Standing proudly on a corner section in the seaside suburb of Mount Pleasant, this award-winning home from Holloway Builders fits the bill for a luxurious forever home.

WORDS Anna Scaife PHOTOGRAPHY Geoff Trotter

The owners of this commanding new build in Mt Pleasant are thrilled with their stunning home.The icing on the cake is Holloway Builders’ recent triumph at the Registered Master Builders House of the Year Awards, taking out a well-deserved Gold Award and a Regional Category Award for their Mt Pleasant masterpiece.

Rebuilding on the site of their former home, owners Rita and Greg went looking for a building company, armed with the plans created for them by Gravity Design. Greg says, “Gravity recommended James from Holloway Builders, and so we spoke to them and several other builders. Holloways were not the cheapest, but they were certainly the most professional that we dealt with.”

KEEPING WARM Green Dog Insulation installed Knauf Earthwool chosen for its excellent air quality, natural resins and binders and zero use of formaldehyde.

Holloway Builders is family-owned and operated. Both James and his wife Pip are heavily involved in the day-to-day running of the business. Along with their great office based staff, Holloway Builders employ their own site foreman and builders, which brings continuity and control to every project they undertake. Pip says over the years they have developed solid processes within their team to help projects run smoothly. Including an in-house quantity surveyor onboard means they can accurately price jobs and keep clients well informed during their build.

Pip says, “We are aware that a home is often people’s biggest investment. There are a lot of emotions involved, so we do our best to communicate clearly, so everyone knows where things are at.”

STYLISH SHADE A Concertina SkyLouvre, vertical SkyLouvres and Johnson and Couzins privacy shutters were all supplied and installed by Johnson and Couzins.

The house graces a perfectly positioned corner section adjacent to a reserve, and the two street frontages were a significant consideration in the design. “We wanted the house to make a statement on the corner, and the design is intended to integrate the house and garden with the roadway,” says Greg.

To take in the picturesque views of the estuary, the design places the expansive communal living areas upstairs, leading out to the barbecue area, which is protected by louvre shades. Downstairs, a separate living area and a large laundry complete with a microwave and fridge provide a self-contained zone for the couple’s adult children to use when they come home to visit.

vaulted ceilings and skylights drown the home in crisp, natural light

Rita and Greg engaged Trish Simpson of Trish Simpson Design to create the bold custom kitchen plus the cabinetry in the living areas, bathroom and laundry. Trish says, “The positioning of the large island in the kitchen was all about the view. It was important to be able to stand at the bench and look out over the estuary.” Taking inspiration from the punga trees in the garden, Trish recommended textured Sage doors in Lookcrete Chania paired with timber-look Sage in Matakana.

The cedar and schist home has a presence, and the scale of the build created space for striking design features such as the floating oak staircase framed by the Otsumigaki feature wall. Vaulted ceilings and skylights drown the home in crisp, natural light adding to the spacious feel.

Positioning the LED lighting, and highlighting each of the stairs, was a tricky job, but both the homeowner and builder admit the biggest challenge was the impact of Covid-19 on the build. James Holloway says, “There were the inevitable disruptions, but we kept in touch, and we were able to pick up where we left off and deliver the home for Rita and Greg.”

CUSTOM KITCHEN Interior designer Trish Simpson designed the stunning kitchen and bathrooms as well the superbly functional laundry and built-in cabinetry in the lounge.

Rita and Greg are empty-nesters, and they intend to stay put in their lovely new home. They needed to consider the practicalities of upstairs living for the future, but they’ve planned for that, leaving a central space for a lift shaft in case it’s needed.

Greg and Rita wanted to be hands-on with their project, and they found working with Holloway Builders was an enjoyable process. Pip says, “Our clients tell us that they’ve heard building is stressful but that working with us made it seamless.” James adds, “What we like to say is, ‘Build it your way’. We don’t try to impose what we think. We want to make sure our clients get exactly what they want.”

TEXTURED TILES Rita and Greg worked with Christchurch tile experts MO Tiles, who supplied and installed the stunning grey tiles in both bathrooms.

The homeowners are delighted with the results citing the kitchen and the master bedroom as favourite spaces in the home. “We would highly recommend Holloway Builders. We made changes at times and wanted to be very involved. Holloways were really helpful all the way through.”

James and Pip Holloway are proud of the result their experienced team achieved for Rita and Greg and were excited to have that hard work recognised at the Registered Master Builders House of the Year Awards. Both builder and proud homeowners had their fingers crossed on the night,so to win a Gold Award as well as a Regional Category Award was very exciting.