Mahurangi - Keeping it simple

A couple who wanted sun and views gained both when they built their coastal retreat.

84 Ridge Road, Scotts Landing, Mahurangi.

If birds or boats are your thing then this Mahurangi house could be the nearest thing to paradise you could own.

Located in picturesque Scotts Landing, 20 minutes drive from Warkworth, the house overlooks a stand of mature native trees and the tranquil Te Kapa inlet.

Tui dart about, feeding on kowhai blooms, while views of the coast fan out from the deck. In the distance yachts sail serenely towards Kawau Island, and on a clear day you can see the Coromandel Peninsula.

Living in such an idyllic setting makes you wonder why owners Don and Angela would contemplate giving it up, but the couple are retiring and need somewhere smaller.

``The house is too big for us now,'' says Don. ``But we wouldn't leave the area, it's just wonderful, and has such a good community.''

Don and Angela built the cedar-clad house just over two and a half years ago, using a local architect to help them maximise the superb views on either side of the house.

As soon as you turn into the driveway from Ridge Road the sparkling waters of the Te Kapa inlet reveal themselves below you.

Step into the house and the sea beckons again, this time through the sliding glass doors of the living room at the end of the hallway.

Light spills through clerestory windows along the length of the wide, double height hallway, creating a gallery effect perfect for displaying art.

The Australian hardwood beams in the ceiling create a warm contrast against the cream painted walls.

From the kitchen, which Angela says is ``fantastic to use'', you can see the inlet out one window, and back along the coast towards Warkworth from the other.

Likewise, the adjoining dining/family room that opens out to the large deck. Projecting out from the house so that you feel as if you are in the trees, the deck has a glass balustrade to provide shelter from the wind without blocking the views.

The guest room, down a level below the deck, hovers even closer to the bush. This lovely space was designed with its own en suite to allow visitors their own area.

``Waking up in this room and listening to the dawn chorus is just fabulous,'' says Don.

He and Angela like to watch the sunrise from the small deck of their bedroom that faces east, as does the main deck.

The latter is their favourite spot for breakfast, while in the afternoons they will open the glass doors off the living room and have a drink or barbecue on the tiled terrace while the sun goes down.

Wide eaves supported by hardwood posts make this a sheltered spot for entertaining throughout the year.

From the terrace a curved stairway built by Don from stone and recycled brick leads down to the guest room and the bush garden beyond.

Following the curve above the steps he constructed a pergola out of recycled power poles.

Don has a practical as well as creative bent. When building the house he installed a generator as a back-up in case of power cuts.

He also installed heating beneath the ceramic tiled floor of the kitchen and the three bathrooms so the house is beautifully warm during winter.

Yet Don modestly refuses to take credit for his lovely home.
``We wanted the sun and we wanted the views. We kept it simple and achieved both,'' he says. ``And it works incredibly well.''

VITAL STATISTICS

BEDROOMS: 3

BATHROOMS: 3

GARAGES: 2

SIZE: Land 4.426 ha, house 212sq m.

PRICE INDICATION: $1.6 million.

INSPECT: Sat/Sun 1-2pm.

ON THE WEB: www.ljhooker.com #LJH4DU1JK

CONTACT: Graham McIntyre, L J Hooker, ph 0276 320 421.

FEATURES: Two and a half-year-old cedar home with views of the coast from nearly every room. Indoor-outdoor living on both sides of the house. A garden of mature native trees with vibrant birdlife. Swimming and boat moorings within five-minute walk. Seven-minute drive to Snells Beach for shops.