Tairua is a town that many only drive through, hurrying deeper into the Coromandel Peninsula as fast as permitted along the main road, never getting any real sense of the beach and the estuary and the picturesque hill that lies between them. Situated on top of the Paku Hill, with views across to Whakahau (Slipper Island) and, in the far distance, Tuhua (Mayor Island), the 860 square metres of land was dead flat. Although dead flat, they hadn't factored in the volcanic bedrock or the fact the site was in New Zealand's highest wind zone. 

As first time builders, the pair took their time deciding on who would construct their holiday retreat. Initially, they considered buying a standard bach design off the plans. But although the site was rectangular, it was facing an awkward direction: the views were to the short side. This called for a bespoke solution to provide a panoramic punch to the lounge and main bedroom, one that would wrap the house around the outdoor living area to save them from the devil wind. Due to the homeowners being based in Auckland and the bach being a good 3 hours away, full project management was a must. Ben Green from David Reid Homes Coromandel who, on a weekend, drove from Matarangi within an hour of receiving the call. Ben talked the homeowners through everything and gave them the confidence that no one else had done up to that point. A three-bedroom home to make the best of the views was on the agenda, with floor-to-ceiling sliding doors to ut the hero landscape in the picture and the L-shaped blueprint allowed a sheltered outdoor entertaining area on the north-west elevation. 

Externally, vertical cedar cladding and a dark-toned steel roof is a subtle palette that gifts the scenery and greenery top billing. Internally, the couple was bolder yet still disciplined, choosing neutral tones with black accents and finishes with a sense of vertically. That includes slender finger mosaics for the bathrooms and laundry, a long rectangular plywood pendant for above the engineered stone bench, and timber strips (vertical of course) as decorative detailing on one side of the island. They also opted for wall paper as a feature in the bedrooms and the laundry, where a tropical print in metallic amps up the vacation vibe. 

The homeowners were delighted by the result and now get to experience their summer escape in the flesh, with it being highly likely they won't leave. 

Photography by Stefan Zander