The clients lived in a 1920s brick house that was struggling to meet the requirements of their growing family. The existing house was located towards the front of the property on a small ridge. Behind this was a large north facing lawn and garden. However the existing house was two metres above this garden and so was virtually disconnected from any outdoor living area. The clients wanted to upgrade the kitchen, bathroom and laundry and to create a large living area that would be the focus of their home.

The response to this brief was to design an addition at the rear of the house that contains a large living room, incorporating the kitchen and dining areas as well as the master bedroom and ensuite. This addition is linked to the existing house by a narrower hallway element, which also contains a wine cellar.

The living area and master bedroom open onto a timber deck, which is set at the level of the near flat back garden.

The new addition is clad in band sawn plywood with cedar battens over the sheet joints. These cedar battens are much deeper than is standard. The windows and doors sit within the module determined by the plywood sheet sizes.

The existing house is clad in red brick and this was the starting point for the colour selection of the cladding of the new addition. The clients were interested in using a bold colour and so very quickly more intense reds were tested. Many different stains were tested and ultimately the Resene Woodsman Stain won out. Staff at the Newmarket Resene ColorShop helped with custom colour matches, but eventually it was clear that the standard Resene Woodsman colour Resene Totem Pole could not be improved upon.

Architectural specifier: Cook, Sargisson & Pirie Architects
Building contractor: Ziegler Builders Ltd
Client: Chris and Sue Schultz
Colour selection: Sam Williams
Project: Resene Total Colour Awards 2014

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