Connected to nature

This 150-square-metre home was named Kōtare Grove by its owner after the local kingsfisher population and native tree plantation. Architect Paul Crawford designed this coastal haven to connect with the unique beauty of its environment.

“We’ve worked with Paul at Architecto for a couple of years and he referred us for this project,” says Mike Holmes from Nixon Homes. “The client had a vision that pushed us to try some very special and challenging things,” says Mike. The client’s vision was inspired by his villa holidays in Bali. The separate pavilions connected via decks with overhanging Abodo soffits, open layout with views through the home, teak Abodo feature walls and cladding are all a nod to this inspiration. The local design interpretation speaks to the rugged environment of coastal Raglan, with both exposed and sheltered courtyards, each in the sun at a different time of day. The sheltered morning courtyard at the street front allows for covered outdoor living in the frequent westerly winds without compromising on views.

On one side, the guest pod is comprised of a bedroom and ensuite. The centre pavilion contains the garage and laundry on the street level with the open plan living area below. On the other side, the master wing is connected to the central pavilion via a covered walkway and steps and has spectacular estuary and mountain views from the bed.

The home is positioned on a sloping site with a retaining wall half way through the section meaning only half the site could be built on. “The architect had to design around that obstacle on the section,” says Mike who notes the variety of structural materials used in the build. “The overhanging soffit over the living room required structural steel. We had block walls and both concrete and timber pile foundations basically a bit of everything in the build.” “The client wanted the entire house clad in Abodo,” says Mike. “During Covid the budget was impacted so Colorsteel cladding was used on part of the exterior.”

One of the most striking features in the home are the two sets of roof trusses, both visible from the street. One set of trusses is visible through the angled windows above the garage. “As you walk past, you have a view through the house to the view on the other side so that’s why you’ve got windows and exposed trusses in the garage,” says Mike. The second set of trusses are on the right of the exterior of the home from the front. They cover the sheltered courtyard also allowing a view through the house.

“There’s a glass pane in the front door which you can look through to see the window seat and nature beyond,” says Mike. “That was another one of the client’s visions.” Sliding doors both from the living area and from the kitchen lead out to the 92 square metre deck that wraps around the house. The pine batten fence above the courtyard is coated in a teak-coloured shade and was another part of the homeowner’s vision. “The client wanted no horizontal rails supporting it,” says Mike. “We spent a lot of time drilling steel rods into the timber battens and glueing them in. It was very labour intensive.”

Kerryn Elwin from K Design Studio is the interior designer for Nixon Homes and worked with the client’s ideas of bringing in the colours from the surrounding landscape. Natural greens and timber tones feature throughout the property and the polished concrete floors reflect the Raglan sand.

The standout interior features for Kerryn are the beautiful Melteca Possum cabinetry in the kitchen, the timber feature wall in the living room, the luxurious Antipodes curtains and the fully tiled bathroom walls.

The windows draw the eye to the landscape, enhancing the architecture from every angle. The joinery supplied by NZ Windows includes the large opening stacker doors and the raking and highlight windows in the open-plan space invite in an abundance of natural light.

Nixon Homes received the National Supreme House of the Year under $1 million Award and the National Altus Window Systems New Home $750,000–$1 million category award at the Master Builders House of the Year awards in 2025.

“I definitely think it is a special house and it been a special project for us, so it’s great to get the recognition for it,” says Mike. “We worked long hours to make sure the finishes were faultless. We wanted to have something we were proud of to look back on. It does help when you have a client who is really particular. It gives you that drive and clear direction.”

The owner of this stunning coastal home was happy to see his vision brought to life by Nixon Builders. He often travels overseas for work, so this exquisite 2-bedroom coastal property is available as a holiday rental.

Contact details:

Nixon Homes
020 4097 0328
mike@nixonhomes.co.nz
www.nixonhomes.co.nz