Mum comes up trumps

Mike McRoberts and Paula Penfold gave their kitchen a 1970s look. Photo / Supplied

When TV3 newsreader Mike McRoberts and his wife, Paula Penfold, decided to build a new home they called in Paula's mum. Hamilton draughtswoman Shirley Penfold confesses she was daunted by the challenge. "I worried it might make it awkward for them, that they might feel obliged to accept what was produced rather than discuss points," Shirley says. "But I don't think it was like that."

In fact, Paula, a journalist for TV3's current affairs programme 60 Minutes, says they were instantly on the same wavelength. "Mum and I have very compatible tastes," she says. "She knows how we live as a family and she knew what would work for us." Mike agrees: "It worked incredibly well for us having Shirley as our designer," he says. "I'm not sure how she didn't end up in a mental asylum, though.

As first-time builders we probably completely abused the fact that as our relative she wouldn't mind redrawing the house every two weeks until we got it right. "But I guess the main advantage was that Shirley knows Paula and me so well. She could take our vague ideas and turn them into a stunning house. It's pretty humbling knowing how much thought and effort she put into every part of our home." The couple wanted four bedrooms and some special features incorporated.

Mike liked the idea of a mezzanine study/library and a wine cellar, while Paula was big on storage and a separate laundry with a chute going from the top floor to the bottom. First they had to find a suitable section, a difficult task in Auckland's inner suburbs. "We'd looked at about five sections before this one," Paula says. "I remember walking down the driveway here. It was a really sunny day and the bush looked so beautiful, peaceful.

And I thought, 'This is the one."' Because the section was steep, and due to other restrictions on its footprint, Shirley designed a three-storey home. The 230sq m concrete block and cedar building has a double garage and laundry on the ground floor, as well as Mike's wine cellar. The second floor is primarily open-plan kitchen and living spaces bathed in light from double-storey windows that look out over the bush. The double-height void in this part of the house means that the study on the next level also has soothing bush views.

The kitchen is finished with mahogany sapelle cabinetry that gives it a 1970s look. "Mum had given us my grandmother's drinks trolley and I think, having grown up in the 1970s, I always liked the look," says Paula. "When we had the cabinets made the cabinetmaker said 'Hmm... I haven't made this look since the 1970s. I'm usually making cabinets to replace this look'."

As well as the office, the top floor houses the children's bedrooms and the master suite. Ben, aged 8, and Maia, 6, have their own bathroom, complete with his and hers handbasins to cut out any squabbling. The master bedroom has a walk-in wardrobe and ensuite cleverly tucked away behind a wall.

"Despite the house obviously being new, I love the retro feel to it," Mike says. "I think that was achieved by using the cedar cladding and black iron balustrade on the outside and the mahogany cabinetry inside."

Building smarts

Curb your ambitions: Know from the start that building a new home is littered with compromises, especially when you realise that you can't possibly afford all the features you would like.

Seek expertise: Listen to the advice of experts. In Paula and Mike's house, a hallway skylight was going to be dumped due to budget constraints, until Shirley insisted it stay because that part of the house would otherwise be too dark.

Furniture focus: If you are building a new home, make sure you factor into the design favourite pieces of furniture or artworks to create a harmonious look.

Sanity clause: Make sure you have a fixed-price contract and - if you can get it written in - a set completion date so that the onus is on the builder to finish on schedule with no cost blow-outs.

* For more inspiring home ideas, see the latest issue of Your Home & Garden, on sale now.