‘Thinking rooms’ and giant glass houses: Inside Waiheke’s most beautiful homes
There’s a wide range of home styles on Waiheke, showcasing art, design and nature.
Waiheke Island is known for its stunning natural beauty, from cliff-top sea views of bays and beaches to rolling green hills covered in untouched native bush. If you’ve ever dreamed of making the island your home, or you just want to enjoy Waiheke’s slow-paced lifestyle for a day, this is your opportunity to see how the locals live. Islanders are throwing open the doors to their homes on March 12-13 for a good cause, to raise money for Waiheke Art Gallery.
The islanders’ great appreciation of individuality comes to life dramatically in the wide range of home styles on the tour. From the creative and colourful, to classic beauties with incredible sea views, the far flung styles all showcase a unique blend of art and design – each with the island’s scenic surrounds as a beautiful backdrop. Here’s a sneak peek at some of the houses on the tour.
Location: Church Bay
This colonial-style home overlooking Church Bay embraces traditional charm – and, of course, that spectacular sea view. While the ocean panorama framed by vast windows and glass doors shifts with the whims of the weather, the interior exudes a sense of calm. It has a feeling of peace that comes from living in a white space filled with natural light. But this is not a hushed retreat – it’s a home built for entertaining on a grand scale, a space where guests can easily move in and out to the terrace, and beyond.
The kitchen is part of a communal space that flows to the living room, and out to a well-furnished alfresco entertaining area. During the summer months, the doors are opened wide and guests can wander indoors and out with ease, while winter evenings are spent indoors, curled up by the fire, as guests enjoy stargazing at Waiheke’s impressive night sky.
The home’s classic look and feel is underscored by European-inspired architectural features, such as the steeply pitched roofline, dormer windows and over-sized chimneys. Upstairs, large windows, doors and a balcony are designed to allow the impressive vista to be enjoyed from the bedrooms.
The landscaped grounds include a smaller terrace that steps down from the pool area. Here, there’s a bar and barrel hall for the property’s winery – and more sea views to soak up. All that’s needed is a glass of wine to celebrate this private sanctuary’s majestic position on the gentle sloping coastline, overlooking Motukaha Island and Rangitoto in the distance.
Location: Park Point
This elegant shed on a hill, designed by Mitchell Stout Architects, exudes creative, laid-back living that Waiheke is synonymous with. The architecture has a joy and playfulness in its approach, accompanied by thoughtful and unusual aspects that create a strong visual impact. It certainly had an impact on the judges of the 2009 House of the Year competition, run by the prestigious HOME Magazine. Designed by the late David Mitchell and his partner in work and life, Julie Stout, the judges praised the home for its “surprising spaces” that suggested new possibilities for residential architecture, while remaining entirely liveable.
The layout is relatively simple: a glass-walled living pavilion is sandwiched between tall cedar columns, standing proudly within Waiheke’s beautiful landscape. There are few windows in the two towers. Instead, the architects created cedar screens that open with long poles. The award-winning design is often cited as a masterclass in sculptural form and spatial simplicity. There is a vivacity to the decor that adds another quirky layer: the ceilings and walls in the living pavilion are bright blue and there are pops of red, much-loved by one of the owners, both inside and outside. As a counterpoint, there is a towering, all-white ‘thinking room’ that was specifically requested by the owners as a quiet space.
Over the years, the stark architectural lines of the building have been softened by the landscaping. As the shrubs and trees have grown up around it, the home’s architectural volume has hunkered down into the hillside, blurring the line between the land and the building, almost as if it has always been there.
Location: Oneroa
Essentially a glass house, the combination of light and space puts the emphasis on views and the way light falls within this cliff-top home. Light pours in from all sides and the eye is drawn straight through the living space to a long, narrow pool and the ocean beyond.
It’s a space where life is never boring; one where the vast amount of glazing delivers an ever-changing vista and natural light display. Designed by architect Julian Guthrie 28 years ago for his parents, the home has since been sold to new owners.
Guthrie designed part of the home to deliberately keep light out. Internally, there is a large central gallery space, built to protect art from excessive sunlight. It provides ample room for paintings, as well as display space for contemporary ceramics and glass. The gallery also acts as the home’s functional spine, through which all spaces connect. Movement within the building ensures that viewing art is part of the daily dynamic of life.
The gallery forms a long diagonal access across the site, countered by the pool and water feature, designed to direct the view down the harbour. The home’s design is simple yet elegant; beautiful, but in an understated way. It’s simply a place to live, or more accurately, a place that’s good to live in.
Location: Palm Beach
This is a beach house that’s all about the sun, the sea and evenings under the stars. On a hillside overlooking the turquoise waters of Palm Beach, inside and out, the spaces communicate a sense of connection to place. Built over three levels on a steep site surrounded by native bush, sliding doors and large-scale windows maximise exposure to the verdant landscape and sea views.
This home featured on the TV show Grand Designs last year and presenter Tom Webster is returning for a special event on the evening of Friday, March 13. Hosted by owners Dale and Maria Gray, Webster will share insights into the home’s design and build – including some of the challenges along the way. Construction during one of Waiheke’s wettest winters was not easy. The uniquely shaped house sits on a foundation of 50 concrete pillars.
Designer Dylan Rhynd of DPRD Studio Architecture brought his architectural flair and expertise to the project, adding details such as the striking timber grid of exposed ceiling beams and a decorative breeze block wall that hints at what lies beyond as you approach the house.
Entry to the home is on the upper level, where one big living space has been designed with entertaining in mind. Countless brunches, lunches and dinners have been enjoyed in this generous open-plan space, rotated on an angle to capture the ocean views. It is without doubt the heart of this beach house. Stairs lead down to four bedrooms, created with quiet and privacy in mind: a sanctuary in which to dream.
The home tour serves as a fundraiser for Waiheke Art Gallery.
When: Thursday March 12 and Friday March 13.
Tickets: From $95.
Evening event: Special guest Tom Webster of Grand Designs at Palm Beach residence.
When: Friday, March 13.
Tickets: $175
Waihekeartgallery.org.nz/events
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