Houzz Tour: New Hillside Home Delivers an Earthquake Silver Lining
A Christchurch family's new home rebuilds their life from the rubble
In 2011 when the devastating earthquake hit Christchurch, this family’s almost-new home in Sumner was ‘red-zoned’ – which sadly meant it was deemed unsafe for rebuilding and had to be demolished. After nearly three years of uncertainty, the couple’s insurance was finally paid out and they were ready to start again on a new site, but in the same much-loved neighbourhood.
Seen here, the cantilevered front entrance canopy is reached by generous steps from the road, and hints at what’s to come. A long, low window to the right is set off by a bright yellow panel, and the vertical shiplap cedar cladding runs across the garage door, oiled to weather over time. Brebner tied the anodised aluminium joinery colour to the copper spouting and downpipes.
The house is not large, so Brebner employed one of his favourite space-enhancing features – leaving the main wall of the living room to float so the eye travels beyond the boundaries of the room. The sloping ceiling further opens up the space, letting light penetrate into the hallway that leads to the boys’ bedrooms and creating a stunning lantern effect when lit at night.
The entry lobby in the centre of this photo opens straight into the main family space. Gaboon plywood and a polished concrete floor are cost-effective and stylish statements, but required meticulous building to pull off effectively. Barrie laid out all the plywood to exactly match the ply grain, then glued and secretly nailed it in place to get the clean, negative detailing the couple were after.
The entry lobby in the centre of this photo opens straight into the main family space. Gaboon plywood and a polished concrete floor are cost-effective and stylish statements, but required meticulous building to pull off effectively. Barrie laid out all the plywood to exactly match the ply grain, then glued and secretly nailed it in place to get the clean, negative detailing the couple were after.
Shaped like a boomerang, with glass walls that slide away in summer, the build required tricky integration of the steel and framing to form an open living space. Double glazing, underfloor heating, and hefty insulation on walls and under the slab keep the house toasty in winter. The heat-pump system that warms the house in winter is switched over to heat the pool through the summer months – a feature the kids love.
Energised by the homeowners’ changing collection of art, rugs and accessories, the family living room is an active space. The door at the end of the room opens to the snug.
Behind that space, the snug has become the boys’ favourite area, with one wall completely covered with bookshelves, the TV, a piano and all their game paraphernalia. Seen here, the window seat provides a cosy, small space – a deliberate contrast to the open expanses of the living room, which is perfect for watching the ever-changing colours of the sea.
To the other side of the living area, the kitchen was a team effort, with Right Angle’s Jenny Cunningham developing Brebner’s initial sketch to get every detail right for the family. The pair mixed stainless steel on the cook-space benchtop with a quartz benchtop on the island, breaking the plywood with white lacquered cabinets.
The kitchen was built to the pair’s exacting standards by Modern Age Kitchens. The owners love to sit at the island to read the newspapers, and the boys spread out their artwork on the dining table.
The kitchen was built to the pair’s exacting standards by Modern Age Kitchens. The owners love to sit at the island to read the newspapers, and the boys spread out their artwork on the dining table.
Early on, the clients settled on a strong yellow as the accent colour, so when they had to specify a colour for the heat-resistant window behind the cooker, they went bold. Yellow stools and industrial lights above the dining table, cushions and accessories hit just the right repeat notes. Drawers beside the fridge stash stationery, homework and art supplies right where the family needs them.
Cupboards right to the ceiling and a pantry on one side provide plenty of storage. The homeowners love how Brebner inserted slivers of windows to catch different glimpses of the view and garden without overlooking neighbours (or being overlooked).
In summer the whole house opens to the pool and terraces, but there is enough lawn for the boys to run around on too. A covered pergola above the deck provides shelter from the summer sun, but allows it to penetrate to heat the living room slab in winter. The extra-wide steps also double as seating.
While the couple mourn the loss of their established garden at their old house, they have transplanted orchard trees from the old plot and are rebuilding an extensive, productive vegie garden around the poolside entrance to the kitchen. The furthest wing of the house is their master bedroom, which can be closed off as a retreat from busy family life. It also has picture windows to the sea view.
While the couple mourn the loss of their established garden at their old house, they have transplanted orchard trees from the old plot and are rebuilding an extensive, productive vegie garden around the poolside entrance to the kitchen. The furthest wing of the house is their master bedroom, which can be closed off as a retreat from busy family life. It also has picture windows to the sea view.
One of the homeowners loves colour. The last house was all white and neutrals, so this time she wanted to use pure white as a background to allow fabrics and textures to shine. She has a particular soft spot for Marimekko fabrics from local store Bolt of Cloth. In the guest room, used by her husband’s parents for long visits from the UK, she used a quirky black-and-white cow print.
An ensuite bathroom off the master bedroom is a serene retreat from the rest of the house. A sliver of window looks into the neighbouring trees and garden and collects sunrise views, but is completely private.
In the boys’ room, more Marimekko fabric was used for the blinds, picking out a bright orange for the walls in a magnetic finish to take their displays. A French deck-chair striped Madder and Rouge lampshade was thankfully able to be retrieved from the old house, and the wall decals were handmade.
Brebner is in the process of designing a studio/guest room off the pool so the boys can spread into separate bedrooms.
Brebner is in the process of designing a studio/guest room off the pool so the boys can spread into separate bedrooms.
The homeowners also managed to retrieve some bathroom fittings from the old house to reuse. Modern Age Kitchens custom-made the floating plywood vanities. The boys’ bathroom has a wet floor, with a shower just behind the partition that sits beside the bath – perfect for keeping water where it should be.
Brebner’s simple C-shaped form is wrapped around the pool, oriented to the sun, and maximises exposure from every room to the stunning views of the ocean all the way to the Kaikoura Ranges.
All of the family are thrilled with their new forever house. The neighbourhood is close-knit – kids still play up and down the street and there are summer street gatherings. “Just this year, our old house was demolished in hours,” one of homeowners explains. “While we’d worked so hard on establishing it, this is really the silver lining. We really love it here, Glenn and Taf have created a blank slate we can all grow into.”
TELL US
What would you do differently if you were faced with having to build your house again? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
All of the family are thrilled with their new forever house. The neighbourhood is close-knit – kids still play up and down the street and there are summer street gatherings. “Just this year, our old house was demolished in hours,” one of homeowners explains. “While we’d worked so hard on establishing it, this is really the silver lining. We really love it here, Glenn and Taf have created a blank slate we can all grow into.”
TELL US
What would you do differently if you were faced with having to build your house again? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Who lives here: A couple and their two young sons
Location: Sumner hills, Christchurch, New Zealand
Size: 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 living areas and pool
Architect: Glenn Brebner of BGBB
Builder: Taf Barrie of Right Angle Construction
Year built: 2014
The couple’s friend, architect Glenn Brebner, was with them when they finally got the good news about their payout – and was immediately briefed to design their new home, and their fresh start. The brief was simple: open plan so the children could enjoy the whole space, facing the sun for warmth, but built to withstand the freezing north-easterly winds that buffet this hill. Engineer Simon had found the perfect flat site on the top of the hill.
However, to begin with, Taf Barrie and his builders came to regret such a solid rock foundation. The build was delayed when the digger hit rock so hard it melted the rock-breaking gear, and the base had to be blasted out. The exposed site also challenged the builders with extreme weather, winding road access, and enough rain and mud that they dubbed the site ‘the Somme’, followed by snow and freezing ground. But the house, hunkered into the hillside, is now a source of great pride for Barrie and his team.