Built as both show home and family home, this brand new John Ross Architectural Builders’ hillside creation combines comfort, quality and stunning good looks.

WORDS Kathy Catton PHOTOGRAPHY Sarah Rowlands

As the saying goes, ‘you’ll never regret buying quality’ and for Jack and Tash Kelleher, that was precisely the plan for their home, combining high-end products with a focus on practical, liveable spaces. Embarking on the design and construction, John (known as Jack), director of John Ross Architectural Builders, drew on over 15 years’ building experience to create the ultimate show home for the company as well as a comfortable and elegant haven for his family.

Inspired by Waiheke Island holiday homes, Jack and Tash were keen to create a relaxed bach-like space, where they could unwind and enjoy the spectacular views afforded by the elevated Sumner site. “We love the adventurous, architectural styles of some of the baches on Waiheke Island,” says Jack. “We wanted to replicate that – pushing the boundaries, without making it too fussy or precious. It was a huge focus for us to make the home feel liveable.”

The result is a stunning 275 sqm beach house with a large open plan living and dining space, four bedrooms and natural, easy flow throughout. The exterior is clad entirely in charred (shou suji ban) timber. The technique originates in Japan and creates a unique black finish seldom seen in New Zealand. The charred timber requires little or no maintenance over time, maintaining its sleek good looks for many years.

A major stakeholder and partner in the creation of the home, Tash is delighted with the look and feel they were able to achieve. “I’m so pleased with the result. The layout works perfectly; I feel like I’m on holiday every time I come home!”

Jack is not one to shy away from a challenge and for this build the foundation design was an ambitious undertaking, requiring a 2.1 metre cantilevered ‘floating’ portion. “Lots of engineering went into that, but we love the look we have created,” says Jack. “It was a similar story with the upper levels of the home and the cantilevered style. We just didn’t want to have any steel beams obscuring our views.”

Jack is always looking for ways to make the most of sites and maximise views. He builds and creates around six to eight exceptional homes for his clients per year and specialises in building on the hills. With experience comes confidence, and Jack is not intimidated by steep sites or tricky access. “We have never had a client over-capitalise on their home,” says Jack. “Our aim is always to look for creative solutions to get the best results. We make a real effort to understand our clients’ lifestyle and help them make the best choices.”

John Ross Architectural Builder’s interior designer, Zia Lilley, worked closely with Jack and Tash and the suppliers, coordinating the interior fixtures and finishes, as well as soft furnishings, to achieve the relaxed and beachy feel the couple wanted. Canterbury-based manufacturer Misco Joinery supplied the kitchen joinery and other cabinetry, working within the client’s budget while showcasing a high-end look.

Misco Joinery is known for high-quality finishes and installs Hafele hardware as standard. The company also offers a laser-edging upgrade in the form of Prime Panels HPL Laminate soft-touch cabinetry. This means fingerprints are less likely to show, which is perfect for the family home. The team chose a deep navy-blue colour (Devious) and soft white (Surrender) for the cabinetry.

Throughout the rest of the house, touches of woodgrain colours were brought in with both Melteca Seasoned Oak and Dark Oak. Lauren Martin, from Misco Joinery, loves the challenge of a big project like this one. “We love what we do and stand by the kitchen being the heart of the home,” she says. “We feel that the beautiful products used were of such high quality that Jack and Tash will be delighted with their Misco kitchen for many, many years to come.”

Jack worked closely with BDH Roofs to select a hard-wearing, sleek roofing and guttering system. To protect against the harsher sea air, they chose a seaspray coated .40 gage Magnaflow 5-rib iron. Aesthetically this profile gives a modern look, while practically, it is well suited to a low-pitch roof. BDH Roofs are a Canterbury owned and operated company specialising in long-run roofing and Butynol membrane installation. Butynol (the flexible rubber membrane) is particularly suitable for internal gutters. Managing director, Bjorn Horrack, explains the thinking behind the roofing design.

“One of the biggest challenges of this job was to have a hidden gutter, custom-folded to sit between the roof and the cladding to create a sleek profile,” he says. “We were happy to be able to provide a high-quality roof to contribute to the overall look of this beautiful home.”

Mike Drennan, of M2Flooring, was responsible for installing all the floor and wall tiling as well as carpeting. Meticulous in his craft, Mike started the tile layout process at the framing stage of the construction. “I do this to ensure all the grout lines fit with the plumbing fittings,” says Mike. This attention to detail is exquisite and ensures a smooth and efficient job.

“Mike understood exactly what I wanted,” says Jack. “He has a fantastic eye for detail and totally exceeded expectations with each tile on an edge being cut and mitred instead of using traditional trims.” Brymac Tiles also came onboard early, helping to ensure a smooth workflow. James Thomson from Brymac Tiles wanted to understand the design philosophy of the build so that he could work in harmony with the couple to select the right products. Brymac Tiles have a wide selection of tiling products, with a sound understanding of what’s available across the market so they can offer their clients a broad range of choice.

“Jack and Tash selected Uniquestone as the base main tile,” says James. “They wanted a durable but natural-looking stone, to blend with the amazing views.” This beautiful, Italian-made, glazed porcelain tile is inspired by the appearance of natural stone. The range features a mixture of over 40 individual tile designs with widely varied patterns to achieve an authentic look that is high-quality yet practical.

In a marked departure from the rest of their home, the couple were keen to achieve a bold and striking look to the interior of both the whiskey lounge and the attached powder room. The stand-out tiles are, without a doubt, the Onix Vernazza Black Micro Mosaic tiles from Brymac Tiles that feature in the powder room, made from 100 per cent recycled glass and used to stunning effect.

The landscaping surrounding the property was the icing on the cake for Jack, and he was impressed with the work of Jerry Maguire and his team of landscapers. The brief for Jerry was to create some flat areas for a washing line and trampoline and plant some low-maintenance garden areas. The result is landscaping that complements the home and surrounding environment and makes it easy for the family to safely enjoy the outdoor spaces.

Phormium tenax (harakeke, flax) and other native species were chosen based on their looks, hardiness and, something that is important to Jerry, their ability to attract native wildlife.

“Wherever possible we try to encourage the use of locally sourced native plant species,” says Jerry. “I always enjoy projects like this where we get a bit of free license to put back what was probably there before humans came along and cut it all down!”

The flax were planted under the main decking area to hide a large water tank and to give the impression the home is somewhat ‘floating’ on the native bush. The planting at the front of the house meant the team had to wear rope and harness while planting due to the steepness of the section. The deck was built using Garapa hardwood decking. The honey-coloured timber makes an excellent alternative to the ever-popular Kwila. It’s comparable on price and durability but will not leech tannins, preventing the possibility of staining.

It’s the little things that make a big difference and this labour of love combines the hundreds of small choices to produce an overall result that both showcases the workmanship and skill of John Ross Architectural Builders, and gives this busy couple a chance to slow down, relax and marvel in the surrounding views.