Fine tilework completes this family home

With sea views and the sounds of birdsong emanating from a nearby bush clad reserve you could be forgiven for thinking this home was in a somewhat remote location and not actually in the midst of suburbia.

Yet that is really the juxtaposition of Auckland City living, with many scenic areas offering relatively quiet residential living within our nation’s biggest city.

This spacious split living home is a true respite from the busy city life beyond. Located down a quiet cul-de-sac, in Auckland’s Cockle Bay, this stunning contemporary home was constructed by Stroud Homes on one of the last undeveloped sections in the area.

The relatively steep sloping site was not without its challenges. However, Stroud Homes project manager Daniel Gunnell was able to guide the homeowners through all the design and build options, ensuring a home that both met the family needs and was sensitive to the site. 

The result is an open plan family home with a towering 3.4m stud and generous outdoor living areas. All achieved with minimal site disturbance, that saved thousands of dollars on potential excavation and retaining costs.

When it comes to the home’s interior, the owners, Becs and Morgan, were initially somewhat daunted by the myriad of decisions required to select a house load of colours and materials before the foundations were even poured.

Fortunately, they had professional help from interior designer Lesley Bros. In one 5-hour session they were able to pull together the entire materials and colour palette for the home.

“Lesley Bros was really helpful. Her guidance made decision making really straight forward. I don’t think we changed anything from that initial session,” says Becs.

The result is an interior palette inspired by natural elements that is harmonious and calm.

Many of the floor and wall coverings throughout the home feature products from The Tile Depot.

The most notable injection of warm tones into the home is the Neptune Dune Birch flooring that adorns the kitchen, living and dining room areas.

This has all the appearance of natural birch wood but is in fact a stone polymer composite flooring that has a limestone core.

This is a much more durable flooring option than natural wood, whilst also being 100% waterproof, stainproof, relatively heat stable and scratch resistant.

It also has a built in SE+ antibacterial surface which protects the floor against harmful bacteria and is 100% free of ortho-pthalates and other harmful substances. This was a fantastic flooring option for a family with young children, knowing they can be safe on the floor.

Smooth and elegant splashbacks have been created in the kitchen and adjoining scullery using a soft Carrara marble effect tile.

Velvet White Rec Matt is an 800x800mm tile that is sufficiently large for the entire splashback areas to only require a single tile height.

This meant minimal grout lines and a near seamless finish.

Becs and Morgan were fortunate to be one of the last homeowners in New Zealand to purchase this tile which has now been discontinued, but fortunately there are many alternate carrara-effect porcelains in The Tile Depot range to replicate this stunning look.

The Neptune flooring that flows throughout the kitchen and dining area also extends into the ground floor powder room.

Here, it meets the dramatic architectural form of the 4D Diamond White feature wall tile.

There is an effective union between the contrasting natural warmth of the wood-effect Neptune and the rigid 3-dimensional texture of the white wall tile.

The space is edgy, contemporary and yet calm and welcoming. The only fault the owners have noted is that they “wished we’d done the window wall too, so you can see more if it when walking down the hallway”.

The upper level of the home comprises the bedrooms, ensuite and bathroom.

A sense of flow is achieved throughout the home via carpeted areas that connect the upper and lower floors and a consistency of materials in both the ensuite and bathroom.

Both rooms use the same palette of The Tile Depot tiles, with contrasting tiled feature walls giving each space its own unique character.

Lusso Pearl 600x600mm is a warm grey stone effect porcelain tile that continues the home’s theme of using materials inspired by nature.

It adorns the floors of both the bathroom and ensuite areas, and extends into the tiled shower bases and up the walls in the ensuite shower.

Lusso Pearl is a practical family tile, with an easy clean matt surface that really looks and feels like stone. It is also used on the home’s toilet and laundry floors.

Super White Matt, a 600x600mm floor tile, has been used on the walls around the bath and shower interior in the bathroom.

This contrasts superbly with the charcoal tones of the tiled feature wall and helps to keep the overall tone in the room light.

Touch Graphite Gloss 75x300mm wall tile brings a depth to the room but also reflects light off its high gloss undulating surface. This allows a dark colour to be used while still retaining the character of a very light and spacious room.

The tiles are vertically stacked which speaks to the warm modern vibe of the home and also draws attention to the high ceilings.

The ensuite feature wall is also comprised of vertically stacked tiles from the Touch wall tile collection. Touch Bianco has been used, to contrast with the darker Lusso Pearl tiles that adorn the adjoining shower wall.

This simple elegant space is awash with contrasts that collectively combine in stunning perfection to create a truly contemporary, yet welcoming space.

Becs and Morgan and their two small children Harlan and Indie, have only been in the home 5 weeks and have easily settled in.

Becs is even in the process of setting up a work from home pilates studio in the garage. The ease with which this house has turned into a home is a testament to the great design, functionality and gorgeous materials used throughout, in conjunction with a rather special location.

For more details on The Tile Depot and the array of character tiles available, along with a wide range of other home solutions, visit the website here

Story by: Trendsideas