Lakehouse sanctuary

It’s hard to imagine a more idyllic location for a lakeside holiday retreat than the stunning shores of Lake Rotoiti in the Bay of Plenty. 

And when you have a secluded section surrounded by beautiful native bush, just metres from the water, it makes sense to create a luxurious home that takes full advantage of the views and relaxed lifestyle.

Andrew and Lyn Peat and their friends share a love of boating, fishing, and enjoying time on and near the water. 

The couples decided to build a holiday home in partnership – where they could each enjoy time out with their own families, as well as catching up together, something they like to do often. 

With the Peats in Auckland and their friends in Wellington, the Bay of Plenty holiday haven of Lake Rotoiti was the perfect in-between spot to build their dream holiday home.

Choosing a builder

Aucklanders Andrew and Lyn had used Landmark Homes to build a home in the past, so having already had a great experience with the team, they knew Landmark had the expertise and skill to deliver on the design standard they all had in mind. 

The Peats had purchased the section in late 2017 and contacted the team at Landmark Homes c soon after to begin the exciting process of designing their luxurious lakeside sanctuary.

The design process

With a few key design aspects in mind, the two couples worked with Landmark Homes’ design team over a period of about 10 months to bring their ideas to life. 

“The lynchpin of the design was to capture the essence of lakeside living with relaxed, refined living spaces that open out to the owners’ private slice of Lake Rotoiti,” says Landmark Homes Taupō  franchise owner, Steven Painter.

With that in mind, the four-bedroom, three-bathroom home was positioned to maximise the views with wide open living spaces that flowed seamlessly to the outdoors.

High raking ceilings and generously proportioned glazing, including wide-opening sliders, combine with white décor and a minimalistic aesthetic, making way for the breath-taking scenery to flow into the home.

“The home is luxurious and beautiful, but the real star of the show is outside, so our designer has been very thoughtful to create a harmonious interior design that doesn’t compete with the view,” says Steve.

Early challenges

“The site was quite beautiful, but not without its challenges,” he says. 

“Being at water level and surrounded by native bush makes the site very private and extremely desirable. But it also meant the land was very soft with a lot of volcanic ash, clay, and mud. So, before building, we had to drive piles down about six metres to find good ground.”

The result was clearly worth it with a home nestled into a secluded site with enviable views from almost every room in the home, and the luxury of walking just a few steps to the lake to enjoy a day of boating, fishing, water-skiing or just relaxing by the water with a glass of wine as the sun goes down.

“Yes, the home looks incredible; it’s been designed beautifully and finished to perfection – but what you can’t see is the skill and engineering genius that went into the foundations," says Steve. 

"That’s where Landmark Homes really comes into their own – it’s that level of experience and knowledge that is needed to take a problematic site and create something magical from it.”

Luxury at every turn

The 364m² home showcases how a contemporary minimalistic aesthetic can be achieved without sacrificing desirable and luxurious touches. 

The kitchen is a prime example with features such as electric cupboards and doors, Gaggenau appliances, stone bench tops, and a large scullery that all combine to make life at the lake house as relaxed as possible.

This is only half the story of this feature-rich home shaped by the wishes of its owners.... 

Read the full story of how Landmark Homes Taupo delivered for the couples' dream lakeside escape here

Designed by: Landmark Home Taupo

Story by: Trendsideas