Come one, come all

As one Taupo¯ couple discovered, if you move away from family, you had best be prepared for frequent house-guests

MELISSA HARE DESCRIBES the winter weather in Taupō as “a beautiful cold”. When she and her husband Scott moved here from Te Awamutu six years ago, they were the first and only ones in their extended family to leave the Waikato. The bitingly crisp winters were a shock. Scott, a builder by trade, had to adjust to fishing in a lake when he’s “a sea fisher at heart”, and they missed living close to friends and family.

But there were clear benefits too. Summer evenings spent biscuiting on the lake, of course, but also better business opportunities. After two years of working in another business during the week and on their own home on the weekend – “I was painting weatherboards with our toddler in a front-pack,” says Melissa – the couple invested in the local David Reid Homes franchise. Things were about to get even busier.

After their first successful showhome was built in 2018, conceptualising their second showhome became a priority project. The Hares used their own dreams as a yardstick. The couple has two children, Sophie (12) and Oliver (5), plus live away from family who like to visit (a lot), so they designed the house for the future, with teenage antics and enough room for guests and entertaining in mind.

Wharewaka, just south of the town, is known as a holiday destination with a popular swimming beach and easy access to a boat ramp. Ngā Roto Estate (which means ‘the lakes’) is a relatively new subdivision, and when a flat, 700-squaremetre site came on the market, the Hares knew it was perfect. “The section is one step back from the main road so it’s quieter and there’s an underpass which gives direct walking access to the lake,” says Melissa. F

OPPOSITE The kitchen is designed to take the knocks of family life; it has a Pacific Stone granite bench in ‘Steel Grey’ with a forgiving leathered finish and a Dorf Inca sink mixer with a swivel hose, which makes it easy to rinse the dishes and run.

BELOW With James Hardie weatherboard cladding and a rib roof in ‘Flaxpod’, the exterior has a clean, contemporary aesthetic. Wraparound decking and a louvred roof on the northwest side means plenty of room for alfresco activities.

They worked with Rosetta Stone Arkitektur on a house for all seasons and reasons, somewhere everyone could have their own space but also gather garrulously. They wanted the architecture to be contemporary but nothing too stark or homogenous, and used a trio of materials on the exterior to break up the two cuboid forms. Horizontal weatherboards, stained dark grey, clad the double-storey main body of the home, but the garage and entryway sport warm-toned vertical cedar while the side elevations use deep-grooved James Hardie Stria panelling for textural variation. It’s all very modern but somehow friendly – a house that extends an open invitation to visit.

When Scott and Melissa imagined their children grown up, they realised their ideal family home would be as much about togetherness as separation. So in the downstairs living zone, they included a media room which is closed off with a sliding barn door (“It becomes virtually soundproof,” says Melissa) and a guest suite away from the fray. “For those with older parents, it would make sense to have a guest room at ground level,” advises Melissa.

The kitchen is a dramatic insertion in the space, with Melteca cabinetry in ‘Pitch Black’. “We originally wanted a black-and-white theme, but this looks the business,” says Melissa. The surfaces are soft touch to minimise fingerprints (handy no doubt in an all-black kitchen) and, to keep the aesthetic sleek, there are no handles, and the scullery is hidden behind cupboard doors. A Statuario marble splashback punches in some pattern and the island benchtop (in granite with a leathered finish), has an unusual tactileness: its dimpled texture is lovely to run your fingertips over.

At one end, there’s a separate bar with a fridge filled with frosty beers, and a built-in automatic coffee machine. “My dream home would always have a coffee machine and, even though Scott doesn’t drink coffee, I’d give it a good daily workout,” imagines Melissa. F

OPPOSITE Adjacent to the dining room, the bar is a standout design feature with a smoked mirror-glass splashback that adds a shot of glamour to the space.

LEFT The custom-designed steel staircase with open treads in white ash rises like a piece of sculpture, providing access to the bedroom level.

BELOW Sophie (12) and Oliver (5) hang out in the media room of the showhome, which has a generous TV built in to a timber panelled wall, although they often prefer their own devices.

ABOVE The main bedroom gets the best view of the lake. Weatherboards on the wall behind the bed provide texture that ties in with the exterior cladding of the home. OPPOSITE TOP Metal Stone Silver floor and wall tiles key into the metallic trend in the en suite, while twin basins on the Athena Sirrocco Alumino vanity lessen any morning mayhem.

An open-tread staircase is reflected in the mirrored backdrop of the bar, a sculptural zigzag made of steel with white American ash treads. Timber screening that sections off the staircase adds warmth to the palette, as does the cedar wall in the cosy media room just made for movie nights.

Upstairs, the three bedrooms all get a snapshot of the Taupō experience. “You can see the lake but also Mt Tauhara, which I haven’t climbed yet, but it’s on my to-do list,” says Melissa. The main suite looks north towards the town. “At night it would be wonderful to watch the twinkling lights.” Melissa put a great deal of thought into the walk-in wardrobe of the main bedroom and is positive that three walls of shelves, drawers and hanging space would be enough for any busy couple’s clothes plus overflow storage. “Personally, I don’t like chests of drawers in bedrooms; I like to keep the spaces clear.”

While she is a master at closet organisation, she welcomed the input of Raewyn Mackie, who works with clients choosing colours and finishes in all the local David Reid Homes projects. When Melissa fell in love with the shiny metallic grey tiles for the en suite, Raewyn steered her towards stainless-steel tapware and white basins to reinforce the cool-toned palette. “I also love the squoval mirrors which are a nice finish in the room.”

Although any children would need to share the other upstairs bathroom, twin basins are an investment in serenity. “Lots of my friends assume that my kids don’t bicker because of the age gap,” laughs Melissa.

In basing this showhome on the needs of their own family, the Hares seem to have thought of everything that would lead to a calmer and yet more engaged lifestyle. Since moving 90 minutes south of their childhood stomping ground, they’ve grown to appreciate the Taupō positives, and love to share them with others. Out the back, an area with a louvred roof would make hosting friends, new and old, a possibility in any weather. In the barbecue area, Scott could showcase his technique for cooking a juicy big, fat steak . “It’s a scientific process with him,” says Melissa. Occasionally, very occasionally, there might be a brown or rainbow trout to deal with. But not enough to feed a crowd. P

Entertaining on the menu

In the spirit of manaakitanga, Scott and Melissa have designed a home that can cater to all-comers. Here are some features they recommend:

• Decks that wrap around two sides of the dwelling (for example, one facing west, another north) ensure that, whichever way the wind blows, there’s still a sheltered alfresco zone to retreat to. • An open and closing roof over one part of the deck means a better chance of a barbecue. • Two living zones (or one living room and even a small media room) give options for adults and children alike. • A hidden scullery is a godsend when entertaining, as the post food-preparation mess can be bundled away behind closed doors if guests arrive early. • If you’re a keen cook, two ovens and a hob that features both gas and induction options could be useful. Gas has the option of a wok attachment and some cooks like it because of its immediacy, while induction is more sustainable, gives precise control and the hobs are far easier to clean.

LEFT Although the home has four bedrooms, bunkbeds make sleepovers a lot more fun.