Photos by Oliver Weber
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A city couple and their extended family
Location: Tata Beach, Golden Bay, New Zealand
Size: 2,314 square feet (215 square meters); three bedrooms, two bathrooms
Architects: Richard Carver and Brad Beazley of Redbox Architects
The family wanted a simple and relaxed beach house and not a show house. They did, however, want to maximize the views of the beach and make use of the private side yard.
BEFORE: The external footprint of the house was fine, but the exterior was dated and unwelcoming. It was hard to find the front door, and when visitors entered the house, dark corridors blocked the view. In the remodel, the guest area over the garage would stay, but new siding and windows were on the owners’ wish list.
AFTER: The architects wanted to break up the mass of the garage, so they wrapped it in vertical shiplap and gray aluminum siding to suit the beach setting. “Shutters on the dining room window create a shadow line, as well as giving privacy, while the extra-large column marks the front entry,” Carver says. A glass balustrade to the deck off the upstairs rumpus room was installed after these photos were taken.
The architects’ redesign linked the facade of the garage and main wings.
Carver and Beazley rearranged the entrance to the house so the front door is more open and welcoming, and the beach is in view from the moment you arrive at the house. They continued the slope of the old roof in a single pitch over the kitchen and used deep reveals, cedar louvers and high clerestories to admit light and provide privacy from the street.
They reconfigured the living area floor plan to open the entrance to the back of the house and expose previously dark interior spaces to the light. Because the house is on the beach, they endeavored to shelter the living room from passers-by with a generous fireplace. They also tucked a sheltered courtyard to the side on a previously unused corner of the site.
To keep the house relaxed, the architects exposed the macrocarpa trusses on the new kitchen and dining room. “We wanted to break up the room and define the space,” Carver says. “It uses the volume of the ceiling, plus borrows light from the west. We extended the exterior cedar through the entry to enhance the relaxed [beach house] atmosphere and gained a sense of space by removing corridors.” The striking blue front door, seen here to the right, is one of the few variations from the natural and neutral palette chosen by the owners.
The kitchen was originally positioned this way so people working at the kitchen island could admire the view. At one point during the design process, it was swung 90 degrees toward the cedar wall, but as building progressed, client and architect agreed that the beach-facing view had to stay. The cabinets and island, built by Ezy Kitchens, are low-cost laminate, but the cedar, pine and macrocarpa create warmth and texture.
The architects broke up the sitting room wall with a substantial fireplace to provide some privacy from the beach while still allowing the views out. Insulation and window glazing make the home comfortable year round.
The master suite sits on the other side of the living room. All the bedrooms in the home are simple and minimally furnished. In the master bedroom, the architects tucked in a window seat to provide a quiet spot away from the busy living areas.
The home’s two bathrooms were also upgraded in the renovation, but their design and decoration were kept simple.
An exterior staircase at the other end of the house leads up to the guest area above the garage, which is currently being used as extra storage space for the family.
Carver and Beazley punched out lantern lights and long slit windows into the stairwell to pull light into the center of the house and frame views of cliffs and islands.
Carver and Beazley punched out lantern lights and long slit windows into the stairwell to pull light into the center of the house and frame views of cliffs and islands.
Back in the main living and dining areas, large windows and doors open the house to the beach, but the overhang, column and slatted fence help keep these areas private. To the right of the kitchen is a sheltered courtyard.
“The owners are private people, so were keen that the courtyard for outdoor dining be private and closed in, but still get the sun,” Carver says.
By extending the mono-pitch roof overhang in two directions — to the east for the dining court, and the north to the beach — the architects joined the two sheltered spaces. They lined the soffit with the same plywood used inside and sheathed a storage cupboard for deck chairs and beach paraphernalia in the same vertical cedar as the house. This created a hefty column that anchors the roof. The overhang allows winter sun in to passively warm the house but creates shade from high summer sun.
The design team sheathed the chimney in aluminum to bring in a vertical element. The finish was repeated on the bay window of the master bedroom on the far right.
Low decks and wide stairs lead from the house to the lawn and beach. Planting will eventually soften the boundary between house and dunes.
The house is embedded into its site, achieving the owners’ aim of a real beach home, not a show home.
“The end result is a light and airy informal bach that fits the context of its beach setting,” Carver says. “It’s a casual yet comfortable base for family holidays.”
Builder: Jamie Soper of Asset Builders
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