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This clifftop home took inspiration from its rugged surroundings

A split-level house set into a clifftop took design inspiration from the rugged Taranaki coastline

Meet & greet 

Sally McDonald (interior designer and founder of The Arc Dept, a creative studio specialising in door hardware and custom resin designs), her husband Nick O’Dea (engineer), their children, Ted, five, Peta, three, Elle, one, and Ian the Welsh springer spaniel.

The property

A four-bedroom, split-level new build in concrete block and cedar panels.

A home always tells the story of those who inhabit it, but it can also pay homage to where it stands. Sally McDonald and her husband Nick O’Dea embraced a connection to the land when they built their family home on the clifftops in Moturoa, New Plymouth. Perched high above the rugged coastline, they love to look out over to the port and ocean waves below.

The New Plymouth-based couple bought the section in 2017, drawn to the site for its ability to be subdivided and build new, which they did two years later. Now the four-bedroom home is home to the family of five. “We moved into the existing house (which was later sold) on the site while we built; it was the first big project we undertook together.”

Not long prior, the couple had met at a friend’s wedding in Hawke’s Bay. Nick, an engineer, was living in New Plymouth, and Sally, an interior designer, was living in Melbourne, working for Australia-based DKO Architecture. “We managed a long-distance relationship for a year,” Sally says. “Then I moved here and kept working for DKO Architecture.”

Fast-forward to marriage and one child, Ted, now five, in tow, and it was a no-brainer to turn to Sally’s employer to design a new home on their 699sqm site. “I could do the interior while they did the architecture,” Sally says. “It was collaborative. We had open communication on everything and they knew what we wanted as a young family.”

Six months after moving in, Sally started The Arc Dept, allowing her to create her own designs and bring to life the work of other designers in resin. Some of the products are used in the house, such as the handles in the entry console, main bedroom side tables, and lounge coffee table.

Sense of place

Taranaki’s environment played a role in the design. “Because of where we are, our view takes in a lot of concrete structures by way of the breakwater and boat ramp. The landscape is west coast and rugged, with wild winds. DKO Architecture suggested emulating that concrete look, so the house fits into that environment, rather than on it.” This translated into using block work and crafting angles of the building. “The concrete structures on the breakwater are angular, so the angles of our building reflect that shape. It was important to make a story of that. Also, these angle out to the ocean and open up coast views. As we are right by the railway, we brought in timber elements to mimic the sleepers,” says Sally.

Design meets nature

Being on such an exposed clifftop site comes with the benefits of a glorious view but also having to battle the wind. “We are exposed to the elements, so it was an important part of the design floor plan to be able to sit outside during a prevailing wind. The house is designed so that although it might be windy at one end of the deck, we can still use the other end. This was achieved through a U-shaped deck leading out to a lawn and down to a reserve leading to the beach.” The living area opens out onto this deck, while the main bedroom and second bedroom windows look out to it. “My favourite place is out here when the kids are in bed, at the end of summer when it’s starting to get cooler,” Sally says. “We have beautiful still nights with incredible sunsets.”

Spatial awareness

While the couple debated whether to go for a single- or double-storey home, a split-level was the perfect solution for the young family. “We went to-and-fro between two stories and a single level,” Sally says. “Two storeys presented issues with blocking neighbours, and with young kids, we wanted to be on a single storey for the ease of lugging things in and out. A split level is a compromise and offers more of a view.”

Having decided on a single-storey home, the couple maximised the floorspace, working with the architect to avoid wastage and bring the square metre price down. “We originally had a corridor at the front door but removed that, allowing the entrance to open into the kitchen, with a slight entranceway.”

Inside, the split level repeats in the lounge and main bedroom – this whole wing drops down three steps. “I love mid-century design, especially that sunken lounge as it feels so cosy being in there,” says Sally. “I also love an open plan as long as I can divide it into zones. With three children always nearby, it’s a nice way of breaking up the space; they might be in the lounge while we are at the dining table. We can still be part of the action, albeit with some distance from the children. But it also means I can hang out with the children in the lounge. I’d love to say my favourite place is my bedroom with its incredible view, but I’m never in there.”

Follow your heart

Due to their careers, Nick and Sally had a head-start when choosing the fittings and finishings. “Nick is really onto it with services, engineering and forecasting on pricing so he took on a lot,” Sally says. With a good relationship already established with their builder, Brent Topping, who had built Nick’s sister Louise O’Dea’s home, the couple were in a good space. “When Brent project managed the build, it all felt so easy.”

Sally and Nick knew they wanted a neutral palette, which they could layer colour and pattern. The natural, earthy base of the interior gives way to colourful cushions and furniture, such as the bench seat in the corridor and the artwork throughout the home.

The rugged nature of the west coast comes to the fore, notably in the kitchen’s aesthetic, embracing strong, bold finishes and colour. “I wanted it to work with the exterior of the house and bring the outside in,” Sally says. “I wanted an antique mirror, and I love texture and strong gutsy materials.

“I’m drawn to colour and pattern, yet for so many years I feel through social media we’re constantly being told to be safe and stick with neutrals and a minimalist aesthetic,” Sally says. Only in the last few years has she embraced more colour, seeking inspiration through designers Alex Fulton and Evie Kemp. “It’s a nice feeling to decorate how I want to. It’s a process, though, and I’m not quite there.”

Savvy storage

All the bedrooms feature large, double full-height wardrobes, and Sally ensured the family had a decent linen cupboard to make life easier. “I would have loved to have had more storage in the kitchen for a scullery, but that came down to how much space we had. So we put more storage in the bedrooms and linen cupboard.” Built-in joinery in the wardrobes removed the need for dressers and storage in the bedrooms, and the lounge features a large joinery unit and ply bench seat with a hidden door to storage.

A blank canvas

When Nick and Sally married they didn’t have many items. “We were starting fresh and wanted a blank canvas to build on,” Sally says. “Since then, we’ve acquired a lot more artwork.” Taking their time, the couple purchased art from all over the country. “With the children still being young, the house works with it being on just a split-level and easy access to the lawn, but eventually we’ll need a separate lounge,” Sally says. So, while the couple knows that when their family matures, the need for more space may see them moving on, for now, this cliff-top seaside home is just the right place.

Words by: Catherine Steel. Photography by: Gina Fabish.

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