Sarah and Declan, who chose to make NZ home with their two kids, wanted their Titirangi home to adapt to their growing family. Both architects themselves, they had a clear vision of what they wanted their 1970’s concrete block house to look and feel like and how it could best suit their lifestyle. They were keen to maintain the integrity of some of the original architectural features, whilst also updating the interior to their taste.
Having owned the house for a few years prior to moving in, Sarah and Declan took the opportunity to infuse their own personality into the property as it was to become their family home. Overlooking the Manukau Harbour and positioned over a bush canopy, their design also made the most of the awesome outlook, which included new windows throughout, and huge glass sliding doors that now open out to a generous deck.
Sarah and Declan chose Murray Long Builders to reinvigorate the interior including a complete strip-out, rebuilding with new layouts, a fresh new look to the kitchen and bathrooms, solid plaster detail to the interior walls and construction of a large deck to take in the views.
As it was a complex site with a steep driveway and challenging access, we had a lot of fun working around this, including coming up with an ingenious way of backing a trailer down their insane driveway!
We were chuffed with the huge glass sliding doors that now maximise the stunning views and the indoor-outdoor flow that’s been accentuated with the generous decks. Inside, the home is welcoming and warm with new oak flooring and doors throughout.
We enjoyed the flexibility required to work out details as the project unfolded, and the creativity that came with Sarah and Declan being architects. It was a privilege to re-create Sarah and Declan’s home to suit their personalities and lifestyle, whilst still respecting the original 1970’s feel and features.
Photos by Rachel Shields Photography
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He aha te mea nui o te ao. He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata. What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people.
Our number one value as a business is ‘People Matter’, this is the substance behind ‘Enjoy building your home!’ The people we have on our team and the contractors we engage align to this value which results in both our team and our clients feeling valued and respected throughout the build.
Murray Long – Director
As director of MLB, Murray’s role is more than simply being the boss or solving problems — but also being the culture-setter. Learning how to handle those responsibilities well doesn’t happen overnight. In Murray’s case it didn’t have to, he began the company in 1996, so you might say the culture has grown around him. It’s the thing Murray is most proud of in MLB — the team culture and their desire to do the best possible work.
At the heart of this culture is the passion to build outstanding houses for clients who appreciate that level of detail. Being part of seeing designs unfold over the months of a build and seeing people’s eyes light up as they walk into a new space, or see some detail that has just been finished, or welcoming a family into their new home is something you can’t describe and what drives Murray to lead this team.
Murray’s dream home is a retreat away from the crowds with his family, one that looks out over the coast. But his favourite house among those built by his company is, no surprise, his own family home. ‘You get to live in what you have created,’ Murray says.
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