Hallmark Homes has been successfully building homes for over 25 years, and this show home is the perfect example of its next-level superior design excellence.

WORDS Kathy Catton PHOTOGRAPHY Anna McLeod

Moda Altro Dolcedo Feature Herringbone engineered wood flooring by Forté has been laid in the main living area, dining and kitchen to give a deep, earthy-brown feel. The lightly brushed texture with grey hues is a European Oak.

There reaches a point in one’s life when you’re after an elevated standard of home living. It might be when the children grow up and move on with their own lives or perhaps retirement beckons and priorities change.

This show home has been designed with those people in mind. It’s a prestige offering where luxury and easeful living are very much at the fore.

“We know how important someone’s home is to them, so we make sure we get it just right, no matter what stage of life they’re at,” says Esther Bonné, Director at Hallmark Homes.

This Oakbridge show home is Hallmark Homes’ first show home in Ōtautahi Christchurch. With eight show homes built in the past 10 years throughout Canterbury, this house showcases the very best in what Hallmark Homes has to offer.

“This is a great way to see what’s really possible for people to achieve when building with us,” says Esther.

The idea behind the architecturally designed three-bedroom home is to harmoniously connect the structure to its surroundings. Every detail has been considered to nestle the home firmly into the land.

Says architectural designer Philip Bidwell: “We were limited by site coverage on a 630sqm section, but we wanted to showcase a design where the feeling of interior spaciousness was increased by how well it connected with the exterior. Similarly, we wanted the exterior to also feel spacious by how it connected back into the house.”

Phil has been working with Hallmark Homes for the past two years and was also integral to the decks and hard paving design to ensure the landscape design became part of the overall look and feel of the home.
He’s passionate about working with clients to meet their needs and aspirations and has particularly enjoyed
working alongside Hallmark Homes on this project. “It’s been a really collaborative effort, and it’s a
spectacular result,” he says.

Connecting the interior of a home with the exterior is not a new concept in home design but it’s one that Hallmark Homes has executed to perfection here. The house is strategically oriented to celebrate the sun and bask in natural warmth and light. The combination of cedar, plaster, metal and glass provides a cohesive aesthetic that exudes an understated grandeur.

A warm welcome awaits visitors with a stunning entranceway housing an oversized pivot door and kwila decking underfoot. Made up of cedar and lightweight concrete panels, the home’s exterior continues to show a harmonious collaboration with nature. From the entry, your eye is drawn through the entranceway to the main living space and beyond to the exterior through a large window. There you can see decking, a peaceful boardwalk and an impressive custom built water feature. In the stunning living spaces, windows and doors tempt your gaze beyond. “These elements are all designed to create a sense of spaciousness and wonder about what might be seen next,” says Phil.

Even the eyebrows (horizontal mini eaves above the master bedroom window) hold the attention down and centred on the garden, rather than the roof above.

The main living space is voluminous with its 2.7m stud height walls, and the spaciousness is accentuated by the pair of triple-stacking sliders opening up onto the outdoor area. The living space can be closed off from the rest of the home with the New York-style metal and glass slider, giving a “transparency to something beyond”, says Phil.

Behind the design of all the interiors of the home is interior designer Fiona Renton from Sandalwood Design. Fiona has worked with Hallmark Homes on all eight of their Canterbury show homes and has expertly nailed the brief of designing a home that exudes finesse, tranquillity and elegance.

“My starting point on this home was the island benchtop,” says Fiona. “I saw it and instantly fell in love with the colour, pattern and style and knew it would look fabulous in the kitchen. This is where Esther and I are in total harmony: Esther has an amazing ability to get a fantastic design onto paper. We work so well together.”

Fiona says this house has a deeper feel to the textures and elements than in previous show homes. “There’s a lot going on, but layering is the beauty of good design.”

Playing with the darker tones, textured wallpapers and spot lighting, the home definitely has a sophisticated feel to it. The window dressings soften the space and the parquet engineered wood flooring gives it an earthiness that keeps it firmly grounded.

The carefully curated interior pieces by Sandalwood Design enhance the interior space. By using custom made furniture, art, rugs and beautiful soft furnishings that flow through the home, the home has a real sense of style.

Hallmark trusts Fiona implicitly with each brief. “We love working with Fiona, as she understands our vision and our customers,” says Esther. “She really knows how to tell the story of a home through the art of interior design. We love her style and willingness to push the boundaries with her innovative ideas. We have a great working relationship where we can bounce ideas off one another to create something truly spectacular.”

This 229sqm show home is Homestar rated, as are all of Hallmark’s show homes. “At Hallmark Homes, we are passionate about family, health and the environment,” says Esther. The company encourages all its clients to upgrade to a Homestar rated home (as assessed by the New Zealand Green Building Council) so the home
can become one that is cheaper to run and benefits the environment. “You can’t put a price tag on your health and wellbeing and with Homestar, you will be creating a home that is warmer, drier and much healthier for your family,” says Esther.

The show home has underfloor heating, ducted air conditioning, cross-ventilation, waterflow-restricted tapware and energy-efficient fittings. Environmentally friendly practices and materials have been used during construction.

What’s been created here is a cohesive, luxurious home with a deluxe feel. It’s the subtle details that make the difference and provide visitors a chance to witness what’s possible when the bar is raised. The culture and character of Hallmark Homes also resonates throughout this home, and you know you’re in safe hands with
this team.

The show home is located at 9 Oakbridge Boulevard, Marshlands.