A waterfront retreat in Tairua is the perfect location for an Auckland couple keen to escape the city each weekend.
Words Soraya Nicolas Photography Jim Janse
For Rick and Yumiko Littlewood, holidays mean Tairua. The pair have holidayed there for years with their family, previously owning a modest 1960s bach where they spent many extended vacations. But when they bought a large section “on the spur of the moment”, it was time to build a dream-worthy holiday abode less than 10 metres from the beach.
They wanted the new dwelling to be stylish and open-plan, but both Rick and Yumiko were happy to have an open mind when it came to the design. Turning to Mark McLeay from Creative Arch, a member of Architectural Designers of New Zealand (ADNZ), they gave him what can only be described as an incredibly open brief.
“When we met I said we wanted to go as hard as we could to the left, the front and the right,” explains Rick. They wanted to utilise as much of the land as possible, although they had to be mindful of a 200-year-old pohutukawa tree on the section. There were challenges. “We had a number of planning restrictions to deal with,” says Mark.
“We were influenced by yard set-backs and height in relation to boundary controls. The steep site required the building platform to be benched into the site, and to deal with the height out of the ground to the south, we stepped the deck down, combined with terraced planter retaining walls.
“This helped to break up the deck height while keeping a connection with the coastal reserve to the harbour edge. Another advantage of this design decision was that we avoided the need for handrails, providing unobstructed views of the harbour.”
The couple head to their luxurious holiday retreat every weekend over summer, enjoying the stark contrast between their busy city lives and the lazy pace at Tairua. There, they can surf, fish and relax either at home or at the beach.
“The location is ideal for us, as it takes us less than two hours to get here from our home. Over winter we probably only visit once each month, but over summer we spend as much time here as possible.” That also includes an extended break over the festive season, with the couple’s daughters, husbands and grandchildren coming to stay.
It is a second home to Rick and Yumiko, but the house is character-filled and undisputedly stylish, much like their inner-city Japanese restaurants. The couple own a collection of restaurants, sushi and sake bars,which have a cult following among Auckland’s trendsetters.
The relaxed, effortless style that has been deployed here has been expertly executed, reflecting the calmness of the water lapping so close to the house.
The downstairs area is completely dominated by living spaces, with doors opening to a private courtyard to the rear, and directly out to the beach across the front. All of the bedrooms are on the upper floor.
It’s easy to see why the Littlewoods are so in love with their holiday home, which is surrounded by pohutukawa trees and has a world-class outlook.
“The view is spectacular and it’s such an accessible location, so for us it’s perfect,” says Rick.
“Our favourite room in the home would have to be the entire ground floor, because it’s so open and modern, but the entire house is fantastic.”
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