The raw beauty of Piha’s black sand and native bush is a haven for two of Aotearoa’s leading faces in fashion — model and agent Ngahuia Williams and Huffer founder Steve Dunstan. The couple open up their Piha sanctuary, where off-duty time on the rugged west coast has become a
“I can’t get enough of this place,” admits Steve Dunstan. “When I’m here I’ll go for a couple of surfs a day, if I can.”
The founder of fashion label Huffer is talking about Piha, a sleepy hamlet tucked away on a sweeping stretch of the rugged west coast, about 45 minutes’ drive from Auckland.
As well as its multiple surf breaks, the other big drawcard for Steve and his wife, top model and agency owner Ngahuia Williams, is Piha’s laidback vibe.
From early in their relationship, the couple spent as much time as they could at the beach; they were married there, and four years ago they put down roots, buying a classic bach a stone’s throw from the shoreline.
During the week, their life plays out against the backdrop of a modern apartment set in the hustle and bustle of Grey Lynn, Auckland. Come the weekend, the two of them effortlessly drop down a gear or two for the good life at the beach. Escaping to Piha whenever they can is the perfect antidote to their city life.
“In summer the apartment is more like our bach. We try to spend two or three nights in the city and the majority of our time here,” says Steve.
His strong connection to the coastal community goes back to his teens, when he spent weekends and holidays at his friend’s family bach.
His second taste for Piha’s relaxed lifestyle came after his professional snowboarding career ended and he discovered a passion for surfing.
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Advertise with NZME.His older brother Michael, who took up surfing at around the same time, moved to Piha 20 years ago. “I’d come out and stay the night at his place so I could get two surfs out of one drive and I got a glimpse into the lifestyle he had. I was envious. The idea of living at Piha was a dream of mine for years.
“Quite early on in my relationship with Ngahuia we started coming out here and there is definitely an emotional connection for us both to Piha. We began making plans to have our own place here one day. It reached a point where I said, ‘let’s try and buy a place’.”
The process ended up taking a bit longer than they expected. After missing out on the first house they put an offer on, the couple was determined not to let this one slip through their grasp. So much so, that they bought it without even stepping inside.
“I saw the real estate photos online and I thought ‘I know exactly where that property is because it’s right next door to my friend’s family bach’,” says Steve, who was in Japan with Ngahuia at the time.
“My brother went over to the bach and took photos from every angle, then sent me a Dropbox file. We put in an offer and it was ours. We’re so happy we ended up here because this place feels so right for us.”
They began stamping their style on the property almost as soon as they moved in. Even though it was a small and condensed renovation project, getting it right was important to both of them.
Ngahuia and Steve had long admired the work of Katie Lockhart, so they asked the Auckland-based interior designer if she would be interested in taking on their project. She was, and the end result is exactly what they were after, a beautifully light and airy modern space that pays tribute to the bach’s humble origins.
“Katie got what we wanted and she got it pretty quickly. When she came back to us with her plans, she had nailed it. There’s no way we would have been able to achieve this on our own,” says Ngahuia.
The couple enjoyed the collaboration. Steve adds: “It was so cool to get someone who can read your vision. The whole process was pretty easy. There were no major crossroads we had to negotiate.”
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Advertise with NZME.The rooms are designed as view finders, with an uncluttered simplicity that encourages the eye outwards towards the ocean. “The design is really clever. It expresses our personalities and is very easy to live in,” she says. “I love the look and feel.”
Detailing throughout has been kept to a minimum. “Because it’s a compact space we were very careful about each choice that we made for the interiors,” she says.
The couple wanted the interior to be functional, with no fuss, but also warm and welcoming. The kitchen has a beachy feel with pops of bright blue, natural light floods into the living room through expansive glass doors and a television nook has a moodier, more intimate feel.
This cosy cave-like space, with built-in forest-green banquette seating, dark-stained oak wall panelling and a timber venetian blind to filter out natural light, is perfect for watching the sea during the day and movies at night.
“I love being able to hear the waves from our place,” says Ngahuia. “Occasionally, when the sea is calm it’s so quiet. Almost too quiet! The sound of the sea is very comforting.”
There are no internal doors in the bach, apart from the door to the bathroom. One major change that was well worth the effort, says Steve, was replacing a window at the front with a third set of glass doors opening to the deck. “That’s made a massive difference to the flow,” he says.
Whenever possible, they have all the doors open, and use the deck that runs along the front of the bach as an extension of their living space. A separate cabin built by the previous owners, slightly elevated from the bach, is the main bedroom.
“It has the most beautiful views from the bed,” says Ngahuia. “The other night the moon was sitting directly over the ocean, and the moonlight was shimmering on the sea. It looked amazing.”
The living area has a golden glow from the warmth of the oak timber flooring, kitchen cabinets and custom-designed wall unit that is both a library for their favourite books and an office space.
The parquet flooring in the bedroom is also oak, and the cane rattan wardrobe doors are framed in the same timber. Decor in their sleep zone is minimal, allowing the vintage quilt that Katie sourced from Kiwa Art in Parnell, Auckland, to have its moment.
The living room is similarly spartan, decorated with a couple of chairs, a woven mat from Mexico and a large photographic artwork by Derek Henderson hanging on the wall.
After years jetting around the world modelling in Australia, Asia, Europe and America, Ngahuia has set up her own agency, N Management. The modelling veteran, who was the face of major campaigns for many years both locally and internationally, was happy to briefly slip back in front of the camera for this Viva shoot.
“I’m enjoying the contrast of running the agency and having time at the beach,” she says. “I like getting out in nature. Walking through the native bush at Piha is the best.”
Her 11-year-old Japanese Spitz, Ziggy, is never far from her side. “Ziggy likes the bush walks but her favourite thing is going down to the beach,” says Ngahuia, who has taken up surfing since she met Steve.
Twenty-five years after Huffer’s launch, Steve’s role has gradually moved from the task of running the day-to-day business to brand director. “This gives me more flexibility and the great thing about Piha is that it’s close enough to commute,” he says.
There are a few finishing touches on the couple’s to-do list. They plan to paint the exterior of the bach and landscape the garden. The shed where Steve stores his surfboards also needs painting and the deck will eventually be extended.
“In a perfect world it would be all finished but this place is a work in progress,” says Steve. “There’s always something to do and I actually don’t mind that.”
Photographer / Derek Henderson. Fashion director / Dan Ahwa. Makeup and hair / Shirley Simpson. Photographer’s assistant / Ant Low. Fashion assistant / Annabel Dickson.
