Stuff Magazines

HOME OF THE MONTH

This extraordinary home is the result of a tight collaboration between its owners, designer and builder

Words AD Y SHANNON Photographs ANNA McLEOD

A designer, builder and couple come together to create a truly extraordinary Christchurch home.

Alove of cars was the unlikely bond that brought one Christchurch couple and their architectural designer together, resulting in an exquisite home that has won national accolades. When the owners wanted to build a new home for themselves and their three children – teenage twins and a 9-year-old – and their sizable collection of classic cars, choosing Darren O’Neil, founder and director of O’Neil Architecture, to turn their wish list into plans was a foregone conclusion. The couple and Darren shared a love of high-end cars and had met on many occasions. As well as liking him personally, the owners had always admired his work: “Whenever I looked through magazines or architectural design spreads, I always picked work by O’Neil Architecture as my favourite. We knew his style matched ours and we knew we could work well together.”

The prestigious suburb of Fendalton is renowned for superb properties but few rival this home for its good looks, size and position. On a private rear 3100m² section bordered by a stream, the sprawling 960m² home won the Registered Master Builders National Supreme House of the Year in 2022 for Metzger Builders. The sheer size of the project was a challenge, says Mark Metzger: “It was a commercial concept. The level of specifications and finish, and the use of multiple materials – including many first-time concepts – were a point of difference.”

The final floor plan barely differed from the original concepts drawn after Darren’s first site visit in 2019. The owners’ design brief was specific but uncomplicated. They wanted a generous home with a guest wing separated from the main family bedrooms as well as spacious living areas that were well connected but able to be separated as required, and that had easy access to the garden. An indoor pool and large garage were also on the list. The result has exceeded the owners’ expectations.

“We always knew that O’Neil Architecture would deliver us a great result, but this is even better than we imagined. This home is everything we ever conjured up. We love it,” they say.

The sleek structure appears as layered horizontal planes with extra-deep eaves. Horizontal and vertical lines are accentuated in the black stained cedar cladding, the striking window joinery and in the slatted fins on several facades.

An internal bluestone wall runs like a spine through the entire length of the home. The distinctive stone is also used outside, as inserts in the sweeping driveway and in landscaping features. Landscape architect Stephen Mapletoft of Texture Plants ensured the impeccably manicured garden complements the house design.

The owners wanted to create a sanctuary that had a resort-like feel but also the quiet elegance of luxe European boutique hotels. All of the six bedrooms have en suites and there’s a movie theatre and a fully equipped cocktail bar where a glass wall allows a view of the car collection.

It’s not only beautiful cars that the owners appreciate – they’re also fans of bespoke lighting. There’s an Italian chandelier in the entrance, balloon pendants in the living room and distinctive wall lights. Marble adds to the feeling of luxury; the spectacular staircase is created from a single cascading slab of marble and the guest bathroom is entirely lined in the stone.

In this house of light, sound is muted. Beefed up structural engineering – to mitigate the impact of any earthquakes – is matched by impressive soundproofing. The upper level family bedrooms, office and a lounge are sealed off from the doubleheight entry foyer by glass panelling that extends from the top of the balustrade to the ceiling. “Our last home was quite noisy, so we wanted to avoid the impact of that on everyone,” says the owner.

On the ground floor, the indoor living areas wrap around a

‘This is even better than we imagined. This home is everything we conjured up. We love it’

central courtyard where there are choices of seating and dining spaces, as well as an outdoor fire and a louvred ceiling inset with infrared heating – even the chilly Christchurch winters won’t deter alfresco living here.

Glass sliding doors on two sides of the pool house can be peeled back for easy access from the garden or closed to retain the ambience of the heat-controlled room. The floor tiles, air and water in the mosaic tile-lined pool are all kept at a consistent temperature to avoid condensation on the large windows.

Moving day in March 2022 was an emotional time for the family, as they shared the culmination of the building project with everyone involved. “When we arrived at our new home, everything was in situ. The beds were made and all the cutlery, crockery, glasses, everything was in place. All the contractors involved in the project were on site, along with their partners, to meet and celebrate with us. It was amazing and a terrific opportunity for the team involved to show their partners where they had been working for the past two years,” the owner says.

“We travel often to beautiful hotels and wanted the feel of quality hotel living with a resort feel in a family home. That is exactly what we have achieved.”

CONTENTS

en-nz

2023-06-01T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-06-01T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://stuffmagazines.pressreader.com/article/282162180569357

Stuff Limited