Set high on an exposed coastal headland, overlooking Warrington Beach and the tidal inlet of Blueskin Bay, sits this Coastal Retreat. With a robust architectural form that both shelters its occupants from the wind and reflects the rural surroundings, the design brief for this home was to integrate a cohesive family home on a remote coastal site. 

Crafted entirely of wood to reflect the essence of the vernacular barn, the architectural design is shaped in a collection of simple timber wedge like forms that are orientated to capture the separate views of the coastline and to create shelter, whilst also separating the living areas and bedroom wings. 

But its status as being simultaneously a coastal and a wooden building necessitated a means of protecting the wood, both inside and out. Dryden WoodOil was chosen for this task; the water-repelling properties of its migrating oil help prevent the absorption of water into the timber, reducing excessive warping, cupping, and splitting of the wood, thus extending its lifespan. 

Meanwhile, the landscape design is strongly connected with its natural environment. A continuation of native coastal planting of tussocks, ngaios and flaxes extenuate from the dunes of the beach below to reach the house above, which add to the intensity of the rugged coastal environment. 

The home’s exterior cladding sought to emulate this. Given the Coastal Retreat’s heavy utilisation and reliance on timber as its primary material, it was important that the natural beauty of the timber was retained. Maintaining a consistent and eye-catching lustre throughout the home was critical — so Dryden WoodOil was paired with the Dryden Colourtone Elm to help blend into the stunning surroundings. 

In addition to the aesthetics and functionality of the product, Dryden WoodOil is also extremely convenient — it can be precoated before installation to protect all sides of the timber and is easily applied with a speedbrush. 

Maintenance on exteriors is also a simple process: in most cases, one coat of Dryden WoodOil is all it takes. 

The decking also needs an extra layer of protection, as it is exposed to both footfall and often harsh weather conditions. To combat this, Dryden Decking & Hardwood was used — specifically designed for hard-wearing woods, and to combat the many aspects — both meteorological and human — that can affect decking. 

On the home’s interior, where there is less UV penetration, Dryden WoodMaster Dune was utilised as a finish, enhancing the natural colours of the timber.  

Specially designed in New Zealand for our harsh environments, including our unrelenting coastlines, Dryden products protect most timber species, used in applications from cladding to interiors to decking, from the perils of dampness and the elements. 

This is especially true for this Coastal Retreat that overlooks Warrington Beach. With such a demanding and volatile environment — with seaspray, precipitation and general dampness a near-constant factor — Dryden’s products helped ensure almost every part of the house that featured timber was protected.