Touch of charm

By 1950, New Zealand ranked in the top five countries in the world for standard of living based on average income. The beach holiday lifestyle that has become synonymous with the Kiwi summer was becoming more accessible to the growing middle class.

The notion of a permanent holiday home at the beach took hold, and thousands of modest dwellings soon dotted the coastline. It was the start of a tradition that continues to this day, says Yellowfox interior designer Teri Donnelly.

"While the availability of coastal properties has reduced, the desire for a bach has not. In recent times, many of these simple structures have been transformed into substantial homes, but the core motive remains the same.

"There is very much a family focus to this holiday home, which takes its cue from those early baches," says Donnelly. "Simple materials have been teamed with a calm colour palette to produce an almost rustic result, which for all its simplicity still imparts a sense of permanence."

Products produced by and sourced from New Zealand companies feature in the home. Shadowclad and Plygroove by CHH Woodproducts line the exterior and interior walls, which are finished in Resene paints in Woodsman, Wheatfield, Pavlova and Akaroa. James Hardie Horizon Lining is used in the bathrooms and rounds out the wall treatments. These products were supplied by Carters.

The fire surround is made from an aerated concrete finish on an MDF substrate. Sourced through Parbury, the product offers the look of concrete in a light-weight alternative.

For more information, contact Yellowfox Auckland or Yellowfox Waiheke, PO Box 11282, Ellerslie, Auckland, phone (09) 525 3450. Email: design@yellowfox.co.nz. Web: www.yellowfox.co.nz.

Story by: Trendsideas