A room with a view

Designed by Johnston Architects and faultlessly executed by DJ Hewitt Builders, this innovative renovation captures stunning coastal views with a refreshing take on outdoor living.

WORDS Anna Scaife PHOTOGRAPHY Sarah Rowlands

It would be difficult to find two more exacting clients than Daryl and Tara Hewitt of DJ Hewitt Builders. As the company owners, their expectations could not have been higher for their own home renovation. To add to the pressure, the Redcliffs property doubles as an appointment-only show home for their well-respected architectural building company.

Managing director Daryl has over 30 years’ experience in the construction industry, and wife Tara provides an interior design consultation service for their clients. Daryl says that a huge part of the company’s success has been driven by their own quality-focused team and the wider group of committed subtrades they work with.

NATURAL STYLE The natural aesthetic of the interior design from Detail by Davinia Sutton complements the luxurious surfaces in the home.

FLAWLESS FINISH The crisp contemporary interior of the home was expertly painted by Greytone Painters.

The couple’s Redcliffs home nestles comfortably into the prime hill site and enjoys spectacular sea views. Daryl and Tara purchased the home with immediate plans to make changes and never stayed a night before embarking on the renovation.

Daryl says, “We were downsizing, so this is a more compact home for us. We wanted to make good use of the spaces, extend the garage as it was pretty small, and also enhance the outdoor living.”

Before the extensive alterations, the house comprised three bedrooms, including the master with ensuite, open plan kitchen and living, family bathroom, gym, laundry and study, plus a double garage. The outdoor living areas included wraparound timber decks.

Matt Jeffery of Johnston Architects explains what Tara and Daryl wanted to achieve with the renovation project.

BUILT-IN STYLE The stunning built-in master wardrobe from Sydenham Joinery is luxuriously appointed with clever lighting design.

TEXTURED COMFORT The luxurious loop pile carpet from Nextdore brings a beautiful textured comfort to the home.

“Our design brief for this project was for a comprehensive refresh of the existing residence. The new design was to have a particular focus on expanding the existing garage and creating an outdoor room that could be used year-round to take advantage of the broad coastal views,” says Matt.

Responding to Daryl and Tara’s desire for an all-year-round entertaining space, the piece de resistance is the outdoor glass room affording 360-degree views. The lightweight steel construction and board-marked in situ concrete are set off by the Glassforce automated rooflight that opens to reveal star-filled skies at night. It’s difficult to imagine a more idyllic spot to celebrate or relax with friends and family.

PRIVATE VISTAS Private spaces for relaxation have been designed to take in the estuary view.

HAND PICKED The soft landscaping by Texture Group was carried out using handpicked specimens from their nursery.

FINE LINES The exterior brick work by Coastal Brick and Block mirrors the lines of the cladding in this hillside residence.

Matt says, “During our site analysis, we recognised that the south-eastern corner of the existing deck allowed for great views and sunlight throughout the year. By providing a direct connection to the kitchen, it became clear that this outdoor room, which includes a barbeque, was the perfect location for entertaining.”

Alongside the revamped outdoor living, the alterations included an extension to the existing garage, replacement decking and some glamorous new additions to the interior spaces. A study that sat adjacent to the generous main bedroom has been re-purposed as a spacious dressing room blessed with enviable storage, and the ensuite elegantly renovated with the addition of a make-up nook beautifully finished with built-in lighting and custom joinery.

GLASS RETREAT This sublime glass retreat features glazing and an auto opening rooflight from Glassforce.

The ensuite and family bathrooms provide a distinctive highlight, finished with large profile tiles in a neutral shade and offset by stone vanity tops and fluted timber cabinets. Gold bathroom fittings and the striking brass heated towel rail are the icing on the cake.

CONTEMPORARY KITCHEN The white and oak kitchen cabinetry and coffee nook from Lyall Park Joinery blends beautifully with the gold accents in this contemporary kitchen.

SMART HOME This fully automated home can be controlled remotely, or via a portable touchscreen like the one pictured here from DesignTech AV and IT.

Also on the agenda was new kitchen joinery, including the combination of timber and cream joinery complemented by Neolith Amazonico splashbacks and gold fittings. The renovation also allowed the opportunity for the addition of home automation via touchscreen control.

LUXURIOUS FINISHES The exquisite stone features were crafted with pride by the Artisan Stone team and complement the custom made brass heated towel rails installed by David Moot Electrical who also wired the entire home.

A garage extension to offer more space made it necessary to revamp and pave the driveway as well as create and execute a new landscaping plan. Daryl says, “Texture Group did a great job with the landscaping. They designed the concrete stairway with each step individually poured by our team, and the palm tree – I often just stand out there and admire it.” The result is an all-new and improved look to the exterior spaces, complete with sheltered courtyard and spa pool.

SMOOTH SURFACES The interior plaster work by Shaun Hendry Plastering has been finished to perfection.

Stunning workmanship and thoughtful selection of materials and finishes have resulted in a seamless enhancement to the already fabulous home, taking it to the next level of luxury paired with functionality. Daryl and Tara had plenty of ideas of their own and engaged award-winning interior designer Davinia Sutton of Detail by Davinia to bring their vision to life. “Davinia helped us to push our boundaries a bit with the interiors, and we love the results.”

SEAMLESS PAVING The driveway paving from I Pave flows smoothly to the garage, decking and landscaped garden.

DECKED OUT The inbuilt Broil King Barbecue from 4 Seasons is a treasured feature in the glass retreat for entertaining throughout the year.

“It was a pleasure to work alongside Daryl and Tara and develop their home into something really special,” says Davinia. “The kitchen now sits centre stage to an open plan living space, anchored with strong layers of form and materials, while the bathrooms are now refined and elegant, providing a perfect space to rejuvenate and restore. A renovation well executed with attention to detail, refined elegance and layers of sophistication.”

Commenting on the completed project, Matt from Johnston Architects says, “The renovation was completed to the highest specification, so the entire project is a delight and a testament to the client’s dedication to achieving the best possible result.”

The couple took up residence in May and say the house works extremely well for their lifestyle. The glass room has seen plenty of use even during the winter warmed by the outdoor heaters. Tara loves the courtyard and the beautifully decorated master suite. An unexpected highlight has been the artificial lawn, loved the most by puppy Wilson who runs out each morning to roll on his back.

“This was a full team effort. Lots of people need to come together to deliver on a project like this and we are thrilled with the result,” says Daryl.

DEEPLY DARK The stunning green stone in the splash back and vanity is from CDK Stone’s Neolith Amazonico range.

NATURAL LOOK The travertine look Navona Bone glazed porcelain stoneware tiles on the walls and floor from Brymac Tiles are an elegant feature in this stunning bathroom.

PRECISELY CRAFTED The exquisite tiling throughout the home was meticulously laid by JE Tiling.

INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT

BUILDER D.J.
Hewitt Builders Ltd
03 384 7470
djhewitt.co.nz

ARCHITECTURE
Johnston Architects
03 326 6688
johnstonarchitects.co.nz

ENGINEERING
Pocket
03 390 1588
pocketeng.co.nz

TILE SUPPLIER
Brymac Tiles
03 366 8187
brymactiles.co.nz

LANDSCAPING
Texture Group Landscaping
03 349 7296
texturegroup.co.nz

PLUMBING
Geoff Curle Plumbing Ltd
027 433 3682

JOINERY: VANITIES, MAKE-UP AREA, LAUNDRY AND WARDROBES
Sydenham Joinery
03 379 6840
sydenhamjoinery.co.nz

GIB STOPPING
Shaun Hendry Plastering
027 911 7794
shp.nz

KITCHEN JOINERY
Lyall Park Joinery
03 313 9985
lyallpark.co.nz

SPA AND BBQ
4 Seasons Christchurch
03 341 1220
4seasons.co.nz

BATHROOM FITTINGS
Oakleys Plumbing Supplies
03 379 4750
oakleysplumbing.co.nz

HOME AUTOMATION
Designtech AV & IT
021 454 594
designtech.co.nz

TILER JE Tiling
03 310 2535
jetiling.nz

INTERIOR PAINTING
Greytone Painters
021 354 804

BESPOKE STONE VANITY
Artisan Stone Ltd
03 348 0680
artisanstone.co.nz

CARPET
Nextdore
03 366 9400
nextdore.co.nz

EXTERIOR BRICKWORK
Coastal Brick & Block
021 616 748

GLASS
Glassforce Ltd
03 384 3077
davantech.co.nz glassforce.co.nz

WALLBOARDS
Winstone Wallboards Ltd.
0800 475 475
gib.co.nz

NEOLITH STONE SUPPLIER
CDK Stone
0800 803 932
cdkstone.co.nz

ELECTRICIAN
David Moot Electrical
03 343 5061 davidmootelectriocal.co.nz

DRIVEWAY PAVING
I Pave Concrete
0800 472 8348
ipave4u.co.nz

INTERIOR DESIGN
Detail by Davinia Sutton
03 356 2722
daviniasutton.com