| 17 T T Rachel Graham Turning a shed into a luxury home Benjamin Stace, the owner and director of Blenheim based Design Marlborough, says a major factor in why people are looking at using a shed as the starting point for their home, is their internal strength which allows them to cope well with earthquakes. Marlborough: Design Marlborough REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Next time you see a large shed on a hill in the Marlborough region you might want to look a little closer, and check it’s not actually someone’s luxurious new house. Benjamin Stace, the owner and director of Blenheim based Design Marlborough says turning large sheds into comfortable homes around Marlborough has been a growing part of his business. Benjamin says, after the 2013 Seddon earthquake and many aftershocks, a number of farmers noticed that the sheds on their land often came through the shaking better than their homes. Benjamin has been working with the designers and engineers at Goldpine, who make kitset sheds along with many other products for rural life, to convert sheds into comfortable and stylish rural homes. He says often these homes are going into quite exposed and inaccessible locations. A major factor in why people are looking at using a shed as the starting point for their home, says Benjamin, is their internal strength which allows them to cope well with earthquakes. “You’ve got these very strong poles which are embedded deep into the ground. So, they can take a lot of the force and can flex, and then the cladding is lightweight.” Transforming it from a utilitarian shed into a home is where Benjamin comes in. “They definitely retain the rural aesthetic, which works in these locations. A lot of the time with other rural builds we start out with a more standard residential home and then try and make it look like it has some aspects of the shed or industrial aesthetic, so it makes sense to go the other way too.” For the interior they add in lots of sarking – or timber bracing, and RAB board, a rigid air barrier. Benjamin says this means you end up with a very strong stiff, well braced structure. He says shed conversion often end up with a home with lovely high ceilings and lots of volume. In a recent shed conversion the homeowners wanted quite traditional look on the inside, with reclaimed timber flooring and traditional timber windows. Benjamin says the home will end up with an intriguing mix of a modern sleek shed on the outside with a traditional feel throughout the inside. Design Marlborough also works on more traditional bespoke architectural builds. Benjamin says the process of designing a bespoke architectural build is always very collaborative, with him taking people’s ideas and turning them into something functional and within the budget. His number one bit of advice for people looking at a new build is to get in touch with an architect as early in the process as possible. He recommends people get in touch with an architect right at the early stages when they are looking at a piece of land. Recently Benjamin worked with a client who had purchased a block of land in a subdivision and had planned to put the house up on a ridge. He says this would have left the home very exposed to the nor-west winds which are common in the area. Benjamin came up with a plan which involved earthworks to allow the home to be tucked in behind the hill. He says now the clients can enjoy their outdoor area even when there’s a howling nor-wester. He says by getting the right advice early clients can save money, and ensure they get the home they have always dreamed of. Marlborough's Leading Painting and Decorating Company INTERIORS EXTERIORS DECORATING 022 017 6691 info@decoratingmarlborough.com www.decoratingmarlborough.co.nz Decorating Marlborough New Zealand Certi ed Builders Association CB brad@taylorcobuild.co.nz +64 27 817 8413 New Build & Renovation Specialists Simon Pratt Building Alterations • Architectural • Extensions Landscaping • New Builds Proudly working with Design Marlborough 027 277 2889 SimonPrattBuilding
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