A six-bedroom, five-bathroom, elegant marina home built to demanding specifications doesn't sound like the ideal environment for gangs of wet, sandy, muddy children, but that's exactly what these owners had in mind when they built it.
Dalila Zaghal was working at the New Zealand Refining Company at Marsden Point and renting nearby when she and her husband, Ian, fell in love with the area and decided to build their permanent home at Marsden Cove.
The cove lies just inside the Whangarei Harbour entrance, with a 230-berth marina at its centre. The well-planned marine village is becoming one of Northland's premier boating destinations.
Born in Spain, Dalila loves the water and the Northland coast held huge attractions for her, so the marina environment seemed ideal. She wanted a large house where friends and relatives could come to stay, and everyone's children could play in the water right outside the door.
"I didn't want the sort of house where kids couldn't come in and make a mess. That was one reason for the polished concrete floors," she says. "It had to be low maintenance, easy to clean and be a home that could be enjoyed."
Dalila and Ian initially drew up their own design to suit the needs of visiting friends, family life and entertaining, then sent their plans and brief to an architect. While they wanted a relaxed, homely feel, the house also had to have high-quality finishes and well-proportioned spaces, with room for all the activities that might happen there.
"When you build a house, life changes a lot," Dalila says. "We'd never built from scratch before so we put a lot of love into this because we wanted it to be a big family home."
For Dalila, the kitchen was the most important part of the house and she put a lot of effort into the design. It's a big, open area with a separate scullery, high-quality Miele appliances and room for people to cook, eat, drink and socialise around the island bench and in the adjoining dining area.
"I'm Spanish, I love to cook, and the kitchen has to be the hub of the house," she explains.
She was also focused on making sure there were enough bathrooms, so there are five for the six bedrooms.
Image 1 of 5: 13 Fred Carr Place, Marsden Pt.
Delila and Ian did a lot of thinking about the interaction of the spaces and are pleased that they work well to give everyone what they need, including a private area on the top floor for quiet family time.
Well sited to capture the summer sun, the house uses solar-water heating, and winter living is made luxurious with underfloor heating, heat pumps and double glazing. A sheltered, covered outdoor living space makes outdoor entertaining pleasant even in cooler months.
Dalila never tires of the water views, or the opportunities to enjoy the marina and the harbour. With one of the larger private berths available, the house is close to the harbour entrance, with fishing, sailing and the Poor Knights Marine Reserve within easy reach.
There are also plenty of facilities nearby with cafes, a post shop and schools. Monthly community markets are held in the warmer months and the area, earmarked as up and coming, is just a short drive from Whangarei and about an hour and a half from Auckland.
