Waihi Beach: No stone unturned

A Hamilton couple had different reasons for building a beach house with an historical feel, writes Fritha Tagg.

14a Wakanoi Place, Pio Shores, Waihi Beach.

This unusual two-storey stone cottage had its beginnings in a dream for a house with a particular look, and one that would suit a claw-foot bath.

Professional builder Paul Wade spends every day building for other people and he had always had a dream to build a stone cottage using as many original building methods as possible. Raewyn Wade wanted a house at the beach that would also be a home to her claw-foot bath. The result is a stone cottage that would not look out of place in the English countryside.

This is a solid little number. Built using tilt-slab construction (concrete slabs, poured on site and then raised to form walls) then clad with "schist-type" stone. The result is a substantial outer wall 340mm deep, which, in turn, gives nice wide windowsills, similar to original cottage construction.

The 80 tonne of stone used was handpicked from a local quarry to achieve a rich, interesting colour. Paul wanted more of the greeny gold, deep ochre and rich browns that sit in the predominantly grey stone. He had seen the local stone used in feature fireplaces and decided it produced more colour than South Island schist.

The interior walls are smoothed concrete, which have been painted and in some rooms wallpapered with a colonial style paper. Paul said they chose not to line the walls in keeping with the look and there was really no need.

They have continued the theme throughout the house by trying to capture bygone times. The kitchen has an old-fashioned look, with a mix of natural wood and cabinets with a "distressed paint" finish. A double dish drawer and even the fridge are cleverly disguised behind wooden doors and drawers. Even the large stove, which looks old, is modern electric and gas.

Paul was determined the house would have the best in real wood. He sourced Waikato-grown Tasmanian Blackwood and had it milled, dried and machined to his specifications for the floorboards and kitchen joinery. The benchtop is one large solid piece taken from the centre of a log. The colour and richness of the wood adds warmth to the interior of this house.

The sarked ceilings and the doors are a mix of New Zealand cedar and macrocarpa.

"I didn't want perfect looking timber, it needed to have the look of long ago so there are bark pockets and buzz marks to achieve what we were looking for. The wooden floorboards are tongue-oiled to achieve a rich colour plus a durable finish without the gloss of polyurethane."

Three bedrooms occupy the upstairs floor. The master bedroom runs the width of the house and opens on to a balcony to make the most of the view of Pio Shores beach, at the southern end of Waihi Beach. You can also see out to White Island.

This house has been a labour of love for both Raewyn and Paul; they have enjoyed searching for treasures like light fittings and furniture that suited the look - even the downstairs toilet has a chain-pull flush. The solid cedar front door was recycled from a university lecture theatre and the wallpaper in the dining room is copies of old Waihi newspapers.

The house has the look of bygone times but is practical on every level. There is a drive-through garage for the boat, and a laundry off the garage.

Even the "wishing-well" in the backyard is really an outside shower and doubles as a fish-filleting spot, with the run-off going into the sewer.

Built in 1998, the house is only an hour from the Wades' Hamilton home and has been a well-used family beach escape, especially when the children were younger. Now they are teenagers and Paul has work in Whitianga, they have reluctantly decided to sell the stone house and move on to the next dream.

"Perhaps an ultra-modern home on the waterways," says Paul with a sideways look at Raewyn. This is a man who needs a project.

Vital Statistics

SIZE: Land 450 sq m, house 160sq m.

PRICE INDICATION: $835,000 negotiable.

INSPECT: By appointment.

CONTACT: Pamela Philcox, First National, ph 0274 736 361, or 07 863 5127.

FEATURES: Stone and cedar clad two storey house with beach and harbour views. Gas hot water. Located in a quiet cul-de-sac fronting a beach reserve and a flat, safe section of Waihi Beach.