HOME FEATURE: Meet the Mapua

“The highlight was definitely the day we moved in. That was the culmination of several years of planning and we are grateful to Signature Homes for bringing our vision to life” says Sharon.

This 202m2 three-bedroom Design & Build is an entertainer’s dream. The Kwila timber feature and scissor truss in the alfresco area finish off a beautifully landscaped outdoor area.

We love the feature lighting in the cutout and the splashback window in the designer kitchen, inspired by our Tasman showhome. Built-in window seats have been used to maximise sun and comfort while curling up with a book.

Tiled showers add luxury and detail in the two bathrooms. It’s a perfect example of how you can bring colour into your new home with bold accessories, art, and accents.

We asked Sharon and Chris a few questions about their new home to help those looking at building a new home.

What were the highlights of your design and build process?

• The initial design process and seeing our vision come to life
• Having direct access to the Signature Homes design personnel so they could understand more clearly the outcome we wanted
• Working on the colours and fabrics/furnishing for both the external and interior of our home
• Being able to be involved throughout the whole build – feeling like it was our project
• Getting the home we have always wanted and a combination of our homes into one perfect home

What are your top building tips?

• Understand how you live in your house – think about what is most important to you
• Get to know the section and how the house should sit on it for sun, wind and privacy
• Look at the detail – e.g. hall widths, door heights – they all create the essence of more space at a small value
• Take your time making decisions – even the little ones
• Be involved in the process all the way through – visit the house often so you can see if there are things you might change while you can
• Don’t be scared to make changes as part of the build process – it might cost but it will be less than doing it later and you will have the end result you wanted
• Don’t forget about the landscaping. Your finished home is the complete package

What areas of your home did you splurge on?

• We invested in underfloor heating. We wanted a coastal industrial feel and selected polished concrete flooring throughout the house (except the bedrooms) so underfloor heating was the best accompaniment
• Front door – we wanted an impact on arrival
• Kitchen and appliances – we spent a few more dollars to get the layout and standard of appliances we wanted
• Decking – the indoor-outdoor living style wouldn’t be complete without the full surround deck that links the various exit/entry points to the house
• Lighting and light fixtures – a great mood creator and more difficult to install later
• Bathrooms – don’t make too small, we used tiles for texturing which gave a consistent coastal industrial look and feel throughout the house
• Walk-in wardrobe – no doors, elegantly tucked away, great for easy access
• Separate laundry and linen cupboard space – a must-have. We bucked the trend of having the laundry installed as part of the garage. It is a more functional workspace with lots of storage created by having a separate room

What areas did you save on?

• Removing a 4th bedroom– traded this for more bathroom space and a separate laundry
• Cladding- we only focussed on what was visually important
• Using your space and section in the best possible way

Sharon told us that the best lesson learned was that there is no detail too small to spend time on.

Whether you have your own plans or a sketch on the back of an envelope, Signature Homes can help you design and build your dream home that reflects you and makes the most out of your section and your budget.