Brian Poppelwell's waterfront home in Omokoroa is an eclectic mix of new build with some historic parts of Tauranga featured in the design.
I used to live on Jess Rd, Whakamarama, and looked at building a log cabin there. I had the idea of using timber from the Tauranga
Wharf to build it and ended up buying the whole Wharf! But plans changed and I decided to move out here to the beach.
Over a bottle of scotch with friends, I hatched the idea of designing a new home with sarked ceilings and beams, using the timber from the wharf. The beams are over 100 years old. I love the idea of having a real piece of local history interwoven with new materials.
I talked to Ray Hudson builders to see if it would work putting 10 tonne of timber in the ceiling. Ray is a legend. He likes a challenge and is used to building high end homes - he built another waterfront home I had in Papamoa and he really is a perfectionist. You never need to have him back to fix things - he only comes back for a beer!
Another local feature is the rimu furniture - it's all designed and handmade by a boat builder from Mount Maunganui whose marriage broke up and he had to get rid of the timber! He built the dining room table and chairs, and I was so pleased with the result that I commissioned him for the shelving and bedroom furniture.
I think I funded his divorce and his emigration to Australia, but he did a great job. The fireplace and entry is schist stone - I used five tonne of schist throughout the house. I was lucky to get Nick from Island Stone - he is an English stonemason who used to restore old buildings in England and does a beautiful job.
For the walls I used Hot Chile Red by Resene. The colour really lifts the blonding of the sarking and the different tones in the stone. The kitchen is designed by Nikki at Mastercraft. She introduced a lot of new products into her design. The end product includes black glass and Caesar stone (Mosaici Carbone) I wanted large granite bench tops and the combination with the black glass is stunning because it reflects the water view. And a bonus - it even reflects the TV so I can watch it while I am cooking.
Throughout the house Trent Wilson from Complete Electrical put in LED and feature lighting. I went a bit crazy - it's complete electric all right.