‘Ifwecangoto$300,000,wemightbegettingclose.’”
Thehousecameinata veryeconomical$308,000
- quitea featintoday’sinflatedconstructionmarket.
Thebudgetsettightparametersintermsofsize,
materialsandform,a processinformedbybuilder
RichardThorpe.Stirrat’sbiggestmovewastokeepthe
outsideenveloperadicallysimple:it’sessentiallytwo,
two-storeyboxesundera long,lowgable.“Cornerscost
money,”hesays.
Thehouseisaccesseddowna pathbesidethemain
familyhome.Surroundedbyestablishedtrees,it’s
recessiveandquiet.Overlookedonallsides,thehome
hasonlya fewwindows,whicharelargeandcarefully
placed.“Hamishwasreallygoodatliningupthe
windowstotheviews,”saysDan.“Wedon’tlookout
ontotheneighbours,butweseethetreesandthesky.”
Initially,Stirratconceivedthegroundflooras
twoseparatespaces,splitbyanopen-aircorridor
connectingthefrontandbackdecks.Inoneofthe
onlychanges,KirstinandDanpushedbackagainst
that,thoughtheideastillholds:thereareglassdoorsat
eitherend,withdeckingtimberbisectingthepolished
concreteflooringofthelivingareas.
Ononeside,there’sa sunnyfarmhouse-style
kitchenwitha bigtable– “Iwantedtobeabletohave
coffeeinthesuninthemorning,”saysKirstin.Onthe
otheris a snuglivingroom,withstairstothenextlevel.
“It’sa wayofcreatingzones,”saysStirrat,“without
buildingextraspace.”Adeckonthenorthernside,
meanwhile,leadstoa small,privategarden,whichgets
sununtiltheverylateafternoon.
Inoneoftheirearlyconversations,DanandStirrat
hada longchataboutdetails,reflectingonDan’slove
ofclassicWarren&Mahoneyhouseshe’drentedin
Christchurch,alongwithAuckland’sFreemansBay
councilhousing.Pragmatic,butelegantstructuresthat
adduptomuchmorethanthesumoftheirparts.
Andtherearesomebeautifuldetailstothisplace,
whichyoudon’texpectinsomethingsosimple.Vitex
deckingcontinuesupa coupleoftheexteriorwalls,
incontrasttothecorrugatedsteel,whichmakesthe
exteriorfeelplayfulratherthanshed-like.Inside,there
arenegativedetailsthroughout,includingrecessed
Strandboardskirtingboard.“Iusedtoworkasa house
painterwithAndrewBarber,”saysDan,“soI knowall
aboutarchitraves– I justfindit visualclutter.SoI really
likehowit’sallworkedout.”
Barber– alsoa well-knowncontemporarypainter - wascriticaltooneofthefinalmomentsinthehouse,
too.BothDanandKirstinareknownforworkthatis
messyandexpressivebut,possiblynotsurprisingly,
theyintendedtopainteverythinga sortofgallery-like
white.Barberconvincedthemtopaintthehandrail
inthestairwellbrightyellow,andtheceilingsinthe
bedroomswashed-outpinkandgreen,sotheyappear
tofloat.It’sa magical,gentletouchthatgiveseach
roomitsownpersonality.
Nowthatthehouseisfinished,thefamilyhas
settledintolifeintheirsuburbancompound.SonGus
runsnextdoorateveryopportunity,frequentlyinhis
pyjamas.LynneandTonyareplanninga newvegetable
gardenandhaveplantedtreesalongtheirnewback
boundary– “we’refertilisingthemrapidly”,jokesTony.
ForHamish,it wasa dreamproject.“Ishouldbe
focusingonexpensivearchitectureforthebusiness,”
hesays,“butprojectslikethis,whereyouunlock
something, have a real smile factor.”
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