A labour of love

A Waihi couple are grateful for the calm after the storm as they enjoy their handcrafted home

- Jean Brooker

It's been a pretty big couple of years for Asha and Dylan Frost. The determined duo have pulled through some major setbacks, a serious health scare, becoming parents and building a house on a budget, all while living with extended family. Now blissfully settled in, the couple and their two kids are enjoying a much calmer coastal life in their gorgeous new home at Waihi Beach.

Asha, a designer, and her husband Dylan, a builder, both grew up in the Thames region. Keen to forge a new path together, they found a section near the township of Waihi and began to plan their dream home. By 2019, with a newborn and a toddler in tow, they had begun their build. Dylan was working full-time as a carpenter and spending his weekends building the family home. But life took an unexpected turn when Asha suffered an unexpected brain bleed.

All house plans went on hold while the couple focused on Asha's recovery and healing from this major trauma. "We lived with my parents during the build, which ended up taking four years because of what happened," Asha says. "I was wiped out energy-wise and wasn't able to drive.

"We were staying in Kopu, just out of Thames, so there was a lot of commuting for Dylan, who carried on working. It was pretty tough time. Luckily Dylan is very laidback, and he rolled with the punches."

Grand designs on a budget 

The design of the home was a joint affair. Creative Asha had a firm plan and a lookbook of ideas she hoped they could achieve, but was keen to seek guidance from the experts. Working with their friend Scott Autridge from SVA Design, and taking lots of inspiration from Instagram, the couple pulled together a cost-friendly plan they love.

"We had a very tight budget to work with," Asha says, "so I did a lot of research and gleaned inspiration from people I follow, such as Guy and Katrina at @LoveandGingerHome, who do a lot of DIY."