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This hillside in the Bombays may have proved too difficult for some to build on, but for the busy professional couple that were involved in the design process alongside David Reid Homes Pukekohe, it is heaven on earth. 

With it's rustic board-and-batten cladding and rural setting, where five sheep, two pigs, two chickens and the cat-that-got-the-cream roam, it's a surprise to find how sleek and minimal this home in the Bombay Hills is on the inside. Somehow comforting too. 

The homeowners say they instantly fell in love with the 4600-square-metre site. Tūī and whispering gumtrees welcomed them at the gate and, once they made their way halfway along the hill, hawks circling the valley below evoked a wild and magical feeling. However, the site was steep, all of it. When the house company that sold them the land started to appear out of their depth they switched to David Reid Homes Pukekohe. Coming to a solution that would give them a building platform without leaving their financials in tatters involved persuading the homeowners to go from a two-storey home to a single-level design. 

The first glimpse of the house gives an understanding of the challenge they faced. A four-metre graduated retaining wall circles dwelling and driveway, and sets the stage for the main event. However, simplicity reigns once you enter the home. The concrete anchors the rear of a linear footprint that comprises a centralised living zone that separates two bedroom wings - one for the homeowners and one for guests. It's contemporary, calm and exquisitely decked out. The kitchen is pared back, yet luxurious, with a wall of glossy white cabinetry with no handles being the backdrop to the dark-stained island which is topped in Iranian onyx and lit from below so that it seems to float in space. Adjacent to this, the bar is the epitome of glamour with suspended brass shelving, oblique brass detailing in the cabinetry and brass Lee Broom pendants all reflected in that smokey glass mirror. Cocktail hour never felt so 007.

Intimate moments such as these are woven into many aspects of the design - which may be minimal but still embraces humanity. With floor-to-ceiling windows that frame the great outdoors as hero, there are many places to appreciate the landscape. Nine-metre wide sliding doors lead out to a deck that becomes a bridge on an ocean of green. The homeowners say they wake up and see the view from the hill, with the sky ever changing and it makes them appreciate the beauty of the house itself and the way the land wraps around to hold us.

Photography by Duncan Innes Photography.

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Robust materials including Colorsteel longrun roofing in 'Ebony' and a spine of concrete tilt panels anchor the dwelling to the hillside. The owners have planted Boston ivy to clamber over and soften the concrete wall.
Robust materials including Colorsteel longrun roofing in 'Ebony' and a spine of concrete tilt panels anchor the dwelling to the hillside. The owners have planted Boston ivy to clamber over and soften the concrete wall.
The kitchen, designed by Leonie Hamill from Cube Dentro, has glossy white cabinetry, a benchtop of white Iranian onyx and a Phoenix Vivid Slimline sink mixer. A Lee Broom mini crescent chandelier is the final touch.
The kitchen, designed by Leonie Hamill from Cube Dentro, has glossy white cabinetry, a benchtop of white Iranian onyx and a Phoenix Vivid Slimline sink mixer. A Lee Broom mini crescent chandelier is the final touch.
Art was an important consideration in the design and a commissioned work by London artist Sophie Derrick hangs on the concrete wall; above the fireplace is a piece bought from Flo & Frankie
Art was an important consideration in the design and a commissioned work by London artist Sophie Derrick hangs on the concrete wall; above the fireplace is a piece bought from Flo & Frankie
A double-sided fireplace separates the kitchen from the living room and bar where Lee Broom pendants hang above the cocktail cabinetry. A Tom Dixon copper pendant lends metallic magic, and a smokey mirror reflects the view.
A double-sided fireplace separates the kitchen from the living room and bar where Lee Broom pendants hang above the cocktail cabinetry. A Tom Dixon copper pendant lends metallic magic, and a smokey mirror reflects the view.
A painting by homeowner at the end of the hallway is based on artwork used on the bottle of the couple's favourite champagne: Gardet Raphael Laventure rosé.
A painting by homeowner at the end of the hallway is based on artwork used on the bottle of the couple's favourite champagne: Gardet Raphael Laventure rosé.
Vintage chairs within the reading room accompanied by a cozy fireplace and contrasting ceilings.
Vintage chairs within the reading room accompanied by a cozy fireplace and contrasting ceilings.
Steep & Meaningful
In contrast, the concrete wall in the guest bedroom is smooth but still perfectly imperfect.
In contrast, the concrete wall in the guest bedroom is smooth but still perfectly imperfect.
A roughsawn, timber-finished concrete wall in the main bedroom and ceilings clad in American ash battens bring texture to the material palette.
A roughsawn, timber-finished concrete wall in the main bedroom and ceilings clad in American ash battens bring texture to the material palette.
Steep & Meaningful
Rose gold Progetto Buddy Tapware has a modern elegance alongside the Victoria & Albert Barcelona bath and polished porcelain Verona white wall tiles.
Rose gold Progetto Buddy Tapware has a modern elegance alongside the Victoria & Albert Barcelona bath and polished porcelain Verona white wall tiles.
Steep & Meaningful
In the living area, Quick-Step compact flooring in 'Natural Oak' has an extra-matt finish. A Valentina rug in 'Blush' from Coco Republic was chosen to define the lounge, where a beaten brass drum coffee table from Freedom teams with Seymour chairs and a J
In the living area, Quick-Step compact flooring in 'Natural Oak' has an extra-matt finish. A Valentina rug in 'Blush' from Coco Republic was chosen to define the lounge, where a beaten brass drum coffee table from Freedom teams with Seymour chairs and a J

About the
Professional

David Reid Homes is an iconic New Zealand brand with a proud history of building beautifully crafted, innovative homes. Since 1993, we've had the one goal: to create innovative homes that reflect personalities and the way people live their lives. Since then, we have grown to become a nationwide network of franchised branches and our core values and aspirations are still the same.