Whitford: Country comfort

A new home in Whitford combines modern living with country lifestyle, writes Graham Hepburn

133 Broomfields Road, Whitford

Wayne Scott admits it took a bit of convincing by his wife Christine to buy a section in Whitford on which to build their dream home.

"At the time we had an old 70s house in Maraetai that had nice views out to Waiheke and the Sky Tower and the wife had to give me a bit of a nudge to get me out of there," says Wayne.

But they bought the 1.8ha block in Broomfields Road in 2003 and started building in April last year.

"We liked the rural aspect but you're not in the back blocks," Wayne says. "It's quite nice here at the bottom of the subdivision because you still have the views but you're off the road and it's very quiet."

It's even quieter inside because the Scotts installed double glazing so they could do away with curtains and enjoy unimpeded views of the Turanga estuary and the rolling countryside through their floor-to-ceiling windows.

That's just one of the touches the Scotts brought to the design of the house to suit their lifestyle. There are others such as the vanity which can be closed off from the main bathroom so mirror hogs don't take over the bathroom, and the over-height third bay in the internal-access garage so Wayne could house his boat.

"Christine's the ideas person," says Wayne. "She was collecting pictures out of magazines and then she did some sketches and took it to a local architect to draw up for us. She chose all the colours and so on, and I did the donkey work, so to speak.

"Christine took about a year off work basically while the house was being built so if she wasn't overseeing things here and cleaning up around the site, she was out planting trees or off getting tiles or door handles or whatever was needed."

The house was finished last November but ever since the Scotts bought the section they have been putting a lot of work into clearing gorse and woolly nightshade, then replanting with about 2000 natives such as ti tree, cabbage tree, flax and pittosporum. And they have also put in a small orchard.

The house itself is striking with its angular roofs and large covered decks. Downstairs, as well as the triple garage, there is an office, rumpus room and guest bedroom and bathroom. Upstairs there are four more bedrooms - the master with an en suite - and another bathroom. But it's the open plan living area that is the main drawcard.

Wayne says they put in full-height double aluminium sliders throughout the area so it can be opened up. And the deck's frameless glass balustrades add to that feeling of embracing the outdoors. The house is cut into the slope of the land so that the living room, on the western side of the house, opens to a ground level deck and the lawn, while the northern and eastern sides are more elevated.

A change in Wayne's work has forced the move but the Scotts, who have one teenage girl and two primary school-age boys, probably won't be shifting too far so as not to disrupt the children's school lives.

As Wayne says, while pointing out where the swimming pool was meant to be built one day, "It's a shame we're selling because we built it for ourselves and it really suits us."

Vital Statistics

SIZE: Land 1.8ha, house 352sq m.

PRICE: Interest expected from $1.6 -$2 million. Tender closes July 25.

INSPECT: Sat/Sun 1pm-2pm.

CONTACT: Roger Brookes, Ray White Howick, ph 538 0688 bus, 025 854 100 mob.

FEATURES: Modern five double bedroom home with study and rumpus. Floor-to-ceiling double-glazed windows afford views over rural Whitford and estuary. Open plan living with polished wood floors, fireplace and stylish designer kitchen. Central vacuum, underfloor heating and internal-access triple garage. Section landscaped with natives, plus a flying fox.