The area of their lifestyle block that the O'Briens chose as the ideal site to build their dream house backs up their claim they weren't aiming for easy, they were aiming for best.
Jimmy O'Brien says: "The spot was as far into this corner as we could go. It meant running the power 280m from the top of the driveway, but it was the best place for the house."
The result is a sun-drenched, elevated, north-facing spot overlooking a tranquil valley to Riverhead Forest. The couple are separated from neighbours down the lane by the property's own stands of bush.
It's a balmy position for their 9-year-old contemporary home, which encompasses the outdoors with double-height windows and a picturesque outdoor entertaining and pool complex.
"It's been a labour of love," admits Jimmy, fondly.
He and wife Fleur each grew up with plenty of land to play on: Fleur next door to Mangere Bridge's Ambury Park and Jimmy's family neighbours to a dairy farm in Hertfordshire, UK. Wanting to replicate that sort of lifestyle for their children Mack, now 13, and Riley, 11, was why they they bought this pasture/bush combo a decade ago.
They had the house of about 330sq m designed with strong, clean lines in Shadowclad timber, accented by zincalume and feature columns.
"I think the height of the ceilings is the biggest "wow" for people," says Fleur.
She's referring to their decision to go single-storey but double height in the main wing, home to the living and the master suite.
Jimmy adds: "Lots of people initially think it's a two-storey house."
Solid pillars support a covered entry to the home's double front doors, gleaming in two-pot lacquer named "Audi Silver". There's plenty of room for actual cars in the internal access triple garage topped with loft storage.
Some of the interior's smart presentation is down to a recent refresh, with new paintwork and carpet throughout. But it's also because they chose materials they describe as "bulletproof", such as the heated, polished, concrete floors favoured for living areas.
Fleur says of the kitchen/dining/family room hub: "Having this room at the other end of the house from the kids' wing meant that when they were little we could have the music up loud and not disturb them."
The O'Briens call the separate living area next door, where the roofline soars up to 5m high, "the little lounge". The family of four plus toy poodle-maltese cross Diesel and cat Maisie can unite on the big sofa here.
Entertaining flows outside easily and extended eaves create a covered barbecue area by an outdoor fire. Beyond big outdoor pillars framing the rural view is the saltwater heated pool they had installed last year, backed by a floodlit low griselinia hedge.
The master bedroom completes the trio of double-height rooms, benefiting from a walk-in wardrobe and en suite complete with double shower. An additional room towards the garage (with guest toilet nearby) has been hairdresser Fleur's work-from-home salon while Jimmy was away from home running Colliers North Shore commercial property business.
Another entrance also has a bathroom just inside, handy for people dripping from the pool or muddy from outside. Following on from a corridor lined with storage the "kids' wing" has the children's bathroom opposite three bedrooms that all open to outdoors.
Mack and Riley enjoyed the sort of outdoorsy lifestyle their parents envisaged, making huts in the bush and eeling in the property's creeks while attending Coatesville Primary School.
