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You are at:Home»New Zealand»Dave and Emma’s house — our TV Star Setting
New Zealand

Dave and Emma’s house — our TV Star Setting

Justine TyermanBy Justine TyermanMarch 11, 201705 Mins Read
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The occasion was our annual get-together, a time when our daughters fly in from far-away places to reconnect as a family. We chose Auckland’s West Coast beaches because the region is close to the city and none of us had ever been there before. Just 50-60 minutes’ drive from the airport, it was easy for us to collect our far-flung family and run away for a long weekend.

Justine Tyerman and family half way up Lion Rock
Our team half way up Lion Rock
Bridget and Jeremy on the deck overlooking the Waitakere Ranges at Dave and Emma's Love Home Swap house
Bridget and Jeremy on the deck overlooking the Waitakere Ranges at Dave and Emma’s Love Home Swap house

Accommodation was scarce at the height of the summer, but thanks to my membership of the international home swap club, Love Home Swap, and our super-efficient, friendly concierge Dalton, we found the ideal place, perched on the ridge between Piha and Karekare beaches.

I’ve always been strongly attracted to symmetry so the visual impact of Dave and Emma’s house was an instant hit with me. The two cubes of different heights, the larger, taller one resting on the smaller, lower one, with a square void in between, creates a striking silhouette. The aesthetics of the house have attracted the attention of film-makers too. Used as a set in the TV series 800 Words, the place has celebrity status! Living there, we felt like TV stars.

I loved the silvery Lawsons cypress of the cladding and the Australian blue gum decking that runs right through the centre of the house
I loved the silvery Lawsons cypress of the cladding and the Australian blue gum decking that runs right through the centre of the house
Sunrise at Dave and Emma's Love Home Swap house
Sunrise at Dave and Emma’s Love Home Swap house
Comfy bean bags, built-in seating and a wood-burning fire create a snug, intimate feeling in the lounge
Comfy bean bags, built-in seating and a wood-burning fire create a snug, intimate feeling in the lounge
White leather couch in the sitting area
White leather couch in the sitting area
The kitchen-dining space at Dave and Emma's house
The kitchen-dining space at Dave and Emma’s house

Garden view of Dave and Emma's Love Home Swap house
Garden view of Dave and Emma’s Love Home Swap house

I loved the silvery Lawsons cypress of the cladding and the Australian blue gum decking that runs right through the centre of the house, providing a large expanse for outside living on both sides. The front north-facing deck leads to a tropical sun-filled garden and outside dining area with a massive macrocarpa table, while the back deck is suspended above the moody Waitakere Ranges with the black sands of Karekare Beach shimmering in the distance. Made famous as the backdrop for the 1993 Academy-Award-winning movie The Piano, Karekare was recently voted one of the world’s most beautiful beaches.

On cooler evenings, Dave and Emma get a lot of use out of their chiminea on the sheltered front decking while the spa pool beside the rear decking is their favourite relaxation spot in winter.

The covered passageway between the two cubes, which shelters the fire engine red main entry on one side and the laundry/bathroom/bunkroom complex on the other, frames the Waitakeres and the sky like a living artwork. Substantial glass doors can be swung into place to enclose the passageway and provide shelter in wet or windy weather.

Designed by Tim Dorrington of Dorrington Atcheson Architects, the house was sturdily built to withstand the rigours of a growing family. The polished concrete floors, black laminate kitchen cabinets, Strandboard staircase and low-maintenance garden with natives such as ferns and flax are hardwearing and easy-care.

A huge macrocarpa servery board, hand-made by Dave, sits on the recycled oak kitchen island, to protect the timber. The main workbench is stainless steel against a wall/splashback of dark green tiles. A dining and living area with an eight-seater wooden dining table and a six-seater white leather L-shaped couch and coffee table adjoins the kitchen space.

The kitchen, living and dining area steps down to a cosy, carpeted lounge with panoramic windows overlooking the wooded Waitakeres and Karekare Beach. An impressive TV/home entertainment centre lines one wall while comfy bean bags, built-in seating and a wood-burning fire create a snug, intimate feeling.

Upstairs, two spacious, airy bedrooms and balconies facing north and south have magnificent views of Piha and Karekare. But the main bathroom, located between the two bedrooms, has arguably the most spectacular outlook of all. With windows to the ceiling, lounging in the bath or showering in the walk-in glass enclosure is a sublime and dreamy experience which can run away with far too much precious rain water in dry summer weather.

A favourite spot for reading and relaxation is the lower deck at the rear of the house with a pair of S-shaped recliners. You feel as though you are floating above the Waitakere Ranges.

It was the ideal location for our family to rebond after too long apart. With ample space to spread out on the deckings and in the garden and living areas, a cleverly-designed kitchen that accommodated all the would-be chefs, a well-stocked pantry with free use of all the basic ingredients, indoor and outdoor dining options, a relaxing spa pool and views to die for . . . the place was welcoming and had a feeling of freedom, warmth, airiness, light, tranquillity.

Chris and Sophie having fun in the kitchen at Dave and Emma's Love Home Swap house
Chris and Sophie having fun in the kitchen at Dave and Emma’s Love Home Swap house
Chris preparing lunch at Dave and Emma's Love Home Swap house
Chris preparing lunch at Dave and Emma’s Love Home Swap house
The main workbench is stainless steel against a wall-splashback of dark green tiles
The main workbench is stainless steel against a wall-splashback of dark green tiles
Stylish kitchen
Stylish kitchen

FACTBOX

Justine Tyerman stayed at Dave and Emma’s Love Home Swap property. Visit Love Home Swap to view over 100,000 properties in 150 countries!

Getting there: JUCY Rentals.

The sphinx-like rock formations at Mercer Bay
The sphinx-like rock formations at Mercer Bay
Sophie and Bridget at The Gap
Sophie and Bridget at The Gap
Sophie and Bridget at Te Ahua Point Lookout
Sophie and Bridget at Te Ahua Point Lookout
Sophie and Bridget at The Gap
Sophie and Bridget at The Gap
View of Lion Rock from the Tasman Lookout
View of Lion Rock from the Tasman Lookout
View of Piha from the Marawhara Track
View of Piha from the Marawhara Track
View of Taitomo Island from the Tasman Lookout Track
View of Taitomo Island from the Tasman Lookout Track
The Watchman at Karekare Beach
The Watchman at Karekare Beach
Justine at Te Ahua Point Lookout
Justine at Te Ahua Point Lookout
Architecture Beach Country House
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Justine Tyerman
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Justine Tyerman is an award-winning New Zealand journalist, travel writer and sub-editor with 18 years' experience in newspaper and freelance work. She has worked as a news reporter, feature writer, designer of an award-winning Newspapers in Education programme and sub-editor on local, national, business, education and international desks.

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