When the Mullan family were looking to build a holiday home, they wanted to create a sanctuary to escape to, a place to unwind and relax and something completely different from their home in Auckland. Once they stepped inside the Lockwood show home in Kopu, they knew a Lockwood home would be perfect.
The design process started with a blank canvas. “We started out not knowing at all what we wanted. We simply knew it couldn’t look like our previous bach” said the Mullans. Israel and Katie at Coastwood Homes, Lockwood Coromandel provided a couple of concepts to get ideas rolling, but it took a while before the Mullans found the look they were after. “We started to look around for inspiration and found ourselves studying a bach painted black with two gables and floor to ceiling windows all across the front.”
Work then began on the interior layout. The Mullans knew they wanted to keep the size of the home at around 140m² with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. A café-style kitchen and separated media room/lounge was a must, as well as laundry, separate WC and excellent storage space. They spent time sketching and playing around with the interior layout then passed it to Israel to weave his magic, adding his flair and creativity to develop the design.
“When we came up with the basic sketch – Israel took that idea and transformed that sketch into something truly unique. Katie then took it to the next level with awesome vision of what could be achieved in terms of the interior.”
The Mullans had their hearts set on a sleek and modern black kitchen to contrast against the blonded timber of the interior. In the bathrooms, a tiled feature wall was key. Subway tiles were something they had considered, though they were open to ideas. The finished result of white textured tile is a twist on the classic look which looks stunning against the timber and black fittings.
“Otherwise, we wanted a relaxed, pared back, beach inspired look and feel – we have tried to stay true to natural colours with our furnishings – blues, greens, browns, to bring the outdoors in.”
Before embarking on the build, the existing bach had to be removed. The biggest challenge on the site proved to be the ground. “The sand base was found to be incredibly challenging when trying to lay the piles so Israel and Katie had to roll in a gigantic vacuum to set the piles and then approximately 80 piles had to be laid.” Once foundations were sorted, the build progressed well. The Coastwood Homes team provided the Mullans daily updates and photos so they could see the home take shape.
The Mullans have enjoyed many weekends entertaining family and friends in their incredible holiday home. Covered outdoor spaces and decks connecting the front and back of the home provide the perfect place to relax. “We love sitting on the back deck under the enormous gable, completely protected from the elements but feeling completely immersed in the outdoors. We are totally rapt with every room in that house – there is nothing we would change.”
The Mullans have nothing but praise for the Coastwood Homes Team “At every step of the way, Katie, Israel and their broader team presented with fantastic options – there was never a problem they couldn’t solve. The building team were phenomenal – clearly amazing at their craft and the workmanship was perfect. We would do it again in a heartbeat.”
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