b'feature houseBelow left: The walls near the kitchen are finished in Resene Colorwood Whitewash which was also applied to the ceiling panel. One advantage of SIPs is its possible to pre-paint panels before constructionmeaning you can paint the ceiling or walls prior to the build.Below middle: The back wall is brownwood plywood which Tonia sanded before finishing with Resene Colorwood Jarrah. She then cut diagonal grooves into the wall and applied Resene Aquaclear. The ceiling, door and wall beneath the stairs are finished with Resene Colorwood Whitewash and coated withResene Aquaclear.Below right: The balustrades and hit-and-miss wall boarding are made from upcycled rimu timber from an old cottage on the property. The balustrades have been oiled with Resene Danska Teak Oil and the wall has been protected with Resene Aquaclear.Resene Colorwood Jarrahgrassy reserve on the other. Tonia, a graduate architect, who prefersflooring for the stepped-up, stepped-down living areas but, in the to call herself a designer/maker, couldnt wait to get hands-on,kitchen zone, she wanted to mimic colourful terrazzo. So, Stephen crafting a forever home for her two teenage daughters Ondine andwent on the hunt for blue glass, collecting 1300 bottles from the Sienna and husband Stephen. wheelie bins of Portofino restaurant in the Viaduct. Then she and the Whilethedesignofthemulti-leveldwellingwascomplex,girls donned safety goggles and played squash, driving a compactor accounting for the steep site and height-to-boundary restrictions asover them to crush the material before sifting out the finer bits by well as connecting the spaces to two horizons, the material choicehand. Blue chips now feature in the pool, the flooring and in a was easy. SIPs are light, strong and stable, and provide a warm, dryhandmade pendant light in the living roomthree acrylic tubes are environment. Tonia also rescued timbers from an existing cottage onfilled with blue glass surrounding LED strips. the site to repurpose. The kitchen and stairs are an insertion in the space, a box wrapped The owner of a design-and-build company called Vitruvion, sheinrimurepurposedfromthecottagefloorboards,de-nailed saw the project as a teaching opportunity. This isnt an instant potand sanded several times (thanks Stephen!) to be as smooth as silk noodle house, she says. You dont just add water and everythingbefore finishing in Resene Aquaclear. Pine ply doors on the upper is finished. As a mum, she was keen for the girls to experience thecabinetshavebeengiventhreecoatsofReseneColorwood process and get involved in the DIY nitty-gritty. So, once the buildWhitewash and a clear coat of Resene Aquaclear to protect the team had delivered the envelopea bold, contemporary dwellingsurface. But having just one tone in the kitchen was anathema to that stretched over multiple levelsthe family became weekendTonias aesthetic adventurousness: lower cupboards in beech ply are warriors, making the interiors their own. dark-stained with Resene Colorwood Jarrah and finished in Resene Here is a woman not afraid to be playful with finishes and colour.Aquacleararobustlookthatcombinesbeautifullywiththe A fan of passive solar design, Tonia specified insulated concreteembossed stainless steel bench. 25'