Sandspit - Natural instincts

Timber from the Devonport wharf forms the backbone of a home that seeks harmony with the environment.

17 Kauri Drive, Sandspit.

Showering in the en suite at Jan Halliday and Ian Grant's Sandspit home must be an unusual experience.

It almost seems as if you're out in the open - there's no need for blinds on the lower window, as it faces into dense bush, and when you look up to the double-height ceiling, all you can see out of the windows way above your head are the tops of tall trees and the sky.

But this is no basic hut; it's a luxurious bathroom in a stylish, comfortable, well-thought-out home designed to make the most of its surroundings.

``It is meant to feel a bit like you're camping,'' says Jan. ``The one thing we really wanted to achieve with this house was for it to be in harmony with the environment.''

They've achieved that by using natural materials throughout the house, along with neutral colours that don't distract from the scenery outside, and plenty of unadorned windows that make the most of those views.

And what spectacular views they are. Ian and Jan's home sits on 0.74ha of land, looking over native bush and a kauri grove to Brick Bay, near Sandspit, and then across the water to Kawau Island and the Coromandel Peninsula in the distance.

The couple fell in love with the site six years ago and pulled down the existing house so they could start again from scratch. The outstanding feature of the home they built is the huge wooden poles that are used both indoors and out.

``Ian found all these old piles from the Devonport wharf and thought they would be good to use in the house,'' explains Jan. ``We wanted to use some of them as beams inside but they were too big to go through the mill so Ian had to mill them by hand with a chainsaw.

``It was a big job but well worth it. I really think they help to make this house quite special.''

Visitors get the sense that they're arriving somewhere out of the ordinary as soon as they pull up in the landscaped parking area off the road. A shell path leads to the Zincalume and cedar-clad house with its massive front door that's three times the thickness of normal exterior doors.

The house's main level includes the open-plan living, dining and kitchen area, which opens out to a large deck. Also on this floor are the main bedroom with walk-through wardrobe and the high-ceilinged en suite, a powder room and study. This room has a mezzanine floor leading to a small balcony area that looks down on the kitchen.

Stairs from the entrance go down to the second level where there are two more bedrooms, a bathroom and a room Jan and Ian use as a TV room but which could be a fourth bedroom. Also down here are plenty of cupboards and a laundry that leads to the double carport and workshop.

While most of the section is covered in bush, there are still plenty of outdoor areas to enjoy. As well as extensive decks, there's a courtyard, an impressive vegetable garden, a flat lawn, a grassed area complete with a campfire and a secret glade planted with fruit trees to create a mini-orchard.

A path leads through the bush down to Brick Bay. Jan and Ian adore their home but are selling because they'd like to spend more time overseas with family and need a house that's easy to lock up and leave. ``But there will be lots of tears when we leave,'' admits Jan.

VITAL STATISTICS

BEDROOMS: 3+

BATHROOMS: 2

GARAGES: 2+

SIZE: Land 7402sq m, house 300sq m.

PRICE: Upwards of $1.8 million. Tender closes November 15.

INSPECT: By appointment.

CONTACT: Shane Romani, Barfoot & Thompson, ph 09 422 6363, 021 889 906.

ON THE WEB: www.barfoot.co.nz# 348693

SCHOOLS: Warkworth and Matakana primary schools, Mahurangi College.

FEATURES: Two-year-old architect-designed house on largely bush-clad gently sloping land with unobstructed sea views. Gourmet kitchen, wood-burning fire, underfloor heating downstairs.