The former owners of a high-profile Dunedin business have swapped wildlife cruises on Otago harbour for lake views in Wanaka. Kim Dungey reports.
Orange kitchen joinery, plywood ceilings and an internal concrete wall give this Wanaka home plenty of personality.
But it shouldn't come as a surprise that John and Jen Milburn's house packs a punch visually.
Before moving from Dunedin, the former owners of MV Monarch lived in a distinctive High St house clad in red corrugated-iron.
The couple relocated to their Wanaka holiday home about four years ago after Mrs Milburn and a friend bought the Bella clothing store.
Initially they planned to buy a house but eventually decided to build, a decision they are glad they left to later in their lives.
Mrs Milburn says because they had lived in many different houses, they were clear about what they wanted: "John wanted a view. And I wanted a flat section because we've always lived in houses with stairs.''
Their West Meadows site ticked both boxes, the level but elevated section having views over Lake Wanaka, and their home built by Turnkey Homes Ltd winning a gold award in the $500,000 to $650,000 category of the Registered Master Builders 2015 House of the Year competition.
Lying low under a monopitch roof, the 268sq m house has horizontal cedar cladding that exaggerates its length and three courtyards to make the most of the sunny aspect and to provide shelter at any time of the day.
The concrete feature wall forms a spine to the house, starting at the front door and continuing into the living area, which has a plywood ceiling and expansive glass stacker doors.
In the kitchen, the splashes of orange (Resene Ecstasy) on the range hood and the island bench stand out against the pale walls and add a cheerful touch. Mrs Milburn wanted a pop of colour and the shade was suggested by her daughter: "When I was first married in 1975, my first kitchen was orange so I've perhaps [come] full circle.''
A small room off the living area can be used as an office, a sewing room or a playroom for their grandchildren.
The easy-care flooring is a combination of polished concrete and solution-dyed carpet, while the ample storage includes recessed shelves in bedrooms and bathrooms and hidden cupboards below the fireplace.
"A lot of people in Wanaka build great big houses but we wanted something homely and practical,'' Mrs Milburn says.
"It had to be right for John and I living here and for family and friends to come and not feel like they had to tiptoe around ... There's no fuss about the house. It's [designed for] practical, relaxed living.''
