Akaroa bach

When designing this project, Sarah Lassche-Jones wanted to recreate the childhood nostalgia from her Akaroa holidays. The finished bach is a modern spin on the iconic kiwi, with a slight French twist as a nod to its location in the Grehan Valley.

The products used in this build were all widely used in the 1960s but have evolved over the years to suit today’s building environment. The 1960s was a very textural era in design. This is reflected in the project with varying textures from the giant laser cut bamboo pendant light fitting in the main living room to the woodgrain carpet on the first floor. The home also features a rough sawn timber vanity on trestles in a bathroom lined with panels reminiscent of a typical 1960s interior wall cladding. Quite fittingly all the Formica® designs used are from the 100 year celebration range.

The property is a step back a few decades in time but with all the modern comfort of today.

The colours were chosen to bring a relaxed beachy feel and complement the textural natural look. Grooved ply ceilings are finished in Resene Lumbersider in Resene Quarter Alabaster. The entrance hall, interior concrete block walls and stairs in Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen in Resene Double Alabaster are complemented by trim and joinery in Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel tinted to Resene Alabaster. Colours are sprinkled throughout the bach with two bedrooms in Resene Half Tea, one bedroom and a toilet in Resene Half Duck Egg Blue and a curved kitchen unit in Resene Hampton.

The steel staircase is up-lit using red, white, blue LEDs to depict the French flag. The deck balustrade repeats the nod to France resplendent in the colours of the French flag and is quite a statement from the street.

Architectural specifier: Click Design
Building contractor: John Garlick Builders
Interior designer: Sarah Lassche-Jones
Painting contractor: Kerry Flood
Joinery: MWF Manufacturing
Other key suppliers: Laminex; Moot Electrical Specialised LED lighting and Automation; Soft Furnishings Window Treatments; Peninsula Blockwork
Project: Resene Total Colour Awards 2016