A Forever Kind of Home

View the slideshow for this home

Click the images in this gallery to view enlarged versions.

As featured in Homestyle Magazine

Words | Soraya Nicholas
Photography | Thomas Law

When Jan Pepi returned to Whangarei from Perth 21 years ago, she fell in love with the property that is still her home now. Back then, it was overgrown, with the appearance of being unloved, and had a little old cottage on the site. "It took years to clear the land, but I could see the potential from the moment I first came here," says Jan. She also saw potential in the original house, which was later renovated to make it comfortable and habitable.

But many years later, Jan and husband Cyril were ready to make some major changes to their home. The cottage inspired garden that landscape designer Jan lovingly created had gradually been replaced by more modern concepts, and the house no longer met their needs.

However after pricing the major renovation the old cottage needed, and realising they would still be left with what was essentially a character home, Jan and Cyril started to explore the idea of building from scratch.

"We looked around at all the major building companies, and it was when we saw a plan at Signature Homes Northland that we realised exactly what we wanted," explains Jan. They felt comfortable with the company, and slowly worked on the plan to modify it, working out a way to make the "beach house" suit their needs. "We really like being able to open the living area up via the big stacker doors, at the front and back, and love the indoor-outdoor feel it creates."

The decision was the right one in hindsight, because not only are they couple so happy with the home they cannot ever imagine leaving, the building process was enjoyable too.

"We can honestly say that we were one hundred percent happy with our builder and the project managers," enthuses Jan. "They were all brilliant to work with, and the house is perfect for us. Every day we think how happy we are here."

Due to the coastal environment of the home, the correct selection of building materials was crucial for future peace of mind. One such product selection was the roof profile. The corrugate is also specifically designed to withstand the rigours of the local weather extremes, including the coastal aspect of this particular property, and it is an economical roof profile that has a wide sheet cover.

Another quality product used on the home was provided by Rockcote Systems – a Resene Group company. They provided a smooth plaster cladding, which was applied by Rockcote registered plastering team BreamBay Coatings, to ensure the home would be durable, weathertight and modern in appearance. Rockcote specialise in the manufacture of a wide range of pre-coloured textured coatings, all fully BRANZ appraised and incorporating the Resene Total Colour System. The rest of the exterior is clad in James Hardie Linea weatherboards.

As a landscape designer, Jan is very proud of the work she does, and her creativity is displayed all around the property. "When I first came here, the place was covered in huge trees, gorse and scrub, and now the garden has evolved to include many different styles." While they all work together, there is a Mediterranean -inspired area near the beach, which requires little water, and a subtropical area out the back which is populated entirely by natives.

"One of my favourite aspects of the property is the curved boardwalk, because I had a clear idea of how I wanted it to look and it has worked out exactly as I'd imagined." It is also particularly special because it is wheelchair friendly, meaning the couple's sister-in-law was able to enter the property with ease and continue up to the house.

After living in their new home for over a year now, Jan and Cyril can honestly say that they could not be happier with what they have achieved. "Our old cottage was up-lifted, and we built on exactly the same spot, but the difference is that we now have a home that suits the property and is ideal for our needs."