.”

Chris of Chris Shearer Builders has been building for over 43 years. You could say it runs in the family. His grandfather started the family building business in 1917, his two sons are both builders, and he has three brothers, all working in the construction industry. From working for his father, who Chris says was a great builder, to setting up Chris Shearer Builders in 1989, he has built over 500 residential homes throughout Christchurch. His passion now lies not only with standard home building but also architecturally designed homes, such as this one.

“I like to be able to use my expertise in building to do something a little bit different,” says Chris. “With architecturally designed homes, it often means we can explore some interesting roof lines and create a truly out-of-the-ordinary home.”

It’s these architectural homes that Chris aims to continue to build, and hence provide his team of four builders with more challenges and more growth. Chris Shearer Builders has an established business, with his foreman building with him for over 20 years. It’s this commitment to his team that shines through with Chris. He likes to see it as a family business. And now that his wife, Vicki, is pursuing her career as a freelance interior designer, after ten years working in interior design, Chris Shearer Builders now offers a complete project management and design and build service.

Faced with an unusually shaped 650 square metre section, it was a trouble-free choice for Chris to select Kelvin Boyd of Kelvin Boyd Architectural Services to design this unique home.

“Chris showed me the site, and I drew up some basic concepts before he put an offer in on it,” says Kelvin. Having worked together on previous projects, Chris knew that he could rely on Kelvin to design something that was visually appealing to the street and created privacy at the back opening up into as large an area as possible.

“Chris is brilliant,” smiles Kelvin. “He wants to have my ideas and input, and he and Vicki have a natural eye for design and architecture.”

The distinct advantage Kelvin brings is having worked on ‘both sides of the fence’, so to speak. He trained as a builder at the start of his career and then went back to university to study architecture. For the last eight years, he has worked as an architectural designer, completing projects all over Canterbury.

“It’s a useful skillset being both a builder and an architectural designer,” he states. “Builders can relate to me very easily, and I know exactly what they are talking about. Equally, I can help clients see all parts of the build process and all of the practical implications of the design.”

Chris and Vicki were particularly impressed with how Kelvin was able to design a home that lay perpendicular at both sides to the wedge-shaped section. Between two mono-pitch wings, there is an interconnecting low-pitch roof with large internal gutters.

The cladding for the 251 square metre timber-framed home is made up of cedar, Corten steel, plaster and stone. Enhancing the presence of the house, the feature stonework on the exterior taps into the surrounding environment. The Corten steel gives a weathered look and has been designed to eliminate the need for painting and form a stable rust-like appearance. The rustic look is very popular and well loved in the world of architecture.

Main Bathroom Uplighting amongst the outside ferns makes bathtime a real treat. ensuite. — **Main Bathroom** Uplighting amongst the outside ferns makes bathtime a real treat. ensuite.

Ian McLeish of Avon Plastering installed the exterior plasterwork. Ian frequently works with Chris and his team. Avon Plastering, licensed exterior plasterers for all plaster system brands, have a clear understanding of the demands of Christchurch’s buildings and the diverse weather conditions they face. The finished product was an excellent solution for this home.

Vicki’s flair for all things interior shines throughout the four-bedroom home. From the moment you open the front door, you are drawn into oasis of tranquility. The striking and beautiful wallpaper by designer Catherine Martin, titled Majorelle, threads seamlessly from the front door through to the main space, drawing you into the high-ceilinged living space and dining and kitchen areas. The polished concrete floor adds a rustic element, and the oversized rugs provide the homeliness feel that is so important to Vicki.

“We chose concrete flooring over planking due to the unusual shape of the floor plan,” says Vicki. “The angles wouldn’t have worked with planking, and the concrete is beautiful. It is so easy to keep clean and has wonderful thermal insulation value.”

It’s this attention to detail that shines out in the property. But this requirement for a particular look did not come without its challenges. Chris remembers the anguish involved with the macrocarpa screens that partly partition the living and kitchen area.

“We’d seen a programme on HGTV where the wood had been burnt to provide a rugged look,” says Chris. “We figured we could replicate that, but it took a couple of goes to get it just right.” And the finished product is entirely in keeping with the rest of the home. Chris also prides himself on the one-off custom made sliding barn doors, that Vicki designed. They add that sense of outdoors and natural beauty within the walls of the house.

Cleverly positioned and connecting the dining-living space with a formal lounge is a beautiful double-sided gas fire. Supplied and installed by GasGuys, the company employs craftsmen specialist gas fitters and service agents of the Escea product range. The installers know their products inside and out and have worked with gas fires for over nine years. Roger Shadforth at GasGuys is delighted with the chosen product.

Exterior The hard landscaping gives this home a sleek and stylish look, with low-maintenance planting completing the look. — **Exterior** The hard landscaping gives this home a sleek and stylish look, with low-maintenance planting completing the look.

“The Escea DS 1400 double-sided fire is a great choice for this home,” says Roger. “Escea is the biggest selling brand of gas fires in New Zealand and is known for its quality and reliability.” GasGuys also supplied and installed the Rheem gas water heater in the home.

The outdoor space is undoubtedly a firm favourite with Vicki. She worked with Debbie Rimmer Landscape Design to create a garden that complements the style of the home: contemporary, yet rustic and low-maintenance. The lush planting and the use of rocks and corten steel have created not just a relaxing garden, but also a complete New Zealand scene. With creative use of lighting to light up the West Coast ferns and feature ornamental trees, the garden is lovely by night and day.

“This was a fantastic project to work on,” says Debbie Rimmer. “The garden flows beautifully from the home and provides a stylish and low-maintenance space for the couple.”

And the feeling is mutual, with Chris and Vicki feeling thrilled with the landscaping. “It’s always a pleasure working with Debbie, she’s such a lovely, talented lady,” says Vicki.

With four grown-up children, grandchildren and an extremely friendly dog, Chris and Vicki have created a perfect retreat to stretch their legs. Bottle Lake is the ideal spot, and their home celebrates a beautiful blend of nurturing family connections and enjoying the natural environment – a fabulous cohesion between indoors and out.