190 Pumpkin Hill Road, Tairua
German couple Thomas and Janet Deutschmann's Kiwi road-trip holiday four years ago was the starting point for this clean-lined home in the bush-clad Isles Estate, a six-minute drive from Tairua. Thomas and Janet happened to park outside a real estate agency in Tairua, where their interest in the region was piqued by what they saw in the window. They booked to stay at a local B&B and as fate would have it, the proprietor also sold real estate. He showed them around a few properties, but nothing was quite right. It wasn't until they were on the road in the South Island that they got a call about an 8810sq m site that had become available in the Isles.
The Deutschmanns were already enamoured with Tairua's laid-back charm and fell in love with the section's serenity and panoramic water and bush views. "It was so different from the world buzzing around you in Germany, where we led such busy lives," Thomas recalls.
Falling in love with their patch of paradise necessitated the couple moving halfway across the world from their home, 200km south of Berlin, to the Coromandel peninsula. After living in a century-old home with old furniture in Germany, the Deutschmanns were keen to make a drastic change in the style of house they lived in. "We looked at lots of architectural magazines and dreamed of big windows and doors to bring nature close to the house," Thomas recalls.
Thomas had studied machine design engineering in Germany, a degree that also included complementary courses in architecture. With this kind of expertise, he was able to design the house himself, working in collaboration with local builder Doug Hayward.
The house, which was finished last year, remains true to the Deutschmanns' original vision, where nature is almost part of the architecture. The house runs on a north-west axis, with its eastern façade one long expanse of glazing, to make the most of the view of the ocean.
The living zone is at the home's northern end. Glazed sliders on each side can be stacked back to allow the space to be opened up like a pavilion, or in simple terms like a good, old-fashioned tent. While the eastern side has a narrow timber deck, the western side sports a larger timber deck, a great spot for afternoon sun and evening meals.
Also stacked along the house's eastern side are a glossy white kitchen with European appliances, an office, the master bedroom and an en suite. Cavity sliders provide privacy when necessary, but when they're recessed back, it's possible to see the entire length of the house. Whoever is luxuriating in the master en suite's free-standing Philippe Starck-designed bath can look right through and see the open fireplace in the distant living room.
The home's layout also includes a second bedroom with an en suite, as well as a further bathroom and a third bedroom that opens on to the western deck. There's also an enormous garage with internal access. Throughout the interior, the house has negative detail, rather than skirtings and architraves. This allows high-end bathroom fittings and custom-made furniture made from Queensland blackwood and Australian oak veneers to be the stars of the show.
The flooring is polished concrete and has its own character. "It has a grain with nice pebbles. We didn't want it to look too slick like a cowshed floor," says Thomas. "It's smooth, but not too smooth."
The open, wood-burning fire in the living area adds ambience and warms the house in winter. An under-floor heating system also heats the house and ensures the floor is warm to walk on, reaching around 29 degrees. What's more, it's very economical to run. Powered by a heat pump, it uses about 3.5kW of electricity per hour, the equivalent of two small column heaters, and warms the whole house. What are also economical are solar panels on the roof, which are enough to heat a 300l hot water tank all summer.
The Deutschmanns are justifiably proud of their home. Since they relocated here in 2005, daughter Anna Frieda has joined the family. Since becoming parents, Thomas and Janet have become homesick for Germany and their families. It's time to return.
Vital Stats
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 3
Garaging: 4
SIZE: Land 8810sq m, house 230sq m, plus 40sq m garaging
PRICE INDICATION: Registered valuation of $1.750 million. Auction March 26.
INSPECT: Today (March 23) 1.30-3.30pm or by appointment
ON THE WEB: www.bayleys.co.nz/261145
CONTACT: Geraldine Welford, ph 021 672 748, Mike Harper, ph 021 984 405, Bayleys, ph (07) 866 0098
FEATURES: Contemporary, private pavilion-style home with top specification fittings. Underfloor heating, solar panels for heating hot water, motorised roller blinds. Amazing views and landscaped grounds.
On your doorstep
Tairua is a small sea-side town with a large white sandy surf beach and a beautiful harbour. Only a two-hour drive from Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga, it's a popular holiday destination. Around half of Tairua village is made up of holiday homes. It's a half-hour drive to some of New Zealand's most spectacular beaches, including Hot Water Beach, Cathedral Cove in Hahei and Pauanui. There is also a ferry service to Pauanui. There's a good range of restaurants and shops, as well as an 18-hole golf and country club.
Reproduced with kind permission of Sunday Homes, Herald On Sunday. Author Penny Lewis
