Standalone House – Traditional

Wonderful in Whitford

6 March, 2023 by

Glenn and Mel’s dream of escaping the hustle and bustle of suburban life led them to the rural town of Whitford, southeast of Auckland. In 2020, they found a perfect 3,000 square metre section of land to build their single-level country home. The eight-month build resulted in a beautiful 305 square metre home featuring natural materials and textures with clean lines.

The interior of the house has a neutral, earthy feel with concrete floors and natural accents of schist and timbers. The walls are painted in Resene Double White Pointer, and the ceiling is in Resene Alabaster.The exterior features schist columns framing the entranceway below a gabled roof to add to the country charm. The rest of the home has country-style vertical weatherboards finished in deep Resene English Walnut natural wood stain. The fascia and eaves are painted in Resene Lumbersider Low Sheen in Resene Alabaster.

The Marley Stratus Design Series^® Stormcloud^® spouting and RP80^® downpipes in black tie it all together.

It was actually a hard choice because the Stratus colour range gave us plenty of great options to choose from.

Stratus Design Series^® is available in Black, FlaxBlack^®, Ironsand^®, Grey Friars^®, and metallic colours, Titanium and Copper.Glenn and Mel chose Marley Stratus Design Series^® spouting and downpipes because they are stylish and hard-wearing, perfect for New Zealand’s harsh weather with the 15 year guarantee.

The Versatile quarter-round Stormcloud^® profile with its angular look complements the design and matches the roof.The house consists of four bedrooms, three bathrooms, two lounges, and a double car garage with a loft used as a fifth bedroom. The saltwater, heated pool is one of the highlights of the home.

Whitford is a great community and a peaceful and private location, making it the perfect balance for Glenn and Mel’s desire for escape while still being close enough to Auckland City.

They are delighted with their new home and chose Marley Stratus Design Series^® for its style, durability, and 15-year guarantee, though they know it will last much longer. The house is a perfect example of modern country design and functionality.

Although wishing they built the home a bit bigger, Glenn and Mel are in love with their beautiful new build “Perfect for the kiwi summers!”.

Whangaparaoa refresh

30 March, 2022 by

When Ian Thrush from Parallel Architecture embarked on renovations to his family’s Whangaparaoa home, he certainly didn’t expect it to turn into an almost full re-build!

The original weatherboard home was built in 1950’s and sits on a half share of the 1,100 square metre cross lease site.

Over the years the old house had many additions and alterations that ended up causing a really disorganised floor plan” says Ian.

Originally, the intention was to achieve more storage space and update the bathroom. However, over time the scope changed and grew – as it does! Six years later, the 110 square metre footprint remains unchanged, however they have corrected the design flaws via a new layout and flow. All but two rooms were moved, and they now have a well-organised 3-bedroom family home.

The most challenging part of the build was living in the house while renovating. Not to mention having a baby over that time also! Ideally, we would have had an empty house to work on but that is not always possible, so you just do what’s needed to make it work!” Ian says.

Ian chose Marley Stratus Design Series^® Typhoon^® spouting and RP80^® downpipes as they’re available in Grey Friars^® to match the roof, and because the half-round profile has excellent rainfall capacity. It’s also particularly hard wearing in a coastal location, with great UV resistance and a 15-year guarantee.

Being in Whangaparaoa, the property is on tank water, therefore Ian also opted to install a Marley Curve^® leaf diverters on the RP80^® downpipes. The Curve^® removes leaves and debris to protect tanks and stormwater systems. Curve^® is very easy to install and low maintenance, capturing over 99% of water with a clean screen.

The family went for the Dynex PALLISIDE^® traditional profile in slate to create a character home. The double light-grey boards look great with white box corners and window facings, to emulate the traditional timber look. The overall outcome is clean lines for a modern, yet characterful home.

Ian chose Dynex Soffit to replace the existing soffit as it looks great, is low maintenance, and as with PALLISIDE^® weatherboards, never needs to be painted. It also adds to the classic style of the home.

Ian upgraded from single glazing to double glazing, which has been great. That combined with a wrapped and insulated home has made a world of difference to the family’s quality of life.

The interior of the home has a very neutral palette of Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream, Black White ceilings, and timber accents to bring a touch of nature in. The bathroom and laundry have a classic look with vertical tongue and groove boards on the lower half of the walls.

Sensor lights were installed in the hall and under the vanity, which is great at night for using the bathroom or checking on the kids. Nice soft light at shin level, rather than a ceiling light in your face!

The best aspect of our new home is that it is truly low maintenance. And we also love the indoor-outdoor flow” says Ian.

As both architectural designer and homeowner, Ian and his family are really happy with their newly refreshed home, and are pleased they chose the Marley Stratus Design Series^® Typhoon^® spouting and RP80^® downpipes for the low maintenance, stylish finish they were after.

Derelict to delightful in Dairy Flat

17 June, 2021 by

This quaint 1920’s bungalow has had a very adventurous life! It was built in Park Ave, Takapuna where it stayed until 1977, at which time it was shifted to a beautiful site in Dairy Flat. It’s had many renovations over the years, the most recent a top to bottom refurbishment to create the now stunning home it is for Ed Aitken and family.

Ed bought the home 5 years ago in a seriously tired and lived in state. Renovations started by adding 25m² to make a total of 230m² for the 4-bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and 2 living spaces. The aim was to totally modernise the home for comfortable living while still retaining the classic charm of the era. This includes wide skirting boards, solid timbers and using the high ceiling space to maximum effect.

The house is filled with warm tones and inviting textures. The entrance way features beautiful old Kauri boards which were uncovered during the work and whitewashed as a stunning entrance feature. Sliding doors were recycled from a clifftop home in the North Shore Bays and used to give the home interest.

The galley kitchen has utilised existing marble on a spacious island bench – simply perfect for entertaining and feeding meals through to the light and bright dining room. State of the art appliances make it a cook’s dream.

Most interior spaces were painted in Resene White and Alabaster, with the lounge in Triple Sea Fog and the kitchen in Double Tapa. Full underfloor ducted air conditioning by Panasonic has been chosen to keep the home warm and dry.

The children have bedrooms to envy, one with a well-constructed sky bed, perfect for the privacy and space a teenager needs.

The exterior has been lovingly restored from top to bottom. Weatherboards stripped back and painted in Resene Sonyx 101 Double Foundry which is basically a dark grey with a blue tinge. Windows and trim in Resene Waterborne Enamel white gloss for contrast.

All framed perfectly with Marley Stratus Design Series^® Typhoon^® spouting and RP80^® downpipes in Grey Friars^®.

Ed was keen to have external brackets which look amazing with a traditional homes and they’re also great for high wind zones, like this site. However, rather than having them positioned every 300mm as recommended, Ed opted to alternate between internal and external brackets. This means every second bracket is external and positioned 600mm apart with the added strength from the internal ones. It looks great and is super solid!

Typhoon^® is a stylish yet functional half-round profile which has excellent capacity and flow characteristics. It’s available in a range of colours with matching RP80^® downpipes from the Stratus Design Series^®; Grey Friars^®, Ironsand^®, Black, Copper and Titanium. Also, the well known and loved, white range.

Check out the stunning pool and pool house which was here already when Ed bought the home. It has however been refurbished and is a great asset in the summertime.

Not a bad view from beside the pool also + some furry friends as company – what an absolute dream life to be had here!

Ed and family are over the moon with their home and have future plans for more expansion to finish it off exactly as they hope. This home definitely doesn’t look like a 100-year-old property anymore!

Five tips for building or renovating by the sea

24 February, 2021 by

This recently renovated home in stunning Waiheke ticks all the boxes when it comes to coastal living. A sturdy weatherboard home, a stunning view of the ocean, a pool and plenty of living spaces. After supplying the lucky owners with new Marley Stormcloud^® spouting and RP80^® downpipes in white, we picked their brains for five tips to having a great coastal home and here they are.

1. Make the outdoor living space a priority

Think about including some functional and inclusive outdoor areas. These will become the centre of any party as you cook or enjoy them. Some ideas might be:

An Argentine fire
A pizza oven
Outdoor kitchen
A pool
Nooks and chill spots
A games area with darts, or pétanque
An outdoor dining area
A gazebo

Having a spot for outdoor dining is essential at a coastal getaway. Just make sure to break up any direct sun so that it’s not too hot during the day.
Build these spots for an ideal number, most likely 6 or 8 so they are intimate yet functional. You can use plants and planters to close in spaces to make them cosy.
Outdoor fires are mostly illegal now, but if they are a cooking tool, like a pizza oven, councils will often allow them.

If you’re lucky enough to have (or fit in) a pool, it’s important to make it blend in with the surroundings. For example, their pool utilises stone from Waiheke helping it blend into the natural rock surroundings.

2. Salt and rust are your enemy

It’s essential that you use durable materials that are rust resistant. This includes stainless steel, powder coated aluminium and uPVC.

Marley Stormcloud^® spouting and RP80^® downpipes are perfect for coastal environments as they are made of long-lasting uPVC which is UV resistant and has a 15-year guarantee.
Did you know that the quarter-round Stormcloud^® profile is New Zealand’s most popular spouting style?
It has clean, strong lines that suits both traditional and contemporary homes.
It’s available in white and also Black, Grey Friars^®and Ironsand^®

3. Think about flooding / storms

Even if your house is well above the tide, you need to make sure everything else is elevated above the possible storm-induced highwater mark.

This home is north facing and in recent years they’ve had a dramatic increase in coastal northerly storms with heavy rain. This has prompted them to invest in better-than-adequate drainage to avoid any future flooding.
If you do have an area that may be prone to flooding think about practical flooring and emergency drainage (a sump for instance).

4. Frame the view

Think about framing the view, not dominating it. Do it in a way that uses the view as nature’s artwork. This allows you to enjoy the view from many places in your home.

White floors, walls and doors allow the view to do the work. Avoid using a lot of colours which will compete with the view.
A simple interior with a range of natural timbers, tones and textures will work in harmony with a coastal view.

5. Build an escape from the view

Believe it or not, you will need a break from the sunning sea views once in a while!

Build sheltered, shaded inward-looking spaces to occasionally escape from the view.
A nook that is dark enough for TV watching during the day allows for a cool escape from the sun.

If that isn’t enough to make you dream of a coastal house for now, or possibly retirement, nothing will!

And if you would like to find out more about Marley Stormcloud^® spouting click here.

Or more about the Stratus Design Series^® range of colours click here.

Road trip to Richmond

29 October, 2019 by

Though they had never been to Nelson before – when purchasing their next renovation here, Alice and Caleb were confident that this location would be well worth the road trip! When they were scouting out Nelson, anyone who spoke about the location had the same response – people loved it. Nelson is known as a town surrounded by stunning natural landscapes – lakes, mountains, rivers, native bush, beaches and promising plenty of sunshine. With a pace that is slow enough to enjoy the simple things in life – strolls along the many beaches, backyard BBQs with neighbours and a good flat white at your local. But a growing and developing town, with plenty of thriving local businesses and an easy place to fly in and out of.

A 100-Year-Old Diamond

From the first time they spotted this house’s listing, it stood out. Built by a local builder in 1910’s, it was full of potential – a flat faced villa with a central hallway, high studs, and the lean-to extensions added over her 100-year life. Three roomy bedrooms and an airy front living room, with the kitchen and dining room opening onto a big outside area, screaming for some attention and the chance to create some great outside living spaces. From the front veranda, you can look out to the Richmond Hills and enjoy all-day sun.

Living in a Renovation

Alice and Caleb, along with their two children Alek 5 and Mika 3 moved in and started renovating. The strategy was to renovate two rooms at a time containing all of the renovation mess into one place. It allowed them to be productive, in seeing a whole room was completed before moving on to the next project. The huge benefit in this approach is having time to live in the house and consider the flow and feeling of the house. Knowing how you live in a house, makes it easier to design and renovate.

Old World – New World

Alice and Caleb consider it a true privilege to be able to give new life to a house with so much history. The design and workmanship of the last century is still impressive today, so the objective is to add elements that enhance the features of the old villa while still giving it a fresh modern look. Wallpaper provided the perfect way to do this, using patterns that were inspired by the trends of the past but designed to be on trend in 21^st century.

First Impressions Last

The entrance to their Diamond was an opportunity to add a design statement and make a strong first impression of the house. They painted the exterior “Umber White”, the trims and fretwork “All Black”, the concrete porch and roof “Grey Friars” and the front door a strong pop of “Coral Tree”. Then they replaced all of the spouting with Marley Stormcloud® spouting and RP80® downpipes in white. The versatile quarter-round spouting profile with clean, strong lines suits the traditional exterior but also gives a modern look. Not to mention, it will serve this old beauty well into the future!

We have people in the neighbourhood constantly stopping us to thank us for giving the villa it’s new look, it has made an impression and a nice exterior doesn’t just impact your house but the whole street.

Full Time Renovators

After years of doing renovations in weekends and weeknights – this house has been renovated with Alice and Caleb’s full attention and DIY skill set. Alice single-handily hung most of the wallpaper in the house and took charge of the interior design and planning. Caleb has developed his DIY skill set, to now include cabinetry making, kitchen installation, tiling, floor sanding and installing new spouting and downpipes. Caleb says

replacing the spouting for your whole house is easily achieved in a weekend and is a straightforward DIY task with the correct planning and tools.

To watch Alice and Caleb’s how to video – click here.

This house has been renovated to sell, but also renovated to last. With the new uPVC spouting and downpipes, upgrade to the electrics, addition of gas for water heating and cooking, unovent system, heat pump and floor and ceiling insulation – Alice and Caleb hope this house has another 100 years of life in her yet!

About Alice and Caleb

Alice and Caleb are expert renovators, having completed 9 house renovations – with their winning renovation on the Block 2013 being what they are most known for. They started 9 years ago when they purchased their first home together, with a project on their hands and no DIY experience. But since then their passion for projects, property and learning has only grown.

Alice and Caleb are currently in the middle of their Renovation Road Trip. Having left their jobs, packed everything into a car, they set off to travel around NZ doing renovations. The concept being that they are taking time off from normal life to do something completely different. Buying a house that needs a makeover in a completely new town, travelling the country to get there, renovating it, selling it, and sharing the story and their life as they go – all the time with 2 kids on board for this adventure. They have finished up their previous project in Alexandra, Central Otago, and this is their 10th renovation in Richmond, Nelson. They share this journey through their website and social media channels, Pearson + Projects.

Social Accounts
Facebook @AliceandCaleb
Instagram @PearsonandProjects
Pinterest @PearsonProjects
Website www.pearsonandprojects.com

Mooch Style’s St Albans Cottage

1 July, 2019 by

It’s amazing what a little imagination can do
And when you have lots of imagination, the sky’s the limit. When Shayden and Georgia found their little, 96 square metre cottage among the villas of St Albans, Christchurch, they could see its potential. Even though it had been battered and bruised by the earthquakes it stood out as a survivor. Armed initially with just cleaning and paint brushes, plus lots of energy and ideas, Shayden and Georgia gradually transformed the house into what it is today.

DIY is aok

As they didn’t have a big budget, they made do with heaps of can-do attitude and a creative eye for colour. Shayden and Georgia immediately went to work and made liberal use of Resene Black White throughout. This instantly added freshness and light to the interior. Then for contrast, they added strong coloured feature walls in their bedrooms and living area to create drama and interest.

They discovered ways to recycle what was already there. For instance, the old rimu skirting boards found a new life as shelving in the master bedroom and kitchen. Original features such as the oversized architraves were retained if they added to the character of the house, otherwise the look they were after was simple, elegant and contemporary.

Getting a bigger bang for a buck

The old kitchen was well past its use by date but rather than designing a new one from scratch Shayden and Georgia simply went to Placemakers. Their off-the- shelf kitchen delivers everything they wanted in terms of style and practicality yet saved them considerable money compared to a custom-made kitchen.

The old gem already had Marley Classic^™ spouting and RP80^® downpipes like many of the traditional style homes in the area. Shayden and Georgia were happy about this as it suited the house perfectly, and it was made of uPVC, which meant it would still have many years left of life, and they were able to repair any damaged portions themselves. Whether repairing, or replacing, Marley uPVC spouting is easy to handle, easy to cut, and simply glues together.

Early adopters

Shayden and Georgia have also installed Marley Twist^®, a compact rainwater diverter that turns your downpipe into a free source of water for watering the garden, topping up the pool, general cleaning or emergency use.

Twist^® can be easily installed on existing or new RP80^® uPVC downpipes and can quick connect to a collection tank via any standard garden hose fitting. A simple “twist” on-off control lets you access rainwater from your downpipe as and when you need it. Twist is designed to connect a single downpipe to a small collection tank of up to 1,000 litres.

It’s a work in progress

What Shayden and Georgia have done in just 6 months is truly impressive, but there’s still a way to go. All the new lawns and planting on the 680 square metre section need time to bed in and mature. There’s a new bathroom in the planning stages, and who knows what’s in store for the backyard. To keep an eye on their progress you can check Mooch Style out online anytime: Facebook or Instagram.