It’s not often you see a person’s passion intertwine perfectly with where they live. But at Pintala in the South Auckland area of Waiau Pa, Nick Bates has achieved exactly that.
After spending some years in the States where he developed a great admiration for Pinto horses, Nick sought to build a home on a property that allowed him to indulge his passion for the breed while still working in real estate in Pukekohe.
No detail overlooked
Nick spent 3 months searching for the perfect spot and his perseverance paid off. Pintala is on a beautiful site in rural South Auckland with views over the Manukau Harbour, out to Awhitu Peninsula, the Waitakere Ranges and even the city lights in the distance.
I just love living here. The views, the sunrise and sunset are stunning. I even have ROW access to the water for beach rides. And I’m close to work. We couldn’t be happier.
Cape cod on the Manukau
The only thing on site when Nick bought it was an old stock shelter, so he pretty much had a blank canvas to begin with. Nick had firm ideas on what he wanted; a rustic-contemporary look, lots of black with white highlights to capture a Cape Cod feel, and most importantly he wanted to live in a home surrounded by equestrian facilities.
I wanted it to be simple in design and to function effortlessly. I didn’t want a glitzy show home, I wanted a working, practical home that also looked good.
Marley Stratus Design Series® in Ironsand® was an obvious choice when Nick was deciding on a complimentary spouting system.
Keeping it local
Nick made a point of using local tradespeople and they didn’t let him down. Sam Crisp had a particular knowledge for building lifestyle buildings and Customkit were a key part of the team. Their close working relationship with Nick and excellent communication kept the stress levels to a minimum.
In keeping with the rustic look and keeping in mind the coastal location Nick wanted wood wherever possible. Board and batten exteriors are used on the cottage, implement shed, and horse barn, all coated in Resene Blackjack CoolColour, which will softly weather and give a permanence to the buildings. The roof is Colorsteel® Endura Corrugated Iron in Thunder Grey.
Everyone who visits is in awe of the detail, layout and facilities. All of which really do complement the amazing location.
Building for the long term
Pintala is one of those properties that will continue to get better with age. Building with sustainable timber, installing LED lighting and energy saving double glazing all help minimise the property’s impact on the environment. A great deal of planting has also been done, this includes grasses and ground cover, and numerous native plants especially chosen to cope with the coastal location.
The nearby beach was a factor in the choice of spouting and downpipes as well. The Marley Stratus Design Series® was suggested by Customkit because of the fact that it doesn’t rust, is UV resistant, carries a 15-year guarantee and has a great range of colours.
The Typhoon® spouting profile, in Ironsand®, was picked by Nick because it suited the board and battern exterior. The external brackets suit the traditional style of the house and also make the spouting very easy to clean.
When asked what he would change if he was to do it all again. Nick replied: “Not a thing!”
That’s a sure sign of a job well done!
A big thank you to Customkit for the editorial information and to John Mailley for the photography.
