- 2 months ago
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00:00Imagine you had the chance to build the home of your dreams in one of the most stunning
00:05countries in the world, New Zealand, taking your pick of its pristine beaches, rugged
00:11mountain ranges, untouched countryside, or built-up cityscapes.
00:16This is just next level.
00:20This house is completely off the flipping charts.
00:24Where would you build?
00:25On a cliff top?
00:26It's just blown my mind.
00:29In the mountains?
00:30That's the dream.
00:31That is everyone's dream.
00:33Or along the coast?
00:35It just goes on.
00:36It just goes on.
00:37It just gets better.
00:38What would you build?
00:39A remote island hideaway?
00:41Is there anything they haven't got?
00:43An inner city sanctuary?
00:45Why have one when you can have two?
00:47Well, stop imagining, because I'm in New Zealand, taking you to explore some of the country's
00:53most stunning locations.
00:55I'm kind of a bit in shock.
00:57Can you imagine living here?
01:00We get VIP access to some of New Zealand's most desirable homes.
01:05I'm starting to calm down now.
01:07It takes a breath away.
01:08It genuinely takes a breath away.
01:09This is the Padding Green.
01:10Every home should have one.
01:11And we'll get a glimpse into the amazing lifestyles they have to offer.
01:15Hard at work, as usual, of course.
01:18This is where it gets really exciting.
01:20Permission to board?
01:21You may.
01:22I'm Phil Spencer.
01:25This is New Zealand's Best Hopes.
01:28Come with me.
01:29This is going to be fun.
01:31The North Island of New Zealand is renowned for its dramatic and diverse coastlines.
01:41From the black sand beaches of the west, to the stunning Huraki Gulf and its picturesque islands.
01:48But there is nothing quite like the piece of coastline I'm going to be visiting today.
01:54I'm travelling an hour north of Auckland to the Kaipurah Harbour to visit a home I'm told has to be seen to be believed.
02:03Not only is it located on the largest and one of the wildest harbours in the southern hemisphere,
02:09To get there, you have to drive safari-style through a wildlife sculpture park.
02:15I'm going to meet Noel Lane.
02:16He's a very well-known architect in New Zealand.
02:18And he's also built a house here.
02:23Which, judging from the pictures I've seen, is quite remarkable.
02:26And it's going to look out on the Kaipurah Harbour, which is what this is all about, really.
02:32Swallow Point is a collection of seven low-profile structures,
02:36Each connected by a series of boardwalk-like passageways.
02:40This family home, spread over 535 square metres, consists of four bedrooms, each with their own en-suite.
02:48With the site on the edge of the Kaipurah Harbour, and surrounded by native bush,
02:53Every window is thoughtfully positioned to enjoy a unique view.
02:57Today I'm meeting owner and architect Noel Lane, one of life's good sorts,
03:02Who designed the home for his family, with support from his friends at Roe-Bayton's Architecture.
03:07Here we go.
03:13Oh, look at that, as if by magic.
03:20Noel!
03:23Hey, Phil, how are you?
03:24How the devil are you? Very nice to meet you.
03:26Nice to meet you, too.
03:27Excellent. Climb aboard.
03:28So, I've had a beautiful day for it.
03:34Yeah.
03:35So, welcome to Ellen's farm.
03:45The farm is owned by Noel's father-in-law, Alan Gibb, a businessman and philanthropist.
03:50Water buffalo. Water buffalo.
03:52Water buffalo.
03:53Actually, it's a shame, because a few minutes ago they were swimming.
03:56Noel helped Alan find this piece of land, and they began restoring it together around 30 years ago.
04:07It's huge. I mean, I hadn't quite appreciated the scale of the farm.
04:11There's a thousand acres here.
04:15Alan and Noel have used this land as a blank canvas for a collection of 28 commissioned sculptures from many of the world's most respected artists.
04:24Tell me about this one.
04:25It's an English sculptor.
04:26It's actually all designed and engineered in England, and he brought it down and we built it here.
04:42Artists are invited and challenged to create something that can live up to the scale and grandeur of the landscape.
04:49That's an emu.
04:50No, it's an ostrich.
04:51Ostrich.
04:52She's an ostrich.
04:53Then there's the wildlife.
04:5417 species of native and exotic animals roam freely amongst the sculptures.
04:55The animals were to challenge the artists to see if they could do better than nature.
04:59So...
05:00Cool.
05:01Giraffe?
05:02Yeah.
05:03Giraffe?
05:04Yeah.
05:05My brain is completely fried.
05:06Oh, no.
05:07It's an emu.
05:08It's an ostrich.
05:09It's an ostrich.
05:10It's an ostrich.
05:11Then there's the wildlife.
05:1217 species of native and exotic animals roam freely amongst the sculptures.
05:17The animals were to challenge the artists to see if they could do better than nature.
05:22So...
05:23Cool.
05:25Giraffe?
05:26Yeah.
05:27My brain is completely fried.
05:32What started as a place for Alan to get away from it all has grown into a life's passion for them and their families,
05:39who have all built homes on the land.
05:41The farm opens often for artists, charities, and the public to enjoy.
05:46But it's not until you arrive at the ridge of the property that the real beauty appears.
05:55The Kuyper Harbour and wetlands that have been painstakingly restored to their former glory.
06:01Thirty years ago, the bird life was almost non-existent.
06:05Now, after removing 50 acres of mangroves and cleaning up the waterways, the area is teeming with birds and sea life.
06:16And this is the spot on Gibbs farm, where Noel and his wife chose to build their home.
06:33Here we are.
06:35Swallows Point.
06:36The house gets surrounded, they fly and feed in the lights.
06:39Insects in the lights, so it's where that came from.
06:42So you named the house because it attracted swallows?
06:45Yeah, they were here, yeah.
06:54Here you go, Phil. Welcome to Swallow Point.
06:58Look at this.
07:07Look at that.
07:08Well, who are we kidding? The first thing you notice is that view.
07:18I've been in some beautifully built homes, but you can't engineer a landscape.
07:23You leave that to nature, and she's done a spectacular job here.
07:30The house feels calm, gentle, quiet.
07:34Purposely submissive to its outlook.
07:37Supporting the view, not competing with it.
07:41Walls of glass completely open up, allowing it to feel like a huge marquee.
07:46A home that was built to allow you to live amongst nature.
07:51Being on the west coast, you'd witnessed some pretty extreme weather here.
07:55But on a calm night, some spectacular sunsets, followed by stargazing.
08:00What a remarkable view.
08:04It feels like you're on the edge of the earth.
08:07Hmm.
08:08It's a kind of 270-degree view.
08:14It's incredible. It's more than 180.
08:17It's absolutely remarkable.
08:24This area is all about actually being here.
08:27And really, if you could, you'd be here.
08:30And this is where you'd live.
08:32This is where you'd live.
08:34There's so much preferable to sitting inside.
08:37It's clear Noel is an outdoors man.
08:41So the brief was to design a home immersed in nature.
08:45Making the most of the sweeping harbour.
08:48The forever changing views.
08:50The regular ebb and flow of the vast tidal flats.
08:54Storms, sunsets.
08:56And everything in between.
08:58So the idea of this house is it's not a beach house.
09:01And it's not a sort of farmhouse.
09:03It's a country coastal thing.
09:05And I was trying to understand what that actually meant architecturally.
09:09And so the reference I'm back to is.
09:12Childhood camping traps and experiences with my family.
09:21Noel wanted to create a feeling of nostalgia for simpler times.
09:25Family camping holidays.
09:27Tents by the beach.
09:28Wherever he was in the home, Noel wanted to be walking towards nature.
09:33Incredible.
09:35There is no other word for it.
09:37It is incredible.
09:39And the house just celebrates all of that.
09:41It's all so exquisitely done, all of the materials.
09:50Everything is calm and is quiet.
09:54And it's natural.
09:56Which reflects where we are.
09:57That's...
09:58That's what he wanted to do.
10:01He's obviously passionate about wildlife and about conservation.
10:07Very talented man, that's for sure.
10:09It's bringing the outside in.
10:17Never ever have I been in a home anywhere in the world where so much of the outside is in.
10:24Even to the extent of outdoor furniture being indoors.
10:27The main bedroom is its own tent off to the left of the main living area.
10:46It consists of an office and bedroom.
10:49En suite.
10:53And again, a real connection to the outdoors.
10:55This is what this is all about.
10:58Is lying in bed with this.
11:02Oh, the whole thing goes.
11:06Yeah.
11:08Sleeping under a fly in the bush.
11:11Bloody brilliant, that.
11:16So this is you trying to get the essence of camping?
11:20You in the bush?
11:21As much for the connection between living needs and being outside.
11:25As much comfort as possible too.
11:26I'm not wanting to have a grim time.
11:29I did that rough stuff in my youth.
11:32But this is about doing it in luxury.
11:35And when you want to and controlling it.
11:36The individual structures are connected by these long wooden boardwalks.
11:47Again, exterior timber used on the walls and floor to give the feeling of venturing outside while being safely inside.
11:54Once he explained to me his love of camping and how that's how he wanted it to feel.
12:03This is one tent.
12:04And then we're in a separate space leading into the next tent.
12:10It kind of makes sense and it's been very, very cleverly done.
12:16Each room I've tried to set up so it has variation of light through the day.
12:21So this is morning light in this room from there.
12:26Noon through the middle of the day.
12:31And an evening light.
12:34So we can even see the winter sunset from this space.
12:38So now moving into the next tent.
12:43It's clever.
12:45Use of light and space.
12:53There were three bedroom suites for his now grown boys and their families to come and stay.
12:59Each bedroom is similar but in its plan they're all identical.
13:05But the aspect and the feeling of being in them is quite different because of their relationship to the landscape.
13:11All placed perfectly on the land to allow for both privacy and the big view.
13:23Through the music room and library.
13:26A favourite place for the family to come together in the evening.
13:32Music room and it's oh so calm and cool.
13:35Coming here it's cool.
13:37And instead of the coast and the harbour we're now celebrating the bush.
13:42Totally different.
13:46A beautiful courtyard room.
13:48Sheltered from the harbour and wind.
13:51Surrounded by native bush.
13:53A place for family barbecues and catch ups.
13:56It really does feel like they've been on safari.
14:02This is a safari house in New Zealand.
14:06You know people are living here, lighting the fire.
14:09Having a barbecue.
14:11Celebrating, encouraging wildlife into the house.
14:13And the fact that there were birds nests even in here.
14:17That tells the story in itself doesn't it?
14:19Because wildlife wants to come in.
14:22Wildlife feels at home enough to build their nests inside.
14:26Cheers.
14:36Cheers.
14:38Cheers.
14:40Well, many many happy hours could be absorbed by that.
14:45It's very peaceful and very calming.
14:49It's a lovely environment to be in.
14:52But the house reflects that.
14:54It's nice, thank you.
14:56It's the harbour and nature that really demands your attention here.
15:03And the house, I think really sensibly, it doesn't try and compete with that.
15:08Because that is so incredible.
15:11And the house is very smart, it's very simple.
15:16But that's the thing with things that have been beautifully designed.
15:19When something really works, you don't quite know why it works.
15:23But it just works.
15:25And that's what this does.
15:26It's a simple house.
15:28It doesn't brag.
15:30It belongs.
15:32And it sits really comfortably in its environment.
15:35And I particularly love how much pleasure
15:37that nature gives Noel and the family.
15:42They embrace it, they love it, they live it, they breathe it.
15:45And that is a really special way to live.
15:52I think I may have succeeded to some degree.
15:55I think you might have pulled it off, you know.
15:57I think you might have pulled it off.
16:07It's time to leave this slice of paradise and make my way back to the city.
16:18Mount Eden.
16:20One of Auckland's most desirable suburbs.
16:22Nestled at the bottom of its namesake.
16:25Another of the city's dormant volcanoes.
16:28Mount Eden is an incredibly popular choice for families.
16:32Although not cheap, once you get into this suburb,
16:34most never want to leave.
16:37And it's easy to see why.
16:39Close proximity to the city and a charming village at its heart.
16:43Full of great cafes, restaurants and bars.
16:48Time for a quick coffee at one of those cafes
16:51with the owner and architect of the house I'm visiting today.
16:53339 is a two-storey new build constructed of concrete and steel.
17:02It has three bedrooms, three bathrooms and multiple living zones.
17:06It sits on a steep, narrow site between two large apartment buildings
17:12on one of the city's busiest arterial routes.
17:15The chap who stepped up to this challenge is architect and owner Dave Straughan.
17:19So Dave, over to you. Where do we go?
17:23Well, we're in main road here.
17:26Yeah.
17:27We'll head on up this way.
17:28Okay.
17:34I used to walk by here quite a lot.
17:36Mm-hmm.
17:37And thought, oh, this might do.
17:39It's a little cottage.
17:41Just one bedroom.
17:43So you had your eyes on it for years?
17:45Yeah, in the sense of where could we build a new house somewhere in this environment.
17:53This is it.
17:54So here we are.
17:58And why here?
18:00Right on the road?
18:01Yeah, well, it's just one of those things of, as you know, with your location, location thing.
18:04Everyone says, don't buy or build on the main road.
18:07And to me, it's a challenge for any architect.
18:11You know, 20,000 vehicles go up and down this road every day.
18:15And so it's a question of saying, how do we deal with that?
18:18Okay.
18:20I'm looking forward to seeing the answer.
18:22And that's the fun of it.
18:23Fun?
18:24Busy main road with thousands of cars passing daily.
18:28A sight dwarfed by buildings on either side.
18:31I think we might have very different ideas of what's fun.
18:35All right.
18:36What have we got here?
18:41Greenery.
18:43It's like a greenhouse.
18:45Yeah, well, the idea of this really is like, I call it a lamp.
18:49Because we've got these plants breathing out good stuff, because there's a lot of pollution out there.
18:54Yeah.
18:55So the idea is that this can filter the air.
18:57As it comes through?
18:58Before it comes through.
18:59Okay, lovely.
19:02The moment you enter and the door closes, it's still.
19:07It's quiet.
19:09The busy, noisy main road is all but a memory.
19:13Yeah, it's a kind of unassuming entrance, isn't it?
19:16Yeah, it is. It's casual.
19:17It's not like, definitely not an English entrance.
19:19No?
19:20Yeah.
19:21This isn't stuffy or formal in any way.
19:24It's casual and comfortable.
19:27This is open-plan living at its best.
19:30What we call in the industry an entertainer's dream.
19:34A large kitchen.
19:38Multi-use spaces easily adaptable for living and dining.
19:42The materials used are hardy, concrete, steel, with timber to bring out a bit of warmth.
19:49Cleverly built-in couches give ample seating while helping to separate the room into different zones.
19:55You get the sense this home is made for fun.
20:01Given its position, the house feels surprisingly private.
20:05And you're bringing more greenery in without sight of the flats.
20:09It looks quite commercial, the steel, the timber, the concrete.
20:20It's very functional, isn't it?
20:22Yeah, well I guess the thing is you want stuff this robust.
20:25And my wife, Cole, she wanted a really grunty fridge and not a prissy kitchen.
20:30So the idea is it was much more of a kind of robust commercial feel.
20:35Big oven, big kitchen.
20:36We can cater for a lot of people really easily.
20:39If it didn't do that, then it wasn't going to cater for our family.
20:42It does, it looks, it's a bit like a restaurant.
20:45We can deliver, we can deliver.
20:48The house is designed with entertaining at its core.
20:52Dave and Cole love to host, and the home is known as a hub for friends, family,
20:56and groups from the wider architectural community.
21:00With the door always open, the main living spaces are flexible,
21:05allowing for everything from a dinner for two to a full-blown party.
21:09And we have lots of events, 20 people, 30 people, 40 people.
21:13So the idea is that how do you cater for all that many people in a casual, unassuming way?
21:19These tables wheel together all around the corner and we've got that big outdoor space there.
21:24So you've got three places that you can sit and eat?
21:27Yeah, and you need that when you've got 40 people here.
21:30How often does that happen?
21:31Well, probably more than we'd probably like to admit sometimes.
21:35So if you've got lots of people around all the time, are those the noisy neighbours or is it you?
21:40Oh, it's us. Definitely us.
21:42I'm the proud owner of a document from the noise abatement officer.
21:46On my 70th birthday, we got a noise control complaint at 1.40 in the morning.
21:51You're 70?
21:52No, it's just a rite of passage. I'm quite proud of that, in fact.
21:55The police came round.
21:57Still.
21:59The entertainment spaces extend beyond the house to include a pool and barbecue area.
22:05It's a great dining table.
22:07Well, it's bulletproof, isn't it? So it's just concrete and durable timber.
22:12And you've got a glass roof over this?
22:13Well, I guess the thing is it just extends the season in terms of you can live out here when it's in February and it starts raining.
22:20So we can be outside in that inclement sort of weather and not have to race inside.
22:26And then to deal with the privacy, the thing was, as you can see here, is that, you know, we've got a number of, overlooked by a number of windows.
22:34So we calculated with setting the slats up there that we could create a degree of privacy from the neighbours.
22:40That was clever.
22:42It's not so much even a full block out. It's a sense of privacy, isn't it? You feel like you're quite in your own space.
22:49It's about family and people and life, you know, it's not about so much about the building.
23:03The building's got to do the job, but it's, it's most important thing is what does it do for, use the Scottish term, the clan, or as we say here, the whanau, the family.
23:13The family not only enjoy the house, they also helped bring this project to life.
23:21And what was special for us, I guess, was the fact that our sons were involved in the, in the building.
23:27So Fraser and James, who've got a building company, they did the core building.
23:32And Campbell, who's got a landscape architecture company, he did all the landscaping.
23:37And, uh, and dad, the, the builder, cabinet maker, made all the cabinetry, so we made this in our workshop, so, um...
23:48Wow! From a family affair.
23:50Yeah.
23:52This is our family, our, you know, kind of, our whole sort of bloodline thing is tied up in this house now.
23:59That's great, that's so nice.
24:00And our granddaughters get to enjoy it.
24:02With Dave and the boys heavily involved in the build, Dave's wife, Cole, knew the project was in very capable hands.
24:13So, your husband designed it, your boys built it. Did you get involved in that process?
24:20No. No. Um, to be honest, he would bring me up here every weekend and say to me,
24:26come on, hon, we've got to go and look at the house, and then we'd wander around, and I'd say it looked fabulous.
24:31Not that I didn't care, I just, he was the expert.
24:34Yeah.
24:35That's the way we kind of work, really.
24:43The couple wanted the home to not only have everything they needed for life right now,
24:48but also be suited for the future.
24:50Well, partly the idea was to develop the place all on one level to future-proof it,
24:55um, for when either me or my wife, Cole, get old and decrepit, we can literally live on one level.
25:01So everything's walk-in, level, threshold, shower, all that kind of thing.
25:05So, thinking about the future early.
25:07It's got good energy, this house. The kitchen is quite commercial.
25:21It's not fussy, it's not precious.
25:23You can see that they, they're running it almost like it, run it like an events place.
25:29There's a lot of people coming round, and apparently they can hose it down if the party's got too much,
25:37they just hose it all down.
25:45Apparently he likes to sit here and play the guitar, even, and look up at the volcano.
25:51But most people, myself included, I think, would have blocked that off to the front of the house,
25:56pretended the road's not there.
25:59And she's done the opposite, he's opened it up and celebrated the views front to back.
26:17Oh, it's cool in here.
26:19I don't know how that's happened, but it's much cooler in here than it is at the front of the house.
26:26I stick wood.
26:32There's little things like that.
26:35You usually see that on the outside of the house, but actually he's brought it inside and it works.
26:44Oh, check this out. This is really lovely.
26:47Completely private. So you're showering completely private. But actually, you've got the fresh air. You've got the noise of the crickets. It feels like you're outside. And on a colder day you just shut the door.
27:03What happens here?
27:07It's a bath. It's a bath. I thought it was a seat. Dave said that he's planning for the future and actually, in years to come, maybe they will want baths or grandchildren want baths.
27:21But at the moment they have to be using the shower.
27:29Up the stairs.
27:30Up the stairs.
27:40Oh, this is generous. Really generous room. I love the ceiling height. It's obviously a multipurpose room. Music, office, gym, spare room. It's big. It's got a great sense of proportion.
27:55Across the landing, another room for more guests or grandkids to get away from the busyness below for an afternoon nap or an early night.
28:07Have a look at this.
28:09That's neatly tucked away, private up here. Or, if you want to join in what's going on downstairs, you open those up and you're amongst it.
28:18It's clever. Great view.
28:30Today it's drinks and an early dinner for family and friends, with a dip in that very cool pool for the kids.
28:39Entertaining and hosting coming so easily to the couple, as well as the home.
28:44What's it like to actually live in?
28:47It's a fabulous house to live in. I love it. Yeah. And it suits us. It suits the way we live. We've always got people. We've always got kids, grandkids. Yeah. That's our life, really.
28:59And why are you measuring them with a cap? Well, that's the way you do it. It's old school. You know, it's practice.
29:04That's really old school. That's really old school. I am old school.
29:08It's the only thing my wife would do. It's not something his wife would do. I can assure you.
29:12I'll drink to you. Cheers. Cheers.
29:16Cheers. See you too, Pat.
29:18I love the fact this house was built by family for family and friends to enjoy, and enjoy it they do.
29:35But I've got to confess, when I first arrived here, I thought, why on earth would you even try and build a house on such a busy road with blocks of flats either side?
29:46I couldn't get my head around it. But inside, I've discovered that actually that clever designers produced a house that is both light, it's private, and it's peaceful.
29:57In fact, they're probably the noisy ones.
30:00Yeah.
30:01Yeah.
30:02Yeah.
30:03Yeah.
30:04Yeah.
30:05Yeah.
30:14While living in the city has its perks, everyone eventually craves a bit of R&R.
30:19In New Zealand, you're spoilt for choice when it comes to getting away from it all, with the countryside or a remote seaside town never far away.
30:28Today, I'm heading just over an hour north of Auckland to the secluded white sand beach of Ta'ara.
30:37Apparently, this next place is off the charts.
30:40I'm following the sat-nav, but to be honest, I'm feeling a little bit lost. I've been on this rough track for, I don't know, four or five k's, and it just feels completely in the middle of nowhere.
30:55Caza del Nord is comprised of three pavilions. One, the owner's main suite. One, a shared zone with living and dining. And the last, a guest lodging with traditional guest bedrooms and a huge bunk room.
31:13Clad in cedar with trimmings in copper, both have weathered, allowing the structures to sink into their surroundings. This luxurious coastal retreat was designed and brought to life by my mate and architect, Paul Clark.
31:27It could be here somewhere. This doesn't feel like it. What's this? Gate number three. That's what Paul said. Pretty low-key gate. Let's see what happens here.
31:42We'll see what happens here.
31:44Calling.
31:45Good morning, Sir Aidy Concierge. This is Carissa.
31:49Oh, good morning. It's Phil Spencer. I'm told you're expecting me.
31:55Welcome to Sir Aidy, Mr Spencer. I can open the gate for you.
31:59Thank you so much.
32:01Welcome. Please come in.
32:03I'm in the right place.
32:05The gate is so low-key.
32:08I have no idea what to expect.
32:12This beachfront subdivision is set on a world-renowned members-only golf course amongst pine forests and sand dunes.
32:20There are only a handful of plots available. This is exclusive.
32:26Well, here we are.
32:33It's just this in the middle of the forest.
32:37Okay.
32:38It's strange looking from the back here.
32:48Wow.
32:50Paul's told me to let myself in, so I will do just that.
32:58Right.
32:59This house is in stark contrast to the gravel road and pine trees that brought me here.
33:13This is cool.
33:15From its dark concrete floors, sleek black kitchen.
33:19But it's not too cool.
33:21I feel welcome here.
33:23The comfy couches, warm timbers, and pockets of view help with that.
33:28It is just beautiful.
33:31It's sumptuous.
33:33It's elegant.
33:34It's classy.
33:35I want one immediately.
33:37I could as easily spend a rowdy Saturday night entertaining a crowd around that kitchen island
33:45as I could a lazy Sunday reading a book in front of that fire.
33:51I want to stay here.
33:53In fact, I want to live here.
33:54Ah, Phil.
33:55You found the place all right.
33:56Yes, I've practically moved in.
33:57Good to see you again.
33:58Good to see you.
33:59Thanks for getting me in here.
34:00Oh, no, it's a pleasure.
34:01Well, this is quite a place.
34:02Yeah.
34:03It just has the feeling of fun.
34:04Someone's having a lot of fun here.
34:05That was probably the main reason for the build.
34:06It was for family and friends and a true interest in golf.
34:22A love of golf is one of the main reasons the owner chose to build his holiday home here.
34:29He did well.
34:30He chose to build his holiday home here.
34:35He loves to play and so do his friends and family.
34:39The client wanted a retreat to come to, to play golf,
34:43but he had quite specific sort of thinking in relation to size and materiality
34:48and had some good imagery of what he was wanting to do.
34:52We arrived on site and that's often when I sort of get an inspiration for something
34:58and then working with the team in the office and with the client.
35:02This is what evolved.
35:05This collaboration has resulted in a luxurious holiday home,
35:09kitted out with everything you could need.
35:11Yet at the same time, minimal, understated.
35:15It's an easy, low maintenance, lock up and leave.
35:20I couldn't help noticing some similar features to your house.
35:24The concrete, the chimneys, the fire.
35:31The client did come to our home.
35:34There was sort of quite a clear design aesthetic from his perspective
35:37and then as we sort of developed through the design,
35:40how do we develop that into something that's unique to him and to this house?
35:46While this house has Paul's stamp, as with all homes,
35:49the owners' wants, needs and lifestyle have shaped it.
35:53The landscape dictating what would work in this environment and what wouldn't.
35:58This unique house fitting in perfectly.
36:01And then, you know, the client too coming in and knowing, you know, furniture and, you know, artworks and all those things.
36:09That's what makes the project really special.
36:12Nothing feels overdone in this house.
36:14Everything curated.
36:16High-end designer furnishings and mood lighting.
36:19Subtle, stylish.
36:21Outdoors, there's, you know, there's a fire pit and an outdoor fire and a swimming pool
36:26and then there's a spa pool and a sauna.
36:28There's a lot going on.
36:30There is a lot going on and a lot more for me to explore.
36:36Each pavilion is linked by glass corridors, making the spaces feel private but still connected.
36:43The pavilion to the left of the site is the owner's private wing.
36:47Light sections connect the bedroom with the living room.
36:52A generously proportioned bedroom and office, allowing him to work if he needs, while guests or family can continue to play.
37:04Wow, goodness me.
37:06The main bedroom, not excessive, the perfect amount of luxury.
37:11Open the blinds in the morning, read the paper, have a coffee, book your tea time.
37:17A great start to anyone's day.
37:20Main bathroom.
37:23Yeah, the shower actually, it's also got memories of Paul's at home.
37:27It's dark and the door out.
37:30Which means it's an outdoor shower.
37:33A shower amongst the dunes and the pines.
37:36Heaven after a day on the course.
37:49Another light section to connect bedrooms to everything else, so here we are in the guest wing.
38:02More bedrooms.
38:03More beautiful bathrooms.
38:04More bedrooms.
38:05More beautiful bathrooms.
38:08How the bunk room.
38:10More bathrooms.
38:11How the bunk room.
38:12More beautiful bathrooms.
38:26How the bunk room.
38:28I'm in a bunk room.
38:38Four bunk beds, and I bet that's a double bed as well.
38:40So you've got eight people in here.
38:42So, yeah, you could fit 12 for long weekends golfing.
38:47Why not? What's wrong with that?
38:49What's not to like?
38:50I'm sure they could fit one more in.
38:52I could find a little Heidi Wholesome, I'd call it 13.
38:58While beachfront living is the ultimate dream,
39:05it isn't without its challenges.
39:07Dealing with the elements meant carefully positioning each building
39:11to create different zones, protection from the prevailing winds.
39:16The way that this sort of tongue of the house comes out,
39:19we've got this easterly courtyard and a westerly courtyard,
39:22so you can tuck away from the wind and also with the doors,
39:27you can open one side or the other side,
39:29and if you get these really still days from the north,
39:32you can just open up this whole face
39:34and this room becomes extended to the outside.
39:37The beauty is there's always somewhere sheltered to hang out and relax.
39:42Yeah, so we're sheltered out this side.
39:49Yeah. So it's just a huge difference.
39:54So you can actually use this space if you wanted to sit out
39:56and, you know, move a chair around here,
39:58you're actually going to be part of that.
40:00And you've got some Paul Clark's chimneys.
40:02You've got two sets of Paul Clark's chimneys.
40:04Yes, well, we do like our chimneys.
40:07You do.
40:08And, you know, the draw on these fires,
40:10because they're quite big fires,
40:11is we actually do need the two flues.
40:13I believe you. I believe you.
40:23Get another area just to break out.
40:25For another occasion.
40:28The client worked well with their landscaper
40:31to actually put all this together.
40:34We did the swimming pool.
40:35Really lovely to be able to have that space
40:37for people to just sit out and connect to.
40:52Oh, is this the owner coming in?
40:53That is how a lot of the owners do arrive here, I think,
40:57by helicopter.
40:58Yeah.
40:59Yep.
41:00Is that true?
41:01Yeah, absolutely.
41:02What else do you need?
41:03Nothing, Paul.
41:04Absolutely nothing in life.
41:06Life is completely sorted once you've got this.
41:14The location is remote,
41:16and that means a long drive to the nearest shops.
41:19But don't forget, we're talking high-end luxury here.
41:22That's all taken care of.
41:24So there's a concierge?
41:25Yeah.
41:26So it's sort of that idea that you're coming away,
41:29you know, you're not close proximity to the supermarket.
41:32You can actually organise all of that stuff.
41:34You arrive, it's here,
41:35and then you can just get on with enjoying it.
41:37And can you, at the end of your weekend,
41:39golfing and doing whatever your powers,
41:41can you just walk out the door?
41:42Absolutely.
41:43I love it.
41:44I love it.
41:45I love it.
41:46It's not bad.
41:47A remote, stunning location.
41:52A luxurious, understated, but beautifully designed home.
41:58What a getaway.
41:59What a lifestyle.
42:00This is the dream.
42:01Anyone else feeling slightly jealous?
42:04Seriously.
42:05This is the bachelor pad to end all bachelor pads.
42:09You get here with your mates.
42:11Fly in for the weekend.
42:12Round of golf.
42:13Incredible surf.
42:14It'll be brilliant fishing out there as well.
42:16Come back, barbecue, kick back.
42:17Everything's laid on.
42:18What fun would be had.
42:19And, also of course because there is a concierge,
42:20at the end of the weekend you just leave.
42:24You don't need to make the bed,
42:25you don't need to do the washing up,
42:26you don't need to clean the barbecue,
42:27you just go.
42:28Somebody else takes care of it.
42:29Somebody else takes care of it.
42:30everything's laid on what fun would be had and also of course because there was a
42:37concierge well you just leave at the end of the weekend you just leave you don't
42:43need to make the beds you don't need to do the washing up you don't need to
42:45clean the barbecue you just go somebody else takes care of it
42:50I think I want one
43:00whether it be a family get-together for sundown or at swallow point parties big and small in the
43:19most welcoming of suburban homes or getting away from it all with friends for a weekend of fun
43:30three distinctive houses all designed with one thing in common
43:37adaptable places and spaces to gather to enjoy life to the full
44:00so
44:05you
44:07you
44:15you
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