NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Property

Donna McIntyre: Views everywhere you look

By Donna McIntyre
NZ Herald·
26 Jan, 2018 04:00 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

9 Kotare Place, Sandspit. Photo / Supplied

9 Kotare Place, Sandspit. Photo / Supplied

Good things take time. That was the approach Ian and Helen Smith took to finding a section to build on, then designing the house that would do justice to the sea and hill views from this north-facing ridge at Sandspit.

"We went around the whole area up and down the coast looking at sections. This one was the nicest we could find," says Helen.

"We love our beautiful hill view just as much as the water view.

"We look right down over the new marina at Sandspit, and at the Matakana River, those are our views out the back, and it is where our decks are. And out the front you do get a look out over the Kawau Bay."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Section found, they started thinking about the design for the home that would be oriented to the north.

"It took us about 12 months to get our brief together," says Ian.

They worked with Warkworth architect Grant Neil.

"We gave him the brief that we wanted five bedrooms, a nice contemporary look, flowing through from the front door to the lounge, dining room, family room, and kitchen. We had two bedrooms upstairs and three downstairs," says Ian.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We wanted to have a good roadside appeal and we wanted something that we would be proud to look at and proud to walk into."

The couple built their magnificent contemporary brick and cedar home with Elk roofing about 17 years ago. Inside, the home features beautiful timbers, macrocarpa ceilings, Australian beech flooring and American oak detailing in the kitchen and bathrooms.

9 Kotare Place, Sandspit. Photo / Supplied
9 Kotare Place, Sandspit. Photo / Supplied

Bay windows in the kitchen, family room and main bedroom are ideal spots to relax and enjoy the views.

"Even now we get a little thrill when we walk in the front door or drive into the garage," says Ian.

Helen adds that it was important to have a design that wouldn't date.

They chose to have three bedrooms, including their master suite, downstairs, with two more bedrooms above the triple garage.

This upstairs area of the home serves as their guest area and it has worked well over the years when the couple's Boston-based daughter came to stay.

"She has four children so we put a little kitchenette upstairs along with two bedrooms and a bathroom," says Helen. "That was great when they used to come down a lot but now the oldest one is at university and they don't come as often. So that is a reason we are selling and downsizing.

"You could use it as a B&B if you wanted."

For the main part of the home, from the front door you turn left to the dining room and lounge, straight ahead to the family room which is adjacent to the kitchen, or right to the master bedroom.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
9 Kotare Place, Sandspit. Photo / Supplied
9 Kotare Place, Sandspit. Photo / Supplied

The kitchen was designed by Nicola Cumming and includes Bosch appliances plus a Fisher & Paykel fridge.

Opening to the large kwila deck with its heated pool are the family room, lounge and the couple's bedroom. For this outdoors area that gets a lot of use, there is plenty of overhang for shade from the sun and shelter from the rain.

The other two bedrooms on the ground level are along a passageway towards the garage and laundry.

Setting the house off beautifully is the landscaped garden which the couple have kept easy care. About half the property is in native bush, and there is a flower garden, hibiscus, fuchsia, and an orchard with apples guavas and peaches, plus a vegetable garden. Ian mows the lawn with a ride on mower.

Keen boaties, the couple have a boat at the nearby Sandspit marina which is where they say most people in the area go to socialise. In their spare time they go to the gym, walking and biking, and Helen does Pilates.

9 Kotare Place, Sandspit. Photo / Supplied
9 Kotare Place, Sandspit. Photo / Supplied

Warkworth is about 15 minutes' drive away.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We can also walk down to two beaches one is Brick Bay and the other is Horseshoe Bay and they are both nice swimming beaches at high tide."

They say have been "absolutely rapt" with their home.

"Grant Neil had great vision and nice ideas, and he managed the construction of the house," says Ian.

"We had the time and the opportunity and the wherewithal to do what we wanted to do."

"We loved the whole project and it has been great but now it is time to downsize and someone else can enjoy the house," says Helen.

Ian thinks the home will appeal to a variety of people. "It would be a lovely family home. The school buses run to the local schools from the top of the road."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

On the web link

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Property

Property

Dream house that hasn’t been built yet sells for over $11m

Property

'Phenomenally fast' - Agent sells her own house for over $1.8m in just 12 days

Property

Tony Alexander: Four house price drops in a row - why?


Sponsored

Tired of missing out on getting to global summits to help grow your business?

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Property

Dream house that hasn’t been built yet sells for over $11m
Property

Dream house that hasn’t been built yet sells for over $11m

“I think it's going to be one of the most beautiful houses in Auckland."

17 Jul 06:19 AM
'Phenomenally fast' - Agent sells her own house for over $1.8m in just 12 days
Property

'Phenomenally fast' - Agent sells her own house for over $1.8m in just 12 days

17 Jul 06:15 AM
Tony Alexander: Four house price drops in a row - why?
Property

Tony Alexander: Four house price drops in a row - why?

17 Jul 06:10 AM


Tired of missing out on getting to global summits to help grow your business?
Sponsored

Tired of missing out on getting to global summits to help grow your business?

14 Jul 04:48 AM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP