Surrounded by Nikaus and only a short walk to Muriwai Beach, this laid-back home combines a cruisy beach look with sophisticated finishes
Meet + Greet
Dharlia Lynch, 42 (kindergarten teacher), Ty Lynch, 39 (cellar hand), and Dusty, 7, plus Ash, a local farm dog the family looks after most weekends.
This Muriwai home balances beach-cool with Scandi sophistication
Best lessons learned?
Do your research online, then visit the suppliers in person to see if the quality matches the price.
What would you never do again?
We loved the whole process. It was a pretty exciting moment when we could walk through our house after the walls had been erected just two days before!
Most memorable experience you have had in your home?
We invited all our nearest and dearest to our ‘house-warming’ and surprised everyone by announcing we’d got married the day before! That was a pretty epic celebration of our love in our beautiful new home.
How did your budget compare to your actual spend?
We came in on budget. We had to!
What areas did you save and splurge on?
We saved by only investing in what we needed. New furniture, drapes and a refrigerator will come further down the track. Through saving on construction costs with Durapanel and our wastewater system we were able to up-spec all our kitchen, bathroom and laundry ware.
Do you tend to buy high-end or seek out a bargain?
We tend to seek out a quality product at a great price. Both our dishwasher and oven were top-of-the-line but outdated shop floor models that came much cheaper than out-of-the-box prices. This enabled us to purchase quality products without breaking our budget.
Total spend: $435K
Durapanel kitset and plans – $35K
Fencing, wastewater system, drainage and water tanks – $30K
Completed build including decking – $290K
Kitchen and bathroom fitout, window treatments, carpet, paint – $80K
Scroll down to see more photos of this Muriwai Beach home’s laid-back Christmas style:
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The kitchen was designed with a clear budget in mind and a ply benchtop kept posts down. Dharlia splurged on the hero piece, a Douglas & Bec Y chandelier in brass.
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The family love to spend time outdoors, so 100 square metres of deck was an essential part of their home’s design. Dusty and his friends spend hours circling the house on their skateboards and utilising the mini ramps dotted around the property.
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Matte mosaic tiles from Tile Warehouse.
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Simple square tiles keep the aesthetic modern and fresh, while a back-to-wall bath creates the illusion of space and avoids the cleaning hassle of a freestanding bath.
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Orange zest Resene ‘Tango’ is the home’s sole splash of wall colour.
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Floor plan
Contacts
Kitset wall and ceiling system Durapanel NZ
Builder Kris McAlpine at Nest Builders, nestbuilders.co.nz.
Kitchen Ross at Spaceworx, 021 207 5713.
All taps The Kitchen Hub
Bathroomware Chesters, Kumeu
Carpet Carpet Link, Wairau
Bathroom mirror joskaandsons.co.nz
Words and styling by: Tina Stephen. Photography by: Helen Bankers. Products compiled by: Lauren Freeman.
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