Great escape

An easy drive from Christchurch and yet a world away from big-city busy-ness, this Lake Hood home is a relaxing retreat for weekenders or those who wish to feel the serenity on a more permanent basis. 

When Myra Mifrano of design-and-build company RM Homes saw the location, she felt its peacefulness immediately. This H-shaped house embraces the calm, while lapping up the outlook. 

Set on a 1074sqm section facing north-east to the water, the dwelling is made up of two gabled pavilions, with a central link. One contains the open-plan kitchen, dining and living room; the other a garage and three bedrooms, with the main suite facing the view. 

From the water, steps lead up past a cantilevered deck and a boulder field that acts as a retaining wall. The exterior is at once modern and rustic, with clean-lined plaster offset by PSP Euroclad Selekta timber-look cladding. Two feature posts on the covered outdoor area are made of country rubble stone. 

Inside, the contemporary farmhouse feel continues as exposed-steel portals reach up into the 5.5-metre apex of ceilings lined in western hemlock. The kitchen is a monolithic form at the opposite end to the picture window. Concrete-grey cabinetry and a statement island wrapped in Coverlam Lava Corten porcelain panels bring strength and soft texture to the space. Black subway tiles, with an undulating surface, surround a glazed splashback. 

A pendant above the bench, complete with hardwood and black-iron fixings, picks up on the industrial theme of polished concrete-floors, which are heated to keep the chill at bay on a frosty mid-Canterbury morning when the mist is settling on the lake.    

Waking to such a spectacle in the main suite is one of the joys of being here. A feature wall of deep-grooved fibre-cement panels brings subtle texture into the room, while carpet tiles on the floor allow the underfloor heating to keep all four bedrooms cosy.  

Playful details, such as brushed bronze Nero Opal tapware and a honeycomb mirror, lend personality in the ensuite, family bathroom and powder room. And there’s an intelligent toilet with, among other things, a warm seat, that makes paying a visit an experience. 

In the evenings, after a day’s skiing at Methven and sundowners on the deck while watching kayakers drift by, a wood-burner in the living area becomes a flickering focal point. Whether built for holidays or built for homemakers, life at the lake is good. 

Location: Lake Hood | Ashburton

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