SCHOOL ZONES:
Matakana, Warkworth and Snells Beach Primaries, Mahurangi College.
CONTACT:
Nola Kloppers, 021 425 597; Ben Kloppers, 021 425 599, Remax.
AUCTION:
May 1 on site at 1.30pm.
It's a testimony to Peter Sargisson's skills that Lisa and Rob Roos' home is intimate enough when it's just the two of them but also easily accommodates weekend visitors and even 120 wedding guests.
In fact, Lisa emailed the Auckland-based architect just a few weeks ago saying five years after the build they are still loving it.
The couple bought the 2.19ha lifestyle section just minutes from the hub of Matakana in 2010 and the house was built in 2011.
"We had a bach at Omaha and then we decided we would love to have a go at the lifestyle thing.
"Peter Sargisson came recommended by friends he had designed lovely homes for," says Lisa.
Peter visited the site with the couple. "He really liked the section. He knew straight away where he wanted to put the house.
"He gave us a lovely vantage point that looks over the lawn that rolls down to the Glen Eden River. When you look up, you have the hills on the horizon.
"Our brief to him was very much great indoor and outdoor flow. Rob and I are keen gardeners and we just love being outside. So all the rooms open out to the lawn."
They also asked for a relaxed "lodgey feel" for their home, which features vertical cedar and brick with Colorsteel roof.
"It is a three-bedroom home but we have an additional fourth bedroom, a loft above the garage. People love it up there. We feel he has given us a home that operates well, on all levels."
The home's designer kitchen has a walk-in pantry and shares open-plan space with dining and lounge where there is a big open fire. Off that room is the TV den, which has a window seat and sliding windows looking out to the lawn.
An 11m x 4.5m pool and spa pool is positioned slightly away from the house to get all-day sun.
Adding to the build's character are the roofline's different pitches, metal louvres and high windows that make the spaces feel light and airy.
Image 1 of 8: This home has the flexability to be a peaceful retreat or a fun family home.
The property also has a 135sq m shed with high roller door where they have stored gardening equipment, motorhome and boat.
"And that is where we had the wedding with 120 guests. We had it all decked out and it looked absolutely beautiful," says Lisa.
"If it is just Rob and I at home, it is cosy and we can sit by the fire and we have our little areas for a coffee or wine. But when we have family or friends, it opens up and it doesn't feel over-crowded.
"With the interior design, I used a lady called Bridget Hanley from Mid Century Design. She had an amazing ability to put gorgeous fabrics, furniture, lamps and furnishings together.
"I am an organic, natural person so there are no bright colours. I like a house to be serene and peaceful and people find it very relaxing."
The green-fingered couple have developed outside rooms so the landscaping is an extension of the home's living space.
"It was somewhere we would go and sit during the night or morning," says Lisa.
Their outdoor kitchen has a barbecue.
"We love how on a Sunday the family will come up and you can be there from dawn to dusk. We have outdoor heating and a lovely atmosphere with wisteria which canopies down from the top. And we sit at the table and drink wine and cook lovely meals."
Another area has the outdoor fire. "That is like an extension of our lounge area, to open the big bifold doors and go out."
These keen cooks grow vegetables and enjoy harvesting the orchard's fruit.
"And Rob and I often jump in the kayaks and tootle up the river to the waterfall or you can go down to Sandspit into the harbour. Before the pool, we swam in that river."
The couple are selling because they want to move closer to family. Rob says whoever buys the property is going to get the best of it in years to come when the trees they have planted mature.
"It will be someone who loves a property which is great for entertaining but also enjoy being on your own and the peacefulness of it," says Lisa.
