Above‘InvertedAlien’
(2017)byDanArps
inthelivingarea.To
theleftis ‘Untitled
(reflection)’(2018)by
KirstinCarlin.‘MrOlsen’
sofabyHansOlsenfor
WarmNordic,‘Model
611’coffeetableby
JensRisomforKnoll,
and‘SoftMap’rug
byJohnReynolds
forDilanaareallfrom
MrBigglesworthy.LeftTimberinthe
hallwaysubtly
separatesthekitchen
andlivingarea,which
haveconcreteflooring.
The‘ArnoldCircus’
stoolis byMartino
Gamper.cousinsandDan’ssonNessonschoolholidays,occupy
a sitethatoncehousedfourpeople.“Afterwehad
Gus,Dadaskedquiteregularlyifwewantedtobuild
onthebackyard– butI alwayssaidno,”saysKirstin,
laughing.Ultimately,though,thepulloffamilyand
thecostoflivinginAucklanddrewherback.
TonyfoundStirratafterreadinga storyonhis
homeinGreyLynn,whichisoneoftwosimplehouses
ona 300-square-metresite.“Wehadtheland– but
wewereprettystrictonbudget,”recallsTony.Stirrat
visitedona crispwinter’smorningtofindthewhole
familytheretomeethim– a groupthatbecameknown
asTheCommittee.“Thesitesuitedit,”hesays,ofthe
possibilitiesofbuildinga littlehouseontheback.
“It’sflat,whichwasunusualforus,andtheywerejust
genuineandinterested,andneededhelp.”
Asartists,DanandKirstindon’thavea regular
income,sobankswouldneverlookatthemfor
a constructionloan.Instead,TonyandLynneraised
themortgagetobuildthehouse,usingequityfrom
theirownplace,andwilleventuallysubdivideandsell
thehometoDanandKirstinforwhatit costtobuild
- a wayofunlockingequityforthenextgeneration,
andcreatinga familycompound.
Astheywalkedaroundthebackyardthatwintry
morning,Stirrataskedhowmuchtheywantedto
spend. They suggested $250,000, he says. “I said,
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