Friends of the earth

A brick and timber home was built with sustainability and large families in mind.

128 Paremoremo Road, Albany. You can tell this house was built for a family with lots of children. There are bedrooms galore, a laundry cupboard to die for, a kitchen large enough for the biggest of family feasts, somewhere for the kids to do their homework and a big garden designed for playing in.

"The original owners were German, and they had seven children," says current owner Deborah Debae, who shares the home with her Belgian husband, Didier, and their daughters, Aurelia, 6, and Estelle, 2.

"The family had the house built for them about eight years ago, and to their European standards," she says. "They wanted the place to have that solid feel, and they've used all natural materials, such as the recycled bricks and timber. It's all made with brass bolts; there's hardly any plastic in the house."

They also gave the house an eco-friendly edge, in the form of solar heating and a septic tank that recycles enough water to irrigate the garden.

Deborah lived in Europe for 10 years before returning to New Zealand a few years ago.

"This house really interested me," she says. "I loved the solidity of the houses in the UK, Italy and France, and this place wasn't like anything I'd seen here before."

The front door opens to a sea of timber, including the floors and ceilings. Straight ahead is the formal dining area, which opens to a large deck and the rear garden. To the left, a passageway heads past the laundry to the internal-access double garage and a timber staircase that winds up to the second storey.

Upstairs, there's the main bathroom and six good-sized bedrooms, one of which Deborah and Didier use as an office. With a view of the Sky Tower in the distance, the master bedroom has an en suite, a walk-in wardrobe and an additional continental touch in the shape of a sauna. Dividing the upstairs hallway is a Juliet balcony, which looks down to the dining area.

"This is a great idea, because when I'm up here I can still hear the children wherever they are in the house," says Deborah.

Back downstairs, the formal lounge lies at one end of the house. The room opens to the deck on two sides and a fantastic rural view.

The opposite end of the ground floor comprises a family area, the kitchen, a guest bedroom and a shower room.

With smart timber and brick benchtops, timber cabinetry and a collection of pots, pans and utensils hanging from hooks in the ceiling, the kitchen has a French farmhouse feel. There's even a walk-in pantry with a stable door.

Outside, the garden has space for a variety of fruit trees, a lavender hedge, chickens and an artist's studio, which Didier uses as a workshop. There is another garden terrace below, which falls away to the bottom of the valley.

A change in Didier's job sees the family seeking pastures new, and Deborah says it'll be hard to replicate this home.

"It's pretty difficult to leave," she says. "Estelle's grown up here, and it's a special place."

Vital Statistics:

BEDROOMS: 7+

BATHROOMS: 3

GARAGE: 3+

SIZE: Land 2ha, house 400sq m (approx).

PRICE INDICATION: Similar properties in the area have sold for $1 million-plus. Tenders close May 31.

INSPECT: Sat/Sun 2-3pm.

CONTACT: Tanya Ibbetson or Angeline Wong, Bayleys, ph Tanya 414 0952 bus, 021 392 605 mob, Angeline 414 0958 bus, 021 730 688 mob.

FEATURES: Family home combining European style and eco-friendly features, including solar heating and recycled bricks. Lots of bedrooms, a sauna and a farmhouse-style kitchen.