Blank canvas

An artist plus a builder equals a perfect creative partnership to construct this cosmopolitan-meets-rural retreat from scratch

- Shelley Tustin

When people wax lyrical about their dream home, what they usually mean is a house that ticks all the practical boxes for every member of their family. But with no one to please except themselves, empty nesters Rae and Nick Prentis were able to create a home that brought their fantasies to life.

Perched on a hill in rural Kaukapakapa, northwest of Auckland, the home is equal parts introvert's retreat and extrovert's party palace - there's privacy and pastoral peace aplenty, but also a wealth of entertaining spaces, which are thoroughly utilised by Rae's family, who virtually live on their doorstep. "My parents bought nearly 16 hectares and subdivided some of it - our section is part of it and my siblings have other parts," Rae explains. "We all live here, like some sort of hippie commune. It's nice to have my folks close, but we are independent as well."

A shack was built to begin with, giving the couple the opportunity to live on the land and cement their vision, so by the time they started building the big house' four years ago, they knew exactly where and how to take advantage of the magnificent location.

Room with a view

Architect Mark Butler of MD Design was brought in to put their ideas on paper, nailing the brief with an H-shaped home that combines generous living spaces, sheltered outdoor zones and decadent creature comforts.

Meet & greet

Rae (artist) and Nick Prentis (builder) and their dogs, Dougal, Huckleberry and Beauregard.