Whangaparaoa

With Auckland cityscapes to the east and pristine coastal beauty stretching towards Northland to the west, this cliff-top home in Whangaparaoa Peninsula boasted the kind of million-dollar views many only dream about. However, this incredible location didn’t have the house to complement such a stunning outlook. The original home on this one-of-a-kind site was an 80m2 brick home, built in the 1930-40s. Badly positioned on the site, the flow of the house didn’t take advantage of its seaside outlook – so owner Kerry Bradburn decided to create something worthy of the location. 

“I had been looking for suitable properties on the Peninsula that offered the kind of sea views I wanted, but, after having no luck, I decided to find a section instead. When I came across this one, I saw it as an opportunity to remove the house, and design and build a new home that suited me.” 

For the new home’s design, Kerry wanted a lavish beach back that mixed shabby chic with contemporary industrial design. “I did a sketch on a piece of paper and showed their designer, Wendy King what I had envisioned. I wanted a real Cape Cod to feel, big sweeping windows and just plenty of opportunities to take in those views. I wanted a place I could truly relax.” 

Wendy took this guidance and developed a concept plan that ticked all the boxes – and some. One of the biggest issues with the existing home was its inability to showcase the views in its current position, the new design achieves massive connections to the views in both directions With this being a cliff-top location they recommended getting a Geo-technical report done prior to designing so that the site could be best optimised without breaking the bank in massive foundation requirements. 

With those east and west views the key feature of the home, a J-shape design was created to establish a long, open-plan central area and living quarters at both ends. This enables the master suite to be located on the opposite wing to two guest bedrooms – perfect for additional privacy and noise-proofing if Kerry has her grandchildren coming to visit. Taking a forward-planning approach to her forever home, Kerry also wanted a space installed next to the kitchen for a lift to be added at a later stage, which would rise up from the garage into the living area.  

“When I look back, I can’t believe how easy the whole process was when there are so many challenges and factors involved in building a new home,” Kerry enthuses. While the exterior is modelled on a Hamptons-Esque retreat, the interior embraces Kerry’s love of shabby chic and industrial modernism. Mixing painted brick with recycled flooring, the main living zones have been styled to feel as you’re in an up-cycled warehouse space, and a 1960s retro vibe is created with the use of strong monochromatic toning. 

As a personal touch, Kerry sourced recycled railway sleepers to use as the flooring throughout the home. Washed in a matte midnight black, it gave the interiors a look she describes as ‘rough and ready’. It’s a new home, but the way in which it has been constructed and designed gives it and old feel, the sense it has always been there – an effect Kerry wanted to achieve. “I simply love my new home and the relaxing lifestyle I can enjoy in there that’s true to me".