Coronet from our Masonry Collection

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Coronet from our Masonry Collection

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A HOME OF SUBSTANCE

PLEASE NOTE: THIS SHOWHOME IS NOW CLOSED

as featured in Homestyle Magazine
Words: Charlotte Lane
Photography: Thomas Law

Effortlessly Chic in Auckland, this showhome is more than a showcase of a builder's workmanship

Already the home has proved to be seriously popular, with existing customers and prospective homebuilders impressed. Many showhomes are small samples of what a building company can create, but Signature Homes do not do anything by halves; this home is substantial. Two storeys
in stature, it has four bedrooms and a real sense of space inside. The living areas are open plan; however a careful placement of walls cleverly separates the spaces. Because it is furnished, the house distinctly feels like a real home.

The showhome design is based on the Coronet plan from Signature's Masonry collection, which is just one of a huge number of plans available to Signature Homes customers.

For this particular home, James Hardie Linea™ weatherboards were selected and used alongside Schist stone and smooth plaster. The Rockcote EPS40 Cavity Plus Render system was the plaster surface of choice, which includes the Rockcote Traditionale texture appearance. The surface
was finished in Resene X200, in colour Resene Thorndon Cream. Rockcote registered plasterers, JC Plastering, who are qualified and registered in their highly specialised field, applied the Rockcote system for the showhome.

Rockcote specialise in the manufacture and distribution of a wide range of exterior and interior plastering systems, including pre-coloured textured coatings. These coatings incorporate the Resene Total Colour System, and create a range of different looks for a wide variety of new houses.

To complement the plaster, Wattyl NZ Ltd supplied paint for the Linea™ weatherboards and eaves. Both are painted with Wattyl Solaguard, with the boards in colour Westland, and the eaves in Thorndon Quay. Inside, Wattyl paints were once again preferred, and applied by XTen Painting Contractors. EcoProof Low VOC paint was predominately chosen, in colours Banks Peninsula for the walls, and Blanco for the ceilings. The trims were painted in Wattyl Ultra Proof acrylic enamel, also in colour Blanco.

Wattyl EcoProof is New Zealand's premium low VOC paint currently available, as the only paint in this country to be awarded the Sensitive Choice tick of approval from the New Zealand Asthma and Respiratory Foundation. It has a low environmental impact, no odour, is low in irritation and most importantly is healthier for everyone in the home.

The outside of the home was further enhanced by the customised aluminium joinery selected by the Signature Homes team. From Alicomm Windows Ltd, windows and doors from the Vantage Residential range were installed. The doors chosen include bi-folds and stacking slider doors, with awning windows placed throughout.

This connects the home with the outdoor area, providing excellent flow from inside to out. All joinery was powdercoated to colour Titania, and double glazed glass is used in the master bedroom to promote energy efficiency.

APL Joinery also supplied the striking double front entry doors, by Axis. The vertical tongue and groove aluminium panel look is one of the most popular styles, and was finished here in a gloss effect, in colour Ironsand. For this door, and indeed all the joinery, premium market-leadinghardware was installed.

Despite the showhome being based on a standard plan, the materials and fixtures chosen have created a distinctly unique feel. The colours are light, warm and soothing, and the overall effect is nothing short of stunning. The home's staircase was a feature specifically used to create an individualistic look, with a timber inlay featured at each end of every step, with carpet infill.

The carpet for the home was made and supplied by Cavalier Bremworth Ltd. From the Moods of Monet collection, the carpet is a cut pile style, in colour Chrome. This is one of Cavalier Bremworth's best selling cut pile carpets, and is made locally using 100% New Zealand wool. It is highly durable, extra-heavy duty graded, and incredibly soft underfoot.

At present, Cavalier Bremworth is the only carpet manufacturer in the world to have gained an environmental choice accreditation across all their wool carpet ranges. They carry a wide range of residential and commercial grade wool carpets.

To showcase all of the home's interior features, the lighting plan was studiously considered. Lighthouse Remuera worked in close consultation with Signature Homes and an electrician, to complete a detailed, customised plan, taking into account energy efficiency and light output requirements. Throughout the home, recessed square incandescent down lights were utilised, in addition to recessed halogen 12-volt square lights, in single and twin styles.

Silver and chrome pendants and brushed chrome wall lights were also used. Outside lighting is a real feature at night. Exterior inground LED up-lights with incorporated LED drivers were chosen, as were exterior surface mounted 2 x 9 watt bulkhead wall lights in a silver finish. These stylish outdoor lights are perfect to showcase the exterior of the house, and great for outdoor entertaining after dark.

Like anything Signature Homes are involved with, this imposing yet elegant new showhome is a cut above the rest. Clean lines make the home appeal to a wide audience, with enough of a "homely" feel to make it appear as if someone is actually in residence.

Every aspect of the interior has been well thought out, with an in-house designer involved at all stages of the design. From completely customised new homes to one of their pre-designed collections of plans, Signature Homes build to create personalised homes of substance, just like this showhome.