Bold meets a natural feel
Natural materials and tones together with relaxed indoor-outdoor connections give this clean-lined showhome a warm presence
Design and build by Landmark Homes, North Shore Rodney
From the homebuilder:
What was requested
- Bold, simple and strong shapes
- Boxy, mono pitches
- Something different
- Need to stand out
- An earthy feel – in touch with nature
- Very good indoor-outdoor flow
- Always keep the budget in mind
Physical requirements
- Four bedrooms, two lounges and all the features a family home would normally have
- Around 250-260m²
- Other than these basic requirements, I had a free hand
Design development & functionality
- Showhomes require specific thought around how groups of people flow through a home and how the new home consultant in attendance will interact with them while still maintaining the feeling of a welcoming home – with this in mind, circulation space is critical to allow for multiple groups.
- Very prescriptive rules around the location of the garage door meant you either set the garage door back behind the front door or you turned into the garage, which I chose to do. This provided ample parking plus a very different look to most of the other houses in the subdivision.
- Inspiration for the front wall came from the walls now commonly seen on the motorway with plants growing up them. I chose to use James Hardie Titan panel, painted with Porters Paint, to create a rust effect finish. This gave the illusion of Corten steel, a wonderful backdrop to the planting.
- Conscious of the location of North, I created a courtyard at the front entry that allows peeks of morning sun into the house – and by keeping the house to the southwest, the north/northwest courtyard was maximised.
- Floor to ceiling glazing enhanced the drama and strengthened the illusion of volume to the living area.
- Additionally, the extensive use of elevated southern glazing above cabinetry ensured the kitchen, living, scullery and laundry were bathed in light without excessive overheating.
- The master bedroom on the lower floor gives it the feeling of a separate luxury suite, especially with the use of dark colours and freestanding bath in the ensuite which opens out onto its own private courtyard
- With the site being narrow and having the stairs right in the entry, the use of structural ply created interest and space where it wouldn’t usually be.
- The ply stairs aligned well with the natural materials theme, and we paired the natural finish with black and green. A ply grip rail with concealed LED strip finished it beautifully
Design aesthetics
- Being on trend but different
- Standing out from the crowd
- Wanting to embrace nature and using natural feeling materials and colours
The result is a standout home which delivered numerous exciting ideas and generated exceptional feedback.
Credit list
Group home builder
Kitchen designer/manufacturer
John Prossor Kitchens
Cladding
James Hardie Vertical Oblique; James Hardie Titan; Vertical Cedar HP60
Louvre system
Kudos
Main flooring
Evercore True Oak Planking, from Carpet Court
Bathroom tiles
Trastevere Moka Natural, from European Ceramics
Paint
Walls – Resene Double Black White generally with Resene Siam to family room and Resene Bokara Grey to master bedroom; Resene 1/4 Back White to doors frames and architraves; Resene Bakora Grey to doors
Awards
Trends International Design Awards (TIDA) Homes – Runner Up
Designed by: Wendy King, Landmark Homes, North Shore Rodney
Story by: Trendsideas
22 Jan, 2023

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