102 | Family home with the ‘wow’ factor The architecturally designed 220sqm family home was constructed to maximise floor space and indoor-outdoor flow. Blueprint Projects & Construction T T Russell Fredric “We aimed for a high-end look at a mid-range price. We were trying to keep everything affordable, but to look quite high-spec, to give it that grand feeling.” BUILDING Showing a flair for clever design and construction elements, Blueprint Projects & Construction has proven a house can make a big impression on a limited budget. Located in Otaki on Kapiti Coast, the business is owned and run by Chris Darby and Georgia Barchard, and offers all or any part of a design-and-build service for new homes, additions and renovations. Georgia is Canadian, and Chris previously worked in Canada, including in lead roles, in the construction industry. This experience overseas as well as in New Zealand contributes to the wealth of knowledge and expertise the pair bring to the business and to their clients. “It was good to see other styles of building and cladding materials overseas, and it helped me better understand what we’re doing here in New Zealand, as Canada is very similar,” Chris says. “A lot of those things are coming out now in New Zealand in passive homes, which I am very interested in.” Chris also worked as a project manager for a leading New Zealand franchise builder in Queenstown for three years. “In one year alone I project-managed around 20 builds, so I got very good at managing clients and tradesmen, while also learning the systems used within big franchises.” Georgia describes Chris as pedantic and uncompromising when it comes to attention to detail, whether for new builds or renovations. Their focus on design flair and high-quality workmanship is strongly evident in an Otaki Beach family home the company built. Originally built for themselves, this architecturally designed 220sqm family home was constructed to maximise floor space and indoor-outdoor flow, with its light and airy open-plan entertainment area leading to a landscaped garden with a number of nooks for a quiet escape. Generously proportioned with four bedrooms and two bathrooms, the house shows how Blueprint Projects & Construction considered the needs for family living, and Chris reveals some neat features that added visual appeal, a sense of spaciousness and considerably increased its saleability. “We aimed for a high-end look at a midrange price. We were trying to keep everything affordable, but to look quite high-spec, to give it that grand feeling,” he says. This was achieved with wide hallways, a 2550mm wall height, 2.2 metre high doors in all of the main living areas. The bathroom’s artistic patterned tiles were carefully balanced by simple dark and light tones on the walls and ceiling, with a bold, tropical wallpaper also being tastefully incorporated as a design feature on one wall in the dining area. “I wanted to give it some personality,” Georgia says. “That’s why the rest of it’s quite neutral, because there’s a fine balance between overdoing it.” The exterior cladding is a complementary balance of James Hardy Linea Oblique weatherboard and cedar, with white beams along the deck as a contrasting feature. Chris and Georgia’s decisions were thoroughly vindicated when it came to putting the house on the market. “When the realtors were coming through they all commented on ‘wow, we could really see the extra thought that was put into this place’ as soon as they walked in,” says Georgia. “We broke the [sale price] record for the residential sales in that area at the time.” We provide a wide range of residential and light commercial building and renovation services. From kitchen and bathroom renovations, to new builds to hardscaping, no job is off limits. Communication and customer experience are key. Chris Darby Owner and foreman / Lead builder 027 663 3116 blueprintprojects.co.nz Manufacturing high quality benchtops since 1998 Kapiti Benchtops Ltd specialises in Laminate, Granite and Engineered Stone Benchtops. For top quality products that you can rely on, get in touch with us today! Phone: (04) 902 0311 sales@kapitibenchtops.co.nz www.kapitibenchtops.co.nz
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=