CONTACT:
Angela Wain, Mike Pero Real Estate, ph 027 493 6800.
TENDER:
Closes May 8 at 2pm.
The en suite bathroom in Steve Franich's house at Leigh Rd is a bit of a giveaway that the man is a plumber. It also demonstrates his creativity and design skills.
A plumber and drainlayer for 35 years, Steve built the house 10 years ago, and the master bathroom is the piece de resistance.
"It's huge," says partner Sharon. "And apart from the curved wall around the shower it's open to the bedroom so you can call out for a drink from the bath."
The polished concrete floor is inset with black pebbles that match the charcoal tiled walls, and the free-standing bath is adjacent to bi-fold windows which opens the space up to the outside.
The rest of the house also demonstrates Steve's design skills. It's a curved building in three wings, built of plastered brick. The high stud and exposed beams, all painted white, give it a casual, airy feeling while a natural colour palette adds warmth.
"I'm a cold fish but this house is really warm," Sharon says. "The earthy tones, the Smartwood joinery and the schist wood fire in the lounge all make it feel cosy, and we have diesel underfloor heating which we generally only turn on a couple of months of the year."
She also loves the fact that there's a separate adults' wing that houses the master suite with the spectacular bathroom, and a gym, and it all opens to the spa on the deck outside the bifolds.
The bifolds are a feature of this house and three sets allow the open plan living area to be totally opened up. It's well organised for entertaining and the big kitchen is the focal point with its charcoal feature wall and granite benches. A curved island with barstools right beside the doors is the ideal spot for an after-work drink.
The kitchen bifolds open to a view out over the land which Sharon loves. The house overlooks the Omaha River estuary which is navigable by small boat out to Point Wells and Omaha. At one point the land reaches down to the water where there's a launching area for kayaks, paddle boards or small boats. Kauri and macrocarpa form a backdrop on the other side of the estuary.
Image 1 of 7: Peace and privacy are plentiful at this Matakana house, which has been built with careful attention to detail and creativity
Closer to the house, the garden is mainly sub-tropical and features many palms that were planted when the house was first built. Yuccas, birds of paradise, tractor seat plants and other sub tropical and native planting have made it very easy care. The gardens edge the paved walkways around the house and the big deck space with its open fire, lounging area and outdoor dining setting.
The 4ha block has been grazed, and Steve and Sharon see it as being perfect for horses. It's flat, and you can see all four paddocks from the house. And it's situated midway between a top class indoor equestrian facility and Matakana Country Park with its outdoor arena and training areas. A big barn near the entrance could accommodate horse stalls, and also has an attached, one bedroom sleepout.
Steve and Sharon feel the need to downsize and give themselves a bit more freedom, but they won't be moving too far. Steve has been in the area for many years and owned the deer farm of which this property was originally a part. He kept this block to build on because of its proximity to the river.
"This is a great area and people are very drawn to it," Sharon says. "We'll miss the peace, the privacy, the fact that there are no neighbours and you're lucky if you ever see a light at night."
