SCHOOL ZONES:
Point View Primary, Somerville Intermediate, Botany Downs Secondary College.
CONTACT:
Kevin Barber, Bayleys, 021 669 993 or 538 1082.
Mike and Angela Landers searched near and far for inspiration when it came to building their Howick home.
Many of their ideas came about as the result of a trip to the US, where they were impressed by the size and style of houses they saw in Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
But they were also inspired by stylish properties they had seen closer to home.
Mike is an electrician who often works on upmarket new homes, and he made a point of filing away design details he liked.
"I've worked on some pretty amazing places, and I see lots of cool stuff that has given me a lot of inspiration," says Mike.
"I've even dragged Angela through some of the houses I have worked on to get some ideas."
The couple also spent hours looking at websites, taking about six months to plan the perfect home for a large piece of land they'd bought in Point View Rd.
Angela and Mike grew up in the area and always wanted to live on the road, which has a semi-rural feel but is just a few minutes' drive from amenities such as the Botany Town Centre.
They thought a large American-style weatherboard home would suit the site, which is half covered in bush.
They gave their architect, Keith Forrest, a wishlist that included generous rooms, plenty of storage, schist pillars and bifold doors.
It was important that the house was oriented for the sun, and that there was good indoor-outdoor flow.
"We got everything we wanted, which we were pleased about," says Mike. "A few people tried to talk us out of having a triple garage but that was something we were very keen on for storage reasons. Now we actually have part of the garage set up as a home gym."
Mike even thought to put TV cables in the garage during construction, so he can watch television while he works out. In fact, the whole house is smart-wired and also over-insulated.
"It is much easier to do all that sort of stuff at the building stage than later on," he points out.
Mike did the wiring himself but he left the construction to the experts and is delighted with the end result.
"We blew the budget," he admits.
"Originally the house was going to be 220sq m but it has ended up almost 300sq m. We also spent a lot on things like a Grohe massaging shower and taps but I think it is worth it to get good quality that will last."
The whole house is a testament to the couple's determination to do the best possible job.
Their attention to detail shows in features such as the staircase to the upper floor, which was redesigned from the original plans so a landing was placed next to a large picture window.
Not only does this mean the outlook can be admired as you walk past, but now the window can be easily cleaned.
In the earlier plan, it would have been above a double-height foyer and hard to reach.
They also chose kwila flooring in the family room and kitchen to match the deck outside, and in the lounge, they placed a home theatre projector so they could watch movies while sitting on the deck that adjoins the room.
"We tried to think of everything," says Mike.
The carefully planned house comprises a family room and kitchen, formal dining room, lounge, study, powder room and guest bedroom with en suite downstairs, and a family bathroom and three bedrooms, including the master suite, upstairs.
The family room and kitchen are the hub of the house, and open to the deck and an area of flat lawn that makes a perfect putting green.
The formal dining room and lounge have French doors out to the wrap-around deck, which looks out on private bush.
"It is so peaceful sitting out here," says Mike.
Image 1 of 5: Careful attention to detail shows in stylish design features such as schist pillars and generous rooms
"All you can hear are birds and you feel like you are in the middle of the country, yet it is a four-minute drive to Botany Town Centre."
After living in the completed house for just six months Mike and Angela -- now proud parents to 8-month-old Mason -- have decided they'd like to take on another project.
"I can honestly say that with this house, there is nothing we would do differently," says Mike.
