Woodlands Park: Tall timber

Log homes conjure up rustic notions but this one was built with modern comforts in mind.

43 Sylvan Valley Avenue, Woodlands Park.

Harumi and David Moore's log home is a feast for the senses. Visually it makes a grand statement in its bush setting while the logs are not only tactile but fill the rooms with the sweet smell of American cypress.

The lodge-style home was built 10 years ago by the previous owners who searched exhaustively for the ideal location for their unique home. They were determined to build a log home but when they commissioned the architect, they withheld that information because they did not want any preconceived notions hindering the design process.

"It was only after the architect had done the design that they told him it was going to be made out of logs," Harumi says. "So they did have to make a few compromises afterwards."

One thing they did not compromise on was cost.

"Using logs is an incredibly expensive way of building," Harumi says. "When the owners built the house their business was going really well so there was no ceiling on the budget."

Unlike most of the homes in the street, the house is built towards the back of the section, which is a much more expensive option as it costs more to connect to services.

"Being set back like this, away from your neighbours, you not only have a geat deal of privacy but you get a feeling of being in the forest," says Harumi.

The home has its own furnace, imported from Canada, which can be wood-fired or electricity powered and serves the underfloor heating in the living areas and the radiators in the bedrooms. Skylights have been used extensively throughout the home and they are double-glazed. Details like that and the use of copper guttering and spouting show no expense was spared to make this a comfortable home.

"The planning that went into this house was incredible - it was all designed to make it light and airy," says Harumi. "All the rooms have high ceilings and the house is oriented north so you get the wrap around sun."

The house was built by New Zealand Log Homes using a notching system called the Norwegian "shrink to fit" notch. Along the bottom of each log a lateral groove is scribed and cut to fit the contour of the log below. A foam rubber insulation strip between the logs ensures a tight seal. The log frame was pieced together in Rotorua, the logs numbered then diassembled before being trucked up to the Woodlands Park site and reassembled.

Downstairs, the open plan informal living and kitchen area is tiled while the formal lounge, with its hand-hewn beams, opens on to a covered deck which extends along the front of the house. The main bedroom is up a staircase that has half-round logs as steps and handrails lashed with rope. It has an en suite with a spa bath sitting under a skylight that allows you to lie back and watch the moon, says Harumi.

The other wing of the house has more bedrooms and leads down to the internal-access double garage. At the rear of the house is another deck with bench seating and a Jacuzzi sitting beneath towering kauri.

With just two living in the home, Harumi says it's far too big for them and she's looking to downsize but hoping to buy something in a similar setting in the Titirangi area.

"The thing I love about this place is that the hustle and bustle of the city just doesn't matter when you can leave it behind and come home."

Vital Statisics

BEDROOMS: 4

BATHROOMS: 3

GARAGE: 2

SIZE: Land 2292sq m, house 290sq m.

PRICE: Properties in the area have sold from the $600,000s to the $800,000s. Auction February 15 (unless sold prior).

INSPECT: Sat/Sun 12pm-12.40pm.

CONTACT: Lawrence Stevens, Barfoot & Thompson Titirangi, ph 816 8838 bus, 021 356 390 mob, 812 8384 a/h.

FEATURES: Lodge-style solid log home in a secluded north facing setting of mature native trees. Spacious formal and informal living areas, high ceilings and double-glazed skylights.