Quick Tour: Coastal Home In Whangaparoa Boasts Sweeping Views Over Stanmore Bay

This family home’s clever interior is the result of tweaks to the original plans.

On a clifftop in Stanmore Bay in Whangaparoa, this new home sits looking across to unobstructed ocean vistas.

The owners, the builder and his family, asked interior designer Kate Gardham of Suede + Stone to design a home that worked for their young family and reflected the family’s personal style.

And, of course, it had to make the most of the spectacular views and location at the beach.

Says Gardham: “The owners loved the colour black, so this was the pivotal point for the interiors.”

The owners wanted the timber floors to be a blonde, sandy colour to remind them of the beach below. They were custom-coloured to get just the hue they loved.

First there were some design changes Gardham suggested to improve the flow and practicality of the home for everyday living for a family of four.

“This included having a powder room close to the main living spaces for the family or guests to use. To achieve this, we repositioned it to space that had been allocated for storage cupboards.”

And the kitchen was also in for some changes.

“We changed the L-shaped kitchen to a galley-style kitchen for the best flow and to make it possible to have straight-on drawer access.”

This design also made it easier to define the cooking and cleaning zones.

“We created a longer island and accentuated the modern approach of the kitchen that reflected the overall feel of the architecture.”

A honed marble stone runs the length of the back wall, housing the cooking zone and ample drawer storage.

On the opposite side, preparation and washing zones are set off by a curved, reeded bar back and marble benchtop.

In the main kitchen, the fridge and a Blum space tower for fresh and dry food storage are all hidden behind cabinet doors of American white oak stained to stand out against the white island and blond timber floors.

The island and rangehood have been wrapped in a curved, reeded profile, says Gardham. “This creates texture in the generally monochromatic kitchen.”

A separate scullery with a second sink and dishwasher sits to the left of the main kitchen and means food preparation is separated from the main space when the family is entertaining guests.

Both the kitchen and scullery have picture windows reconfigured to bench height for the natural light and views.

A feature of the space is a two-way fireplace wall that has been wrapped in timber veneer, adding texture and helping define the dining area against the adjoining lounge.

Reeded detailing was carried through from the kitchen into the bathroom vanities, which have been designed as pieces of bespoke furniture.

“In the master ensuite, the same tile has been used for both the walls and floors. Accent lights create lovely moody pockets of light,” says Gardham.

The focal point of this home was always going to be its wide sea views.

In early plans, the joinery was set at a standard two-metre height, but this potentially cut off the rooms’ connection to the views.

“We increased this to the maximum height that the beam structure allowed,” says Gardham. An extra window was set above the doors in the dining room to give a sense of space where the ceilings soared to their highest point.

As part of the redesign, a corner wall was removed, and stacker doors opened the main lounge at the corner instead.

“This gave a lovely openness and flow from the inside to the outside and allowed uninterrupted views when sitting in both lounges.

There had been a solid wall between the formal and informal lounges, which stopped the family being able to take in the sea views while they were sitting around the fireplace.

“We replaced this with a much smaller timber fin wall where the light and view could still be seen. This became a more subtle division between the two lounge spaces.”

The master wing was also redesigned to make room for a king-size bed, which is perfect when the children come into the bedroom for snuggles in the morning.

“It also meant we could create a feature wall in vertical board behind the master bed,” says Gardham.

A wall taken out from the wardrobe now allows access into the ensuite for a Jack and Jill shower.

Timber-framed opaque glass doors slide into the wardrobe wall to close it off when the ensuite is in use.

Interior designer / Kate Gardham, Suede + Stone

In association with Trends. For more images of this home, go to: Trendsideas.com

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