Upmarket renovation of large home by Glover Homes and artisans and suppliers

Sometimes a clever renovation is preferable to brand new. This massive home project took out National Winner Supreme Renovation in the Renovations over $500,000 category at the Registered Master Builders Award.

Glover Homes is a niche building company specialising in high-end properties in the wider Auckland area. The company is involved from the foundations through to finishing works.

The multi award-winning renovation shown here was really more like a new build with only a few existing strategic walls retained, says firm owner and general manager JD Glover.

"The original four-bedroom house has been reinvented as a luxury split-level family home with six generous bedrooms and spectacular open-plan living spaces that open to sheltered outdoor areas. There is now a large office, a games room, media room, and a new pool complex, pool and tennis court. An ancillary building has also been built by Glover Homes and there has been extensive landscaping on the property.

"The project took two years to complete and is a testament to all parties involved, not least the owners who were kept informed and part of the decision process from beginning to end."

Perhaps the single most important feature on a home is its roof. For this large, multi-roofed residence, Colorsteel® pre-painted steel provided the dramatic upmarket looks and low-maintenance protection the owners required.

Laura Coffey, for New Zealand Steel, says Colorsteel roofing really is capable of handling almost anything mother nature can throw at it.

"This tried-and-true roofing product boasts our toughest paint system ever, complete with a scratch-resistant finish.

"For more than 30 years, New Zealand Steel has been monitoring, testing and refining the performance of Colorsteel in New Zealand's most extreme UV, wind, rain, snow and ice environments. As a result, today Colorsteel provides complete peace of mind for builders and owners alike," says Coffey.

And not only does it retain its integrity, it retains its good looks, too. Colorsteel's hard-wearing, baked-on paint finish has undergone long-term exposure testing to ensure enduring colour performance as well as durability.

Non-combustible, lightweight and secure, Colorsteel pre-painted steel is designed to protect this pristine home for many years to come.

roject is only as good as the quality of the materials supplied and such was the case with this Supreme Award remodel.

Over the long two-year construction period, Timberworld provided and delivered almost every building material required for the job.

Spokesperson for Timberworld Caroline Druce says that this entailed the exterior and interior materials as well as the unseens, such as the home's insulation.

"The range of materials included the concrete, most of the timber, including the weatherboard cladding, the framing and trusses, and a number of elements for the hard landscaping, too. We were also the source of the Colorsteel roof that crowns the renovation. For the interior, we supplied Glover Homes with the linings and insulation as well as all the wood for the home's extensive detailing."

Everything was delivered correctly and on time critical in a large, stepped project like this.

"To an extent, our company name is slightly misleading as our product catalogue is so diverse," she says. "We're a one-stop-shop for all building needs carrying every element from roofing to flooring and everything in between."

The residence exudes a welcoming elegance, and this refined aesthetic was to extend to the home's interiors as well.

The de Bruin-Judge now DBJ Furniture team contributed greatly to the home's interior presence. The artisans built and installed custom cabinetry for the family room, designer kitchen, laundry, study and hall cupboards.

Current managing director Paul Walkintonsays the overall brief for the company was to work in conjunction with designer Andi Wheeler of Spaces Design Studio and architect Matt Chaplin of Sumich Chaplin Architects to create a warm, country lifestyle aesthetic.

"The owners like to entertain and the central kitchen was a key part of the project. Our skilled team created the panelled island with a Corian benchtop and white lacquer and a two-pack polyurethane finish. The rear under-counter cabinets and benchtops are in contrasting stainless steel," says Walkinton.

Other work by the team at DBJ Furniture included making and fitting the custom wardrobes in all bedrooms, as well as the cabinets in the powder room, the bathroom vanities and an outdoor bench facility.

Behind the stand-out looks, modern interiors and refined finishes are the unseen mechanics of running a large multi-level home. And nothing is more vitally important than the plumbing.

This was undertaken by Water FX for both the potable water and sanitary aspects of the job. The potable and hot water systems in this house are both complex, but efficient. Hot water comes within three seconds of turning on a tap, which was on the wish list of the owners.

All roof water was piped to new tanks and reticulated back through the UV sterilisation system to give the owners the complete peace of mind that it is fully treated prior to use.

Pumps, for both potable and non potable water, were installed alongside the tanks and filtration. All drainage, including pool, sewer and stormwater was also installed by Water FX.

Owners Mike Baker and Steve Francis, who have both been in business for 20 years, say Water FX prides itself on exceptionally high-quality workmanship and a personal service attributes that were vital on this project.

The company has a team of 30 experienced plumbers and drainlayers, meaning when Glover Homes needed a tradesperson, they were there.

The high-end residence naturally offers the best of everything outdoors as well as in. An out-dated kidney-shaped pool was replaced with a linear 25m pool with infinity edge. It was designed and constructed by Lazaway Pools.

Company director Matthew Farmer says Lazaway built the pool and spa, and the below-ground holding tank for the pool's infinity edge.

"Our team was also responsible for installing the Astral Pool filtration system and heating, together with the automated pool cover. The Coverex slatted pool cover was installed in a concrete pit below deck and automatically opens and closes with the push of a button.

Naturally, aesthetics as well as functionality were important. The pool has a travertine pool coping and glass mosaic waterline tile while the interior is finished in specialist plaster for a smooth, attractive surface.

At night Spa Electrics LED pool lighting, also supplied and installed by Lazaway Pools, brings the outdoor leisure space alive.

"We work on a wide range of designs from the modest to dramatic, such as this project. The pool adds to the overall tapestry of great design and materials. We were proud to be a part of it."

Story by: Trendsideas