Luxe lakeside Ashburton home ticks all the boxes – صحيفة الصوت

Even on a grey winter day Lake Hood features large at the home of David and Zdena West in Mid Canterbury. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame the water, changing in the light and brooding under rain clouds.

It’s undoubtedly a great view, but to the Wests it’s more than just that. Lake Hood is a man-made lake and David joined the committee trying to get it built back in 1989. He and other locals believed it would be an important recreational facility for the area. But it had its critics and at times was a divisive project. Eventually the lake opened in 2002 and today it’s a popular recreational spot with a subdivision of houses developing around it.

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“It’s really a story of how a community can do something by coming together,” says David. “And now we get great enjoyment from seeing it being used every day. There’s always something happening out on the lake.”

The couple, who met through mutual friends and married some 17 years ago, have lived in the area for a long time. David was born in Ashburton and has been working on the family cropping farm all his life. He still farms today alongside son, Andrew. Zdena, originally from the Czech Republic, moved here with her parents as a teenager. She spent many years working as a nurse in Ashburton and is now a quality auditor for health services.

The couple have built houses before so were no newbies to the process. They thought carefully about the brief to O’Neil Architecture.

There were three key points. They wanted to make the most of the spectacular waterfront location, wanted space to hang artwork and for the guest bedrooms to be in a separate wing. All those boxes have been ticked. “It’s really important to understand what you want from a house,” says David.

Having builders – Des Millar Construction – who worked well with the architect also made the project go smoothly. David says the team was great. “They care about craftsmanship and workmanship and their attention to detail has been incredible.”

Zdena is equally enthusiastic about the project: “I just loved it, the whole building process from the design concepts to the interiors. Our style is minimalistic, functional and influenced by our collection of art. We focused on things we love and how the home feels and works for us. The interior is simple because the water view is the hero.”

Extra-high ceilings make the house feel more spacious – 3.6m high in the entrance hall, dropping to 3.1m in the living area. Large floor tiles flow through the open-plan living, dining and kitchen – perfect for Winston, the birman cat, to skid around on. Carefully placed rugs and a large American oak dining table were brought from their previous home and help to define different zones.

Just off the kitchen, a small, cosy den is a favourite spot. Here, the white walls of the rest of the house give way to darker tones of blue, leather armchairs, wallpaper and a television.

There is also access to a sheltered courtyard. Enclosed with schist stone walls, it’s the ideal sunny but private spot for a morning coffee and includes a water feature, surrounded by ferns, that reflects a light from the overhanging roof eaves at night. “We absolutely love this space,” says Zdena.

Her neat streak plays out in the sleek, uncluttered surfaces of the kitchen; she made sure the plans included plenty of storage space so that there are no untidy items on display.

Functionality was also top of mind. Open one kitchen cupboard and there is everything that the couple need for breakfast – the toaster, mugs, condiments – grouped together. The walk-in wardrobe is entirely panelled with sleek doors, leaving nothing on view. But pull one section back and there’s a handy chute straight to the laundry. “We had a lot of input into the spaces and thought about how we use things,” says Zdena.

The insistence on having a good amount of wall space means there is art everywhere – landscapes and abstracts, oils and sketches, of all shapes and sizes. Art is a shared passion and wherever the couple travel, they visit galleries. Zdena herself is a keen artist, experimenting with different mediums and styles. Gallery-owning friends helped hang the art and directional lights highlight the works.

“Don’t hang pieces too high. Take time and measure properly,” advises David. “Preparing to hang art takes longer than the hanging itself.”

Outside, the brief for the large 1700m² section was unequivocally low maintenance. In fact, David says the bravest thing they did was to put 70 tonnes of Timaru bluestone chip on all of the gardens along with a mix of ground cover plants, trees and shrubs.

Hardy grasses and flaxes edge the waterfront; a large planter on the deck is bursting with enormous, “easy” succulents and two young dogwood trees stand at either end of the garden for symmetry. A large palm is a centrepiece and informal seating is well used for entertaining, and for impromptu chats with those passing by on the water in this friendly community. That’s the joy of living on the lake.

Q&A with David & Zdena West

Best piece of advice we received: To ensure we worked with an architect and a builder who would be passionate about providing us with a house that exceeded our expectations. (David)

Best seat in the house: What we love about this house is that it provides many places to sit and relax depending on the time of day. Seeing the water from every room creates a relaxed feel. The den is the overall winner in the evenings. (Zdena)

Favourite outdoor spot: The outdoor chaise longue on the terrace with the view to activities on the main lake, the reserve across the water and our own waterfront. (Zdena)

This house is eco-friendly because: The use of the thermal glazing and materials, and the roofline which maximises access to the sun, have created an incredibly warm home. (David)

The first thing I do when I get home from work: Turn on the music, have a glass of wine and let our home diminish the stresses of the day. We love the tranquillity. (Zdena)

Best walks in the neighbourhood: There is a 7km perimeter walkway around the lake, which can extend to a further 8km river track to Ashburton. (Zdena)

Favourite Local restaurant: The Lake House is approximately 150m from our house. It has a real community feel and great food. (David)