"We can talk about what we did and everything that went into this house, such as the big beams across the living area and the cement that was poured 4m down around those poles, and you can see it in all the photographs," Ric says.
From the street facing west, the house presents a solid face, devoid of windows but resplendent in textured, dark terracotta-coloured solid plaster. From the split-level decks and pool that hover above the seaside bush, the exterior of the house is reflective, tinted glass, as is the fixed, curved exterior wall along one side of the internal courtyard.
Inside the front door, the large foyer steps down to the atrium/gallery which houses Karen and Ric's favourite artworks.
Beyond the atrium, the living, dining and kitchen areas look out to sea on one side and into the internal courtyard on the other side. The two-bedroom guest wing opens out into that same courtyard, with views right through the main living area out to sea. "We think of it as a room and that's what I call it," says Karen. "Even if the wind is swirling around outside on the cliff top, you are always protected in here."
Upstairs there is a second living area/office that doubles as a fourth bedroom, with access either down the hallway or via the exterior bridge overlooking the courtyard to the master bedroom.
Colour abounds everywhere, from the original French terracotta tiles in the courtyard that also frame the teal carpet in the living area. "It is as if the carpet is 'floating' and I like the fact that it resembles the colours of the sea," Karen says.
Inspiration came from far and wide. Their choice of exterior paint colour came from a trip to the Italian fishing village of Portofino 15 years ago. Karen is part-American and part-Italian, and she saw an old villa painted the same popular Mediterranean colour. "I knew that was the colour I wanted for my home."
In the main living area, the same terracotta/cream Indian marble on the countertop of the free-standing living room bar matches that chosen for the living room hearth. Karen and Ric acid-etched the copper panels around the fireplace to hurry along the ever-changing patina of copper.
In their en suite, each of their favourite Rose Aurora marble tiles were placed with care to ensure the fall of pattern looked right on the walls. In the kitchen, they painted a glass panel with black marine paint to withstand the salt area and deliver the beauty of Rangitoto's form and the colours of the sea into their home.
Ric believes this home is quite simple at heart. "It is 24 years old and it has never moved a millimetre. It's a house that is as modern today as it was when it was built."
