CONTACT:
Kerry Bos and Lisa Zhang, Harcourts, 021 909 301 (Kerry) or 021 048 5615 (Lisa).
Three front doors open into a world of extended family living that has brought three generations of one family together for the past nine years.
Flanked by schist pillars, the main front door leads into the bespoke home that Rex and Val Haves and their daughter and son-in-law Lorna and Craig Forbes created together as
a concept and which architect Rick Lambourne designed in 2004 to support separate and shared family living.
Down steps to a landing, the door to the left is the door into Rex and Val's three-bedroom home with living areas opening to their timber deck that hugs the lower contours of their rural land. To the right, Lorna and Craig's front door opens into their much larger four-bedroom home with its deck off their living areas and bedroom. "Ours is nine steps down from theirs," says Rex.
Together as one, they have been home to six members of this extended family that includes Craig and Lorna's children Callum and Briana, now teenagers, who came here as primary school-aged youngsters. An Italian-style atrium is the internal interface between these two independent, adjoining homes. The idea for it came about during a casual holiday dinner-time conversation. Craig and Lorna lived in Torbay then and Rex and Val in Castor Bay and they happened to be chatting about family, looking after grandchildren, work and projects when Craig suggested, "Why don't we look for a place together?"
As Rex explains it, he and Val began looking at suitable home/minor dwelling options without success and also neighbouring building sites for two separate homes. Then Puhoi turned up on their radar. Initially Craig thought it was too far away. Rex was still getting his head round the idea and Val liked it but hadn't taken it too seriously.
"His suggestion just sowed the seed and it took shape from there. It really has been wonderful," Val says.
Image 1 of 5: This lavish abode strategically housed two families, while keeping privacy and peace for each
By the time Craig and Lorna confirmed their interest after a late-night curiosity drive into the bush amid the surrounding lights, everyone else was ready to put their collective wish list on the table with their architect.
Five minutes from Puhoi Village, the two wings of this house have been orientated for privacy with long sea views beyond their regenerating, covenanted stand of native bush. "Turn around at the gate and from the letterbox you can see the Sky Tower," says Rex.
This is Rex and Val's second home since their move to New Zealand from the UK in 1980. For their son Paul, his wife Justine and their three children it has been a great place to stay overnight after dinner with these Haves grandchildren generally opting to sleep over at their cousins' place.
Timeless design and functionality have been paramount from the respective kitchens to their bathrooms and their two wine cellars built under the garage floors in space that would have been filled to keep to the contours of the site. The decision to fit one laundry with two washing machines and two dryers made practical sense, says Val.
On a less mundane note, Sunday dinners have been a turn-about affair, announced by the ringing of a hand bell by the host. Otherwise, life here has been a private affair. "We'd have to go out on the deck and look up to their house to see if there are lights on and they're home," says Rex. "If something is urgent you can tap on the door."
But for Rex and Val, it is about making new memories somewhere else near here with the departure of Craig and Lorna and their children to a new business venture in Australia.
