Style and purpose

This serene home in the Coromandel is the perfect example of how good design, communication and fine artistry achieve a great outcome, thanks to Johnston Architects and Bespoke Interior Design.

WORDS Kathy Catton PHOTOGRAPHY Jamie Cobel

Pauanui in the Coromandel is one of New Zealand’s most popular holiday destinations. Stunning beaches, open spaces, majestic mountains and an abundance of outdoor recreation opportunities make it an ideal spot to rest a little and live a little.  

Johnston Architects were approached by the homeowners to design a new family home on a prominent vacant lot that looks directly down a beautiful canal within the Pauanui Waterways development. This unique residential waterfront development at the marina allows homeowners to berth their boat at a private jetty, just metres from their front door. With a backdrop of the sub-tropical forest slopes of the Pauanui foothills, it’s a lush and spectacular location.

“Our brief was for an elegant and timeless residence with a particular focus on creating physical and visual connections to the outdoors that would allow the family to take advantage of the warm Coromandel climate and stunning canal views,” says Regan Johnston, director of Johnston Architects.

LUSH LOUVRES Ensuring commitment to quality and sustainability, the stylish louvres in this home and all products from Locarno Louvres are sourced locally with European motors and controls.

The 250 square metre home that Johnston Architects have created does just that. The views of the canal are prioritised, both from within the home and when looking through the building from the covered morning loggia. “This ensures the main bedroom and all the public spaces within the home have a direct connection to the outdoors and the views beyond,” adds Regan.

A generous forecourt to the rear of the site allows for easy access and vehicle manoeuvring from the street, even when towing a boat. The garaging incorporates a loft bedroom that caters for overflow guest accommodation.

The choice of materials for this home includes an exposed steel structure with floor-to-ceiling glazing to create the highly transparent pavilions that face the canal and maximise the water views. Large sliding doors can be fully opened to provide seamless connections between the indoor and outdoor living spaces.

A PASSION FOR DESIGN The warm-hearted team of designers at Bespoke Interior Design have created a space that is truly unique and connects the homeowners to a natural and harmonious environment through their interior design mastery.

Operable louvres and wind blinds are featured over the canal deck and loggia to create spaces of comfortable outdoor shelter no matter the prevailing weather or wind direction.

The custom rainwater spouting profile was designed to complement the dark-stained cedar cladding and Eurotray roofing to create the simple, yet sophisticated gable-roofed building volumes. “In the base of the home we’ve also used local stone that matches the canal walls,” says Regan. “This helps to integrate the home within the marina and ground the structure within the landscape.”

For Johnston Architects, it’s crucial to exceed their clients’ expectations every time. Hence the careful selection of products and materials, with an emphasis on using high-quality local materials with low maintenance requirements. “We want our clients to enjoy living in their homes secure in the knowledge that their homes will age gracefully and look just as good in years to come as they do when freshly complete.”

The team at Johnston Architects prides itself on adding value throughout the entire design and construction process. According to Regan, a new home of a given size will cost roughly the same to build, whether it’s poorly planned and unattractive or well-planned and beautiful, so they use all their team’s combined experience to create the best possible residences for their clients. “In doing so, we create not only comfortably practical homes, but assets that appreciate in value,” says Regan.  

As with all Johnston Architects’ homes, the greatest challenge is ensuring that the purity of the initial design intent is retained in the finished home. To help them in this endeavour, they worked with an award-winning interior design company – Bespoke Interior Design.

Bespoke Interior Design has partnered with Johnston Architects on multiple prior projects and has similar tastes and aesthetics. Jane McAulay, Director and Designer at Bespoke Interior Design, says she takes her cues from the location, architectural drawings and from the client’s preferences. “Each job is different, and in this case, we worked with the client and the architect to provide a selection of all interior and exterior finishes and fixtures. Selecting everything required for the entire build,” says Jane.

CLEAR THINKING Warmth and views are guaranteed with the high performing low-E Max glass in these Overwall stacker doors with stylish black Elemental hardware, all from NZWindows. 

The ethos behind this home’s interior is one of harmony with the exterior. “We examined the view and provided a repetitive textural look that’s not too contrasting,” says Jane. “We wanted the homeowners to have that sense of breathing out when they arrived here. In other words, to look at the view and not feel challenged by the interiors.”

Because of Jane’s comprehensive knowledge of construction drawings and her 25 years in interior design, it’s fair to say she’s operating at the top of her industry. “It’s very much about working in harmony with the architect and clients. For example, we had an issue with some of the custom stone arriving cracked along the veining. Thanks to our expertise and working together, we decided to cut the stone smaller and create a different pattern with the stone, which worked beautifully for the ensuite bathroom,” says Jane.

Jane is ever aware of making the job easy for the builder and produces comprehensive schedules with every item coded to help the builder have a command over the project. “The builders love these, as the items on the schedule relate to a labelled box of tiles or door handles, for example, so that there’s no misunderstandings or errors,” says Jane.

Tim Leonard and his team of builders, subcontractors and suppliers took great pleasure in building this home and were integral to the success of the project. 

The clients, architect, interior designer and builder are pleased with the results. Regan comments, “We are delighted that through the efforts of the entire team, the lightweight and transparent delicacy of the pavilions were able to be maintained and that the home feels as light, open and connected to the site as we had hoped.”

PROCESS TO THE PROJECT The clarity and quality of Pocket Engineers’ approach to all their designs mean an outstanding result for the structure of this elegant home.

Involved in this project

ARCHITECT
Johnston Architects
03 326 6688
johnstonarchitects.co.nz

BUILDER
Leonard Builders Ltd
027 493 0647

INTERIOR DESIGN
Bespoke Interior Design
021 030 0040
bespokeinteriordesign.co.nz

LOUVRES
Locarno Louvres
09 525 2525
Locarno.co.nz

ENGINEER
Pocket Engineering
03 390 1588
pocketeng.co.nz

ALUMINIUM WINDOWS AND DOORS
NZWindows
07 869 5990
nzwindows.co.nz