The far pavilions

“We’re surrounded by trees and the house wakes to a sublime dawn chorus,” says Jane. “The tui, bellbirds, kereru and fantails compete with quail and pheasant. Then in the evening it’s the moreporks’ turn.”

The 680sqm house is formed by three pavilions, with seven-metre buttress-style pillars, generous open spaces and a private location looking out over Hastings and the Kaweka Ranges. On a clear day, the soaring mountain peaks of Ruapehu, Tongariro and Ngauruhoe put in a special appearance more than 100 kilometres away.

The dozen or so ruggedly beautiful limestone rocks in the garden surrounding the home are more than just garden features, they’re family heirlooms.

“The rocks are ancient and full of fossils,” says Jane. “We shifted them from my parents’ home down the road. Transporting them was a mission, but they look amazing and they contrast beautifully with the Japanese maples.” >

When it came to deciding on art for their new home, Jane and her husband, Norm, were spoiled for choice. In 2003 Jane opened Wine Country Gallery in Havelock North to represent the work of other New Zealand artists as well as her own. Recently, she closed the gallery doors in order to expand its online catalogue and is now planning local and national “pop-up” exhibitions. So, apart from Jane’s own distinctive people-scapes, the walls of the couple’s home are hung with their favourite Kiwi art. Some works were purchased and others exchanged for Jane’s paintings.

“We seem to have acquired more art over time, with the spaces just calling out for it.”

The couple, who grew up in Hawke’s Bay, bought the one-hectare property several years before building, so planting was well established by the time building began, softening the hard lines of the design. Steve McGavock, another local, was their architect of choice.

“We’ve known Steve for years. He loves Hawke’s Bay as we do and understood what we were looking for. This is the first home we’ve built and he encouraged our ideas, which was hugely important to us.”

The brief was for a secluded family space with room for both to work from home. “We wanted the living spaces and master suite to be on one level flowing out to the pool and loggia spaces and then, upstairs, a studio for me and an office for my husband.

“We’ve achieved all that brilliantly, with our own separate spaces and extra bedrooms and bathrooms for returning family and the loads of friends we have to stay.”

The pool pavilion, also known as the outdoor lounge,
is accessed from the living areas and used all year round. Wired for sound, it features a barbecue and open wood fire. The third pavilion – accessible from the car court and internally via the family room – has a guest bedroom and en suite plus an extra space currently used as a small gallery.

The house sits on a ridge, flanked by deep gullies and mature trees (mostly Australian gums) that swish and sway and screen the house from the road. >

The home appears transparent from the front entry with its huge double glass doors flanked by fitted internal shelves laden with ceramic artworks. Inside, the double-storey atrium reveals yet more art, providing a rich diversion from the view shaft that leads to the infinity pool and beyond. A background palette of grey Italian floor tiles, dark timber furniture and soft white walls allows the art to grab the limelight.

“We have a very individual house, built to a precise – and I mean precise – description. We have used the best materials because this place is built with permanence and craftsmanship in mind. Steve’s a stickler for perfection and well known for it.” And he has been acknowledged for it too: the property was judged a winner in the 2008 New Zealand Institute of Architects regional awards.

The home’s gathering point is the kitchen’s deep red jarrah island bar. It’s nearly five metres long and one metre wide – large enough to accommodate the entire family with newspapers spread out and room to spare. The vibrant multicoloured splashback is the artist’s own creation.

The couple’s long-term plan is to build another home on a parcel of land just down the hill. “I know, mad!” says Jane of their intention to build again. “But we’re thinking of a ‘mini-me’ – a smaller version of the original design that will give us more freedom. With our children living away and work commitments around the country, we feel like we’re travelling all over the planet. We want to simplify our life.

“We love coming home to Hawke’s Bay. There are few better places to live such a fulfilling lifestyle and, as long as I have a great studio and the boys have somewhere for their toys, we’re happy.”

* Wine Country Gallery’s next exhibition is at Elephant Hill Estate Winery in Te Awanga, Hawke’s Bay, January 29 to February 19; winecountrygallery.com

Story: Jesma Magill Photographs: Pul McCredie