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A Southland farming family build their dream home

The house is clad in white-plastered brick and Linea weatherboards.

A major extension has given a Southland farming family the home they once thought was out of reach

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A Southland farming family build their dream home

Who lives here?
Jodelle and Geoff Clark (dairy farmers), Thomas, Sam, Harry, Poppi, Coco the horse, Leo the ginger cat, Tilly the ragdoll kitten and Molly the black Labrador.

Jodelle, what would you do differently if you built again?
Include a mudroom and a larger laundry. Being on a farm there can be a lot of muddy clothes and this would make life much easier.

What’s one of the best things about living in Hokonui?
Our boys love hunting and fishing. We’re lucky to have the Makarewa River flow through our farm and the boys often jump on their motorbikes during fishing season and head down to the river to catch a fish, sometimes setting up a tent and camping there for the night. Having a farm with native bush on the boundary and a river is an outdoor kid’s dream.

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Geoff and Jodelle Clark both grew up on farms in Hokonui and love the rural lifestyle.

Their home, on a 535-hectare dairy farm on which they milk 900 cows, is surrounded by trees planted by Geoff’s parents and grandparents. The recently rebuilt house has extensive lawns for their four children to play on.

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The kitchen is part of a large open-plan area that includes living and dining.

The entire space is painted Resene ‘Black White’. The white chairs once belonged to Geoff’s late grandmother and Jodelle had them repainted and re-covered. The couple like to sit in that corner with the doors open on a nice day and listen to the tui and bellbirds in the garden.

The dining area is tucked into a recess on one side and there’s a second lounge on the opposite side.

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The airy living room is dominated by a massive steel fireplace on the northern wall with windows on either side overlooking the lawns.

The orange chair is one of a pair of very comfortable ‘Charlie’ chairs that Jodelle found in Invercargill and saved up to buy.

The Clarks wanted to make the rumpus room, which features a grandstand with hinged doors for storage, a fun place.

Poppi sits on the removable purple squabs, designed so the children can lay them out on the floor for a group sleepover when friends visit.

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Harry and Thomas enjoy time in their spacious rooms which each sport ‘brick’ wallpaper.

Harry and Thomas enjoy time in their spacious rooms which each sport ‘brick’ wallpaper.

Looking towards the master bedroom on the eastern side of the house from the main living space. Jodelle wanted the bedroom to be simple and elegant with white wallpaper on two walls. Dramatic contrast is provided by the photo mural ‘Madonna’ from Resene in Winton.

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The house is clad in white-plastered brick and Linea weatherboards.

Most of the trees were planted by Geoff’s family over the years.

Jodelle calls the beehives “garden art” as they are no longer in use.

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Words by: Carol Bucknell. Photography by: Elizabeth Goodall.

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