Dairy Flat: A bit of an earthy character

A former nursery has been turned into a beautifully landscaped residence with its own pond, writes Penny Lewis.

1008 State Highway 17, Dairy Flat.

Graeme Nisbet estimates there are around 10,000 earth bricks in his Dairy Flat home. The Kaipara clay bricks were made at a press in Helensville, fired and then filed to get the round-edged, adobe look that Graeme wanted. "They look like loaves of bread," he says.

He'd caught sight of an earth brick house while out on a drive to the Hibiscus Coast one day and decided he wanted to build the same way. Graeme and his partner Gina Waetford had bought the site of the old Village Green nursery in Dairy Flat. After first toying with the idea of continuing the business, Graeme realised that he actually wanted to live there and so they built four years ago.

The nursery had buildings on it that had been designed by architect Graham Pitts and they were incorporated into the new house, which was designed to be in keeping with the existing buildings that now form part of the lounge and one of the bedrooms. After designing the concept, he took his ideas to Eco Homes to put them on paper.

Graeme and Gina's house is eco-friendly all-round. All the paint used was a special organic product imported from Switzerland, while there is extensive use of renewable natural timbers to give a warm look. The home's wonderful sarked ceilings are built from Lawson cypress and there is also Douglas fir and beams made from jarrah. The huge trusses are made from macrocarpa, as are the custom-made doors in the house. "It's an unusual home in that it's very open. There are only five doors and they're for the bedrooms and bathrooms," Graeme says.

Flooring is a mix of coloured concrete (with underfloor heating) and carpet for the bedrooms and formal lounge.

Graeme and Gina have done a lot of work outside and transformed the garden from looking like a nursery to being part of the home. The entire site is landscaped. "Naturally there were rows and rows of trees and footpaths, so we changed the planting and took some of the paths out and put down lawn."

The pond that formed the nursery's irrigation system was kept as a pretty part of the garden, while Graeme has built a large amount of timber decking and walkways for plenty of outdoor living space. As well as being a dab hand with the hammer, he has also worked in catering and so this home has played host to many a wedding and 50th and 21st birthday celebration. As a hangover from the site's garden centre days there's plenty of parking - Graeme estimates there's space for about 50 cars.

He says the next move may be up north, but he's not sure if he and Gina will replicate what they've done at Dairy Flat. "There's been lots of work go into it," he smiles.

Vital Statistics

SIZE: Land 6519sqm, main house 300sqm (approx), guest accommodation 80sq m (approx).

PRICE INDICATION: Interest expected above $1 million.

INSPECT: Sat/Sun 2.30-3.30pm.

CONTACT: Jo Lanigan, Bayleys North Shore, ph 09 414 0957 bus, 027 279 5468 mob.