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Living in beautiful New Zealand, many people dream of a lifestyle property: opening the door to native bush and streams, basking in the morning sunshine and listening to woodland birds at night. There is plenty of land around Auckland suited to creating a lifestyle property. Today, we share the dream journey of a New Zealand couple who bought land and built their own home.
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Just thirty kilometres southeast of Auckland's CBD lies Whitford, a small town known for its streams, woodland and gardens, making it ideal for walking and rural living. Partners Christopher Tomlin and Paul Jackson decided to begin their dream life here.
They found an exceptional site: gently contoured land surrounded by native bush, with the well-known Turanga Creek flowing along the edge of the garden and views of lush hills in the distance. It was the perfect place to create their forever home.
For Christopher Tomlin and Paul Jackson, building their own home was both a passion project and a practical way to meet their needs. Christopher says: “We decided to build because this would be our forever home, and we wanted to put our personal stamp on it by being involved in the design.”
After buying the land, Christopher and Paul shared some of their favourite design ideas with architectural designer Albert van Vliet: combining elements of traditional English barns with contemporary architecture to create a home with both historical character and a modern feel.
Albert delivered, making full use of the woodland and rural outlook to design a home that blends seamlessly into its surroundings while retaining its own character. The final design brings together features of both styles, with clean exterior lines, dramatic colour contrasts and an Otago schist façade that pays tribute to the area's agricultural heritage.
For the exterior cladding, Christopher and Paul chose James Hardie's Oblique™ Weatherboard. Following their designer's advice, they alternated 200 mm and 300 mm boards vertically to give the exterior a more varied, natural appearance.
Christopher says:
From a distance, the all-black walls have a crisp, defined appearance. Up close, the alternating boards reveal an intriguing pattern, creating a perfect contrast with the Otago schist feature wall.
Hardie™ fibre cement weatherboards require very little maintenance, meaning Christopher and Paul can spend their free time enjoying life rather than maintaining their home. Oblique™ Weatherboard is made from a combination of wood fibre, sand and cement, giving it durability and lasting strength. All James Hardie exterior cladding boards are resistant to wind, moisture and fire, are easy to clean and come with a 25-year warranty.
