OUTSIDE
THE SQUARE
Amongst the undulating hills of rural New Plymouth,
a small home with a big heart is found
words soraya nicholas
photography CRAIG BATES & ROB TUCKER
Having spent years working as share milkers
with accommodation provided, this is essentially a first
home for Andrew and Anne Paterson and their daughter
Stephanie. Because there is just the three of them, a decision
was made early on to include only two bedrooms, and it’s
a choice that works well for their lifestyle. Conscious of
budget restraints, the Patersons set their minds to a small,
contemporary home, and the finished outcome is superb.
On the outskirts of New Plymouth, in a delightful rural
area, the Patersons love their new surroundings. Operating
an accommodation business in conjunction with family,
they are on approximately 10 acres all up, with splendid
river and mountain views. Being the last dwelling to
be constructed on the site meant they were partially
restricted, in terms of creating a home that complemented
the others. Knowing what they wanted, Andrew and Anne
set about looking for a designer, determined to have their
plans drawn up independently, rather than going direct to
a group housing company. They intended to shop around
• The
specs
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New Plymouth
$200,000 - 300,000
137 Sq m
2
for the best builder once they had the design finalised,
which is exactly what transpired.
In their quest for a designer, Andrew and Anne were
immediately taken by Amie Cowley, director of Toolbox
Architecture, and asked her to conceptualise their home.
Working closely with the Patersons, she fine-tuned their
ideas, sticking precisely to budget limitations. “This was a
great project to be involved with,” says Amie. “The clients
were easy to work with, and the concept was an exciting style.”
Essentially, the design is like two boxes, with a passageway
in between. One box houses the living spaces, the other the
two bedrooms; and the layout is ideal for a small family.
When it came time for the Patersons to find a builder,
they searched for the best, quickly selecting Fowler Homes
Taranaki Ltd. Although they did have quotes prepared by
two other reputable building companies, it was Fowler
Homes who won by a mile. “So far, I haven’t had one client
who hasn’t chosen to build with Fowler Homes. I complete a
large volume of design work for them, and I completely trust
their workmanship and integrity,” affirms Amie.
According to Andrew and Anne, choosing Fowler Homes
Taranaki is a decision they have never regretted. “We received
a lot of attention, and their quote was extremely affordable.”
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Described as two boxes linked via a passageway by the designer, the contemporary
house is only two bedroom, but does not by any means feel small.
The Patersons were conscious of sticking to budget, and
having gone to other group housing companies first, knew
the price was more than reasonable. Once they had signed on
the dotted line, it took a quick six months for the home to be
completed, from consent through to finish.
Fowler Homes Taranaki directors Lauchlan Macmillan and
Lance Palmer worked closely with the Patersons, ensuring
they were kept informed throughout the project. In the
words of the dynamic builders, “there was not one critical
or important stage that Andrew and Anne were uninformed
of”, and this consistent level of communication made for a
straightforward, uncomplicated professional relationship.
One of the main benefits of building with Fowler Homes
Taranaki is the immediate access to a supply of skilled
subcontractors. As a large-scale residential building
company, they rarely have to outsource work, but when
they do only the most experienced and trusted are ever
chosen. For this home, a small selection of specialist
companies were introduced to the project, and all involved
completed their work with the highest level of integrity.
Fitting the requirements perfectly in terms of a trusted,
reputable supplier was Dimond. As the largest roofing,
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The kitchen faces out to the view, of rolling hills and the Waiwakio River, and has been
stylishly appointed. Black lacquer is immediately striking, mirrored by a black granite bench.
cladding and rain water supplies manufacturer in the
country, Dimond have their finger on the pulse when it
comes to creating roofing products for New Zealand’s
unique climatic conditions. They also demonstrate their
reputation by their active support in the community,
as a founding sponsor of the NZ Habitats for Humanity
programme, an initiative developed to raise the standards
of housing in our communities.
For the Patersons’ home, Dimond supplied their corrugate
profile roof in Zincalume, with complementary fascia and
gutter products. The Colorflo External fascia 165mm was
used, alongside the Colorflo Box 110 gutter, both made from
Zincalume. To ensure the best quality of finish, Dimond
recommended Hitower Roofing and H20 Construction
respectively, to install the roof and the fascias and guttering.
The three monopitch roof planes create a striking finish.
Dimond Corrugate as a roofing material is unbeatable
by any standards. A lightweight product, it requires less
support structure than other similar looking products, and
because of this effectively reduces the carbon footprint of a
home. This concept ties in with Dimond’s desire to develop
more energy efficient and environmentally friendly houses
in communities throughout New Zealand.
To complement the roof profile, aluminium joinery
was selected for the home’s exterior. From Seymour
Aluminium, the Vantage range was chosen, and powdercoated to colour Silver Pearl. Like other products placed on
or inside the house, the aluminium joinery is hardwearing,
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French doors open wide to enhance
the indoor/outdoor flow.
strong and visually attractive. More specifically, the
Vantage system is durable, weathertight in all conditions,
and manufactured to the highest standards possible. In order to work precisely to the design of a home, Seymour
Aluminium custom-make all joinery. For the Patersons,
the glass was tinted grey, to help reduce the amount of UV
light entering the home. French doors open wide to enhance
indoor/outdoor flow, and this is an aspect Andrew and Anne
certainly enjoyed over the warm summer months.
With the exterior under control and the home well
underway, Fowler Homes Taranaki turned to Laser
Electrical New Plymouth to complete a comprehensive
lighting plan. Preferring to work intimately with the
Patersons, to achieve their needs within the home, Laser
Electrical ensured the house was well serviced from an
electrical standpoint. As part of the package, everything
was taken care of, from the initial plan through to the
supply and installation of power points, lights and other
assorted electrical components.
As an added extra to the plan, Andrew and Anne decided
to have outdoor lighting installed, as recommended
to them. This was crucial to maximise their sense of
indoor/outdoor flow, for entertaining and for security.
Laser Electrical is New Zealand’s leading electrical
contractor. They constantly strive to meet and exceed
customer expectations, and have earned their reputation
through innovation, planning and the use of the best
systems available.
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The shower features a frameless glass
shower screen and the floor is neatly
finished with river stones.
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Another specialist company introduced to the home
as a work in progress was PGD Services, although their
involvement started in the very early stages of construction.
Their role focused on plumbing the house, in addition to
providing a gas fitting and full drain-laying service. One of
the primary reasons Fowler Homes Taranaki prefer to work
with PGD Services, is the comprehensive range of work
they undertake. As part of their job, they completed all of
the pipe and gas work, in addition to installing the septic
tank and effluent system, as well as the woodfire.
Supplied by Fowler Homes, a K1 gas pipe work system
and a K2 water pipe system was selected, which PGD
Services believe has many advantages. The design enjoys
reduced noise due to the wall thickness of the pipes, and
heat retention is maximised. The design fittings are all
made of solid brass, with stainless steel crimp rings, so
they are less likely to ever break in the future.
Once the groundwork had been completed and plumbing
was ready to go, Andrew and Anne took a trip down to Mico
Bathrooms New Plymouth. There they liaised with staff to
create a look and style that suited them, at an affordable
price. Because the show room houses brands and products
from New Zealand and Europe, the Patersons had a large
selection of items to choose from. In this case, they knew
what they wanted, so the decision-making process at the
time of purchase was rather straightforward.
The first round of purchasing early on included a Rheem
Integrity gas hot water system to heat the water for their
house. Next time around, the Patersons selected Caroma
Regent toilet suites, a Kohler bath and Trendy frosted
edge mirrors. They also purchased a Miio seven-bar heated
ladder to keep towels warm in winter, Paffoni Stick shower
and basin mixers, and Sphinx hand basins.
The only bathroom item not purchased from Mico
Bathrooms was the stunning shower. Supplied by HomePlus
Taranaki, the Oasis frameless glass shower screen is the
ultimate in stylish sophistication. The simpleness in design
is ideal for an elegantly designed bathroom, particularly
in larger spaces; although with no frame, the glass does
usually enhance space. Made to any size, in 6, 8 or 10mm
safety glass, shower screens can be custom made to most
shapes, including curved designs.
To keep their house tidy and in order, the Patersons also
turned to HomePlus Taranaki to supply ventilated wardrobe
organisers. All custom made to suit, the organisers were
selected in white, although satin silver is available. The
ventilated wardrobe organisers are frequently used for
bedroom wardrobes, storage cupboards and garage units.
They allow clothes and other household items to breathe,
and utilise all available space within a cupboard.
HomePlusTaranaki have a comprehensive range of products
available, from custom-made blinds and awnings through
to gates, balustrades and of course showers. “At HomePlus,
we understand that each New Zealand home is different. We
celebrate these differences by custom making each of our
products to fit your home and style requirements.”
Reflecting on the building process overall, the Patersons
could not be more enthusiastic about the team that created
their new home. “Both Amie and Fowler Homes delivered
exactly what we wanted,” affirms Andrew, and wife Anne
and daughter Stephanie are inclined to agree. •