Imperfectly Perfect
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Rangiora couple Russell and Katherine Forward, were already well-versed in the design and build process when they started work on their 500-square metre home.
Words: Pattie Pegler Photography: Dorothy McLennan
Having built several times they knew what to expect. “We wanted to design something that was spacious and would have a ‘lodge’ feeling,” explains Russell. “And I wanted it to feel like a substantial, strong structure.” He had been inspired by some of the commercial buildings he had seen in Christchurch, particularly post-quake, with their exposed beams and steelwork.
Russell designed the house himself and no detail was left to chance. He even created a 3-D model of the design. He then placed this on the bare section to help decide on orientation and sun angles onto the cantilevered verandah and into the living area.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given his meticulous attention to detail, Russell managed the project himself and was on-site just about everyday. But he also got involved in the building – from welding the steel beams himself (he is a qualified welder) to details like making all the light fittings.
The end result fits the initial brief and is a home worth celebrating.
Built in an H-shape, the sprawling house has 4-bedrooms, a visitors’ wing and a substantial central living area, while a vast garage is home to Russell’s car collection.
Inside, the sleek, black kitchen is open plan, looking onto the main living area with its tongue and groove wooden ceiling. Sliding New Yorker style doors lead to the dining area which sits between the main living space and a more informal guest lounge. Here a second wooden ceiling ties back to the main living but this room can also be partitioned off.
With its use of concrete, steel and wood the home hits an industrial but rustic note – large but also cosy; modern but not stark. Not an easy blend to achieve.
“I wanted it to be like an older house rather than modern,” says Russell. “I like old materials and the feeling that they’ve got some history”.
A big beam over the hearth came out of the Islington Freezing Works; other wooden beams in the living area are from an old commercial warehouse; a 100-year old wagon wheel has been repurposed as a stunning light fitting. The outside stonework at the front of the house is made with stones from the St. John The Baptist Church, which prior to the earthquakes stood on the site where the Transitional Cathedral now stands. Russell found the discarded stones in a demolition yard. They are now one of the first things visitors to the Forwards’ home see.
Inside, the entrance hall not only welcomes visitors but is also a key structural area of the house. Its concrete walls are like an anchor in the house, a major bracing element – with many of the steel beams tied back to it and the wall itself tied with steel to the thickened concrete floor. But when the wall was poured there were cosmetic imperfections in the concrete.
Russell and Katherine got to work embracing and enhancing the imperfections. They used black paint, then brushed it with a paste designed to give a mottled, uneven matte look. They then applied a bronzing cream to some areas randomly and finished with two coats of lacquer – sealing off the final product. The end result is spectacular – a dark, almost metallic concrete with a scattering of golden dustiness that brings to mind far-off galaxies in the night sky.
“Right the way through I kept thinking of perfectly imperfect,” says Russell. The wall in the entrance hall was like that – perfect in its structural integrity – but imperfect in its looks.”
But ultimately the process has been about making a home.
“Because we’ve built so many houses we’re pretty good on most things and our tastes are similar. We built this for us,” says Katherine. “And I suppose it represents our lives, there are things we bought overseas, things we’ve bought together…I like seeing all those little things every day.”
The house also works well on a practical level she says, with well-placed light switches, internal glass doors that let light flood in and even touches like black glass in the pantry so that you can see through to the family room.
Is there anything they’d do differently? Less garaging says Katherine. More garaging says Russell. So, even veteran builders can’t always agree on every detail.
What Russell and Katherine have created is a stunning space that manages to match style with a welcoming warmth and enough space for family and friends.
“We have two of our grown-up kids living here at the moment,” says Katherine and with a home like this – who wouldn’t want to live with mum and dad?