‘Life’s Not linear’ Rural Reno
Life is not linear, and this renovation project typifies this to a tee! A family home that will be designed to morph over time and a plan that will need to cater to be useful and lovely in the ‘here and now’ and also plan for the future as the home configuration (and family) develop over time.
Before photos
The location just beyond holds the mighty Tararua ranges - and what views they are! The ranges are dramatic, solid and always but never changing. Sounds lovely, right? It is, in many ways! The views are absolutely stunning….but you don’t get to see any of it in the current configuration. It is A classic Kiwi farming house that was built and added to over the years, prioritising function and utility.
For this post, I’m sharing just a sampling of both the exterior and interior, along with our scope of work for the project.
In future posts, I’ll get specific and show what’s not working in the connecting indoor-outdoor spaces and how we solve them. When the clients took ownership of the house, they went to work inside, pulling out all the yuck! The kitchen and living space are now complete and looking beautiful, and they have plans to remodel the rest of the floorplan in other areas of the house. So we get to focus on making the most of all their hard work and connect the kitchen and indoor living to their outdoor living. Take a look.
CURRENT EXTERIOR VIEW
Project Scope
Define the entry space
Create an outdoor dining and ‘parent zone’ connecting to both the master and hallway exit
Design an easy-access herb zone
Make a place for spa pool within easy access of the master bedroom (which will have exterior doors to replace the current badly constructed bay window).
CURRENT EXTERIOR DRIVEWAY TO ENTRY SPACE
Constraints
As with any project, we work not only within a ‘wish list’ but also with a set of parameters that cannot change.
Although the living zone areas won’t change in this project, we will eventually be working through a more private entry sequence on the opposite side of the building. Therefore, although we have to work with the existing driveway and garage area at this stage, this will eventually be reconfigured.
The living spaces, however, will remain as is.
This is a working lifestyle property, so utility and access to paddocks, sheds and work zones must be worked around.
THE TAKE AWAY
Before changes can even be proposed with a redesign project, we have to first figure out what’s existing, the adjacencies and how the indoor rooms and outdoor spaces will work together. Once it’s all on paper, the process of reinterpreting the space begins.
Drawings are the primary way we communicate in design and landscape construction projects. The more accurate and specific, the better the project will turn out. Don’t short-change yourself or your project by not investing in well-designed plans.
And also, don’t forget to invest in perspective and elevation drawings where you can. The vertical views are where the architecture of the space is defined with groundcovers, shrubs, trees, furniture and structures. They also provide critical information like exterior light locations and answer questions like how high and how far.
If you have a home-garden renovation project in your future or a new build, be in touch! Go here to learn more about NDB Design Services.
Thanks for following along! I can’t wait to get started at the drawing board. It’s going to be an amazing transformation for this wonderful family.
Best!
Nicole
