Sally Draper and her husband Alistair Maclean were accustomed to older homes before they built their house in May 2009.
When they'd got together three years earlier, Alistair lived in the former state house on Larchwood Ave in Westmere that he'd owned since the early 1980s. Sally had a bungalow in Sandringham.
They lived together in the bungalow before deciding what to do next.
"We had planned to renovate but put two old houses into the pot and came up with this, our baby," says Sally, referring to the light-filled contemporary cedar and concrete block home she and Alistair built on the site of the old state house.
Although the couple were drawn to character homes, they were persuaded to take a leap of faith and build a contemporary house Blair Schulze designed for them. Blair, a former architect, had become friends with Sally when they trained as psychotherapists together.
"We were converted by Blair as this was quite different for us, but we love the style of the house and the wood, the concrete and the light," Sally says.
Set behind a concrete block and cedar fence and a keypad entry gate, this home makes the most of its site. One extension of the stacked concrete block front wall, alongside the driveway and single garage, extends seamlessly into the house.
Alistair says the courtyard at the front of the house, shaded by native and subtropical palms, is very important to them.
"We like courtyard spaces and this one is completely private. Privacy is a big thing for us."
Large glass sliders connect the courtyard to the light and airy open-plan living and dining room. A clerestory window, above the concrete block interior wall, allows light to flood into the house and makes the roof appear to float.
Image 1 of 10: Glass sliders open to a courtyard that has a tropical, Balinese feel. Photos / Fiona Goodall, Getty Images
The kitchen is streamlined, with a stainless steel bench and a tall bank of timber-effect cabinetry and an integrated fridge. A windowseat is alongside the kitchen and dining space and beautifully crafted built-in shelving. "It's a great place to have a coffee in the sun in winter," Alistair says.
Also upstairs is a restful bathroom, illuminated with a skylight, with a basin vessel carved from a block of marble.
The wall tiles are honed marble. The master bedroom opens to a generous balcony, which overlooks a subtropical garden and the large trees of Wellpark Reserve. The mature garden is planted to remind the couple of one of their favourite holiday destinations.
"We love Bali. We visited a few years ago and wanted to recreate a Balinese garden here with a mixture of tropical and native plants," Sally says. No other houses are visible from the balcony -- just the greenery of the garden and park beyond.
"We do have lovely neighbours here, though," says Sally.
Off the master bedroom is a large dressing room/wardrobe, which leads to an office that overlooks the garden. Downstairs, there are three double bedrooms, which all have access to the garden and a courtyard.
The full-size laundry is ingeniously hidden behind bi-fold doors in the hallway. At the end of the hall, a large bathroom has a standalone bath that also enjoys views of the greenery outside.
Sally and Alistair love this neighbourhood and what's nearby. They walk for an hour every day, often heading to the cafes in West Lynn or to dinner and drinks on Ponsonby Rd. Some evenings they will pack dinner in a backpack and walk to Herne Bay Beach or to Pt Chev.
But they are leaving the neighbourhood as they have bought land at Ti Point near Matakana and are building another home, once again designed by their friend Blair.
