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See inside this weatherboard home set on an acre paradise

Article by Your Home and Garden

A couple downsized to an acre paradise and built a house with everything they need in South Auckland

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Meet & greet
Virginia and Alan Henderson, Ruby the Labrador and Lulu the Birman.

1 The design
When Virginia and Alan Henderson spotted a farm that had been subdivided in Pukekohe East five years ago, they fell in love with it but didn’t want two hectares, having previously had 10ha in the area. They waited for the subdivision to offer a more manageable size, then pounced. “It’s always been my dream to build this house on one acre with native trees filled with tūī singing and wood pigeons,” says Virginia of the 320sqm home.

Working with their builders and some help from architect friend Richard Furze, they came up with a design that would have all-day sun, a large, pitched ceiling and be easy for entertaining.

2 The materials
They opted to build their four-bedroom home with media room and open-plan kitchen, dining and living space from Linea Weatherboard by James Hardie. “I have always loved Linea Weatherboard houses,” says Virginia. “It’s a durable product and I could paint it any colour.” The couple opted for Resene Quarter Gravel.

3 The interior
Referencing Virginia’s parents’ home in the area, the large open-plan living space with fireplace at the end was “a fabulous family home that was great for entertaining and family gatherings” so they made this a starting point for their new build for when the couple’s two grown-up children come to stay. The clean modern design with French-themed decor also has spaces to enjoy more solitary pastimes such as reading and listening to music.

4 The outdoors
Great indoor-outdoor flow was non-negotiable. The U-shaped home opens onto a spacious deck from the living space and also the main bedroom. But the landscaping is still a work in progress. Eventually there will be a garden among the native trees, a garden shed to match the house, a pebble vegetable garden with fruit trees and a playground for the grandchildren, as well as an outdoor fireplace. That’s Stage 2 and is down for next year. It’s already easy to see why the home is affectionately called the “Pukekohe East Hilton”.