In a suburb celebrated for its classic villas and bungalows, a contemporary new build is turning heads.
The home - which sits in Pt Chevalier, an idyllic Auckland suburb nestled on the southern shores of the Waitemata Harbour about 5km from the inner city - cleverly utilises windows and doors to create a sense of space that belies its small site.
The result is an urban oasis where the owners can escape the bustle of inner city life.
A bold, red front door sets the scene for a home that's packed with unexpected twists. There's the Mondrian-esque stairwell window utilising a range of styles and bathing the space in light; the red glass splashback connecting the kitchen stylistically with the main entrance.
In this architecturally designed home, the APL Architectural Series of doors and windows are shown off to great effect with a 11.5m sliding door opening up the rear interior living space to an outdoor deck area.
At 2.6m high, this glass door runs from floor to ceiling along the dining, entertainment and kitchen space, effectively opening up an entire wall to the deck and garden beyond. It's this kind of bold idea that best shows off the possibility of the series that's been designed with high-end homes in mind.
All the windows and doors in the home have been sourced through First Windows and Doors, a New Zealand owned and operated company that allows home owners the luxury of being able to mix and match ranges to suit their home.
"The joy of our windows and doors is that they can be completely personalised to suit the design of the house," says the company's general marketing manager Shane Walden.
"Every window and door is custom built in New Zealand to suit our clients' needs."
Another key selling point is they are designed to be mixed and matched. In the Pt Chevalier home, the APL Architectural Series is used for key statement doors and windows, but the mid-range Metro Series is used in other spaces.
Bi-fold doors, awning windows, louvres and casement windows from the Metro series all feature, as does a ThermalHEART door, which leads to a ground floor wine cellar.
ThermalHEART is an innovative technology featuring nylon thermal insulation separating the inside and outside metal faces, preventing the transmission of cold air.
"These products are very popular with people who like the energy efficiency that thermal heat technology offers," says Walden.
It can be used with the Metro series, as well as First's cost-efficient residential range.
Coloured glass (as evidenced in the front door and splash back) is another First option that can be utilised to great effect in architecturally designed homes. In this home, ultra-clear toughened glass with a Colourbak finish has been used to create an unmissable opening statement: "The owners liked it so much they used the same colour (Jalapeno Red) for a glass splashback in the kitchen," says Walden.
Window and door joinery is also available in a wide range of colours and offers the opportunity to play around with styles and themes.
"Our service is good, our quality is good, and our pricing is highly competitive," says Walden. "Also clients have the opportunity to combine different series in the same home, creating key feature doors and windows, while saving money in other areas."