Houzz Tour: A Father and Son’s Compact Design for a Family Home
The new house in New Zealand makes the most of a tight site and a tight budget
When Haden and Elizabeth Kose were ready to move from the city back to Haden’s hometown of Warkworth, New Zealand, to be closer to his work at his family’s architectural design practice, they wanted to get the most style possible from their limited budget. Haden collaborated with his dad to design his family’s first house, creating a rectangular structure with few frills but a lot of flair. Their peers approved: The project won the 2015 award from Architectural Designers New Zealand for houses under 150 square meters, or 1,615 square feet.
“We were extremely lucky,” says Haden of how he found the site of his family’s first home, which he designed with his father. Houses were out of their price range, so they decided to buy a lot. It was too much work to relocate an old house, so they decided to build a new house, estimating the build cost to be about $99 a square foot.
The property, tucked in a suburban site, had established native plantings and a view. Previous owners had begun building, so there was already a partial foundation with concrete piles in place. Haden and Elizabeth decided to base their first self-built house on this platform, saving considerable site preparation costs.
The property, tucked in a suburban site, had established native plantings and a view. Previous owners had begun building, so there was already a partial foundation with concrete piles in place. Haden and Elizabeth decided to base their first self-built house on this platform, saving considerable site preparation costs.
Haden and a friendly builder scribbled a quick plan based on the existing rectangle. “On our first go we managed to get it right. It should be ordinary, with a flat roof as that’s easier for the roofer, but then I managed to pretty it up,” Haden says. The house is north facing, with a backyard that can be safely gated off while the boys are small.
Building a rectangle is faster and simpler than a house with extra facets, so Haden needed to add impact in other ways. The floor plan minimizes corridors and lines up plumbing in one part of the building to keep pipe runs to a minimum. The house is designed to add a garage with workshop and studio at a later date.
Living is oriented to the northwest-facing back of the house, with the large deck acting as an extension of the living rooms. The couple began planting the gully with natives and grasses but left lots of flat lawn for the boys to play on. Recessing the entry and the back facade and picking them out in a darker stain create a strong contrast to the rest of the building, as well as providing summer sun shelter.
Vertical machine-coated cedar: Herman Pacific
Vertical machine-coated cedar: Herman Pacific
Inside, Haden created volume in the simple spaces with a raked ceiling. Window and door trim is expensive, so the couple decided to splurge where it mattered — a big sliding door opening up the back of the house — and used more standard trim elsewhere. Haden used high slit windows to bring in tree views while minimizing openings to the south (and neighbors) and to allow for natural cross-ventilation.
To save space, the TV is hung on the wall with the electronics hidden in a cabinet in the hallway, and built-in cabinetry holds the family’s collections.
Cabinetry: Neil Taylor Cabinetmaker; carpet: Flooring Xtra; lighting: Lighting Direct
To save space, the TV is hung on the wall with the electronics hidden in a cabinet in the hallway, and built-in cabinetry holds the family’s collections.
Cabinetry: Neil Taylor Cabinetmaker; carpet: Flooring Xtra; lighting: Lighting Direct
The couple wanted to fit in as much storage as they could, including a built-in workstation beside the dining room, built-in bookshelves and a good-sized linen cabinet.
Haden and Elizabeth wanted a generous kitchen, with an L-shaped counter and an island for congregating around, plus a walk-in pantry. Flat-pack cabinets from a big box store, with an acrylic countertop, would cost $5,300 uninstalled, while a custom kitchen would have cost them $8,500 to about $9,900. Family connections yielded a great compromise. Nice Kitchen custom-built their cabinets, including the smart drawer fittings and the composite stone waterfall countertop on the island, for about $6,400. The couple couldn’t be more pleased with the quality.
Haden and Elizabeth wanted a generous kitchen, with an L-shaped counter and an island for congregating around, plus a walk-in pantry. Flat-pack cabinets from a big box store, with an acrylic countertop, would cost $5,300 uninstalled, while a custom kitchen would have cost them $8,500 to about $9,900. Family connections yielded a great compromise. Nice Kitchen custom-built their cabinets, including the smart drawer fittings and the composite stone waterfall countertop on the island, for about $6,400. The couple couldn’t be more pleased with the quality.
Integral to the success of the project on a tight budget was finding the right builder, Haden says. Stuart Morrison was the right one for them and was eager to make the design cost-efficient while incorporating finishes of the quality the Koses wanted, on a labor-only contract. To save costs, Haden managed the subcontractors himself and purchased the materials. “We were lucky working in the industry,” he says.
One of Haden’s favorite cost savings is the concrete floor. The pour was good enough that plans for carpet and vinyl were abandoned. Instead, he used a cost-effective “salt and pepper” concrete grind and a light finish of densifier and sealer (not an epoxy that will need recoating over time).
One of Haden’s favorite cost savings is the concrete floor. The pour was good enough that plans for carpet and vinyl were abandoned. Instead, he used a cost-effective “salt and pepper” concrete grind and a light finish of densifier and sealer (not an epoxy that will need recoating over time).
Putting the laundry in a niche (not pictured) next to the big family bathroom is a creative space-saver that eliminated the need for a separate room. The Koses used a mix of 24-by-24-inch and 12-by-24-inch tiles for floors and walls. Fixtures are smart and easy to clean.
Tiles: Tile Warehouse
Tiles: Tile Warehouse
This bedroom for the boys is a warm and friendly space. Haden wanted to squeeze in modest-size closets in the bedrooms, freeing up floor space for play.
The third bedroom doubles as a study. High windows collect morning sun but keep the room private from the driveway and entrance.
Haden and Elizabeth specified a walk-in closet for their master bedroom, and high windows here also frame views of trees and clouds.
The compact master bath frees up the family bathroom for kids and visitors.
Vegetable gardens in raised beds and a sand pit merge with the new plantings of natives in the sunny, north-facing backyard.
Haden and Elizabeth have created a great backyard for the children, sheltered and sunny with mature trees all around. And, best of all, they came in under budget, spending about $165,000 for their build, including permits and the driveway.
“Many low-cost first homes in New Zealand sacrifice form over function. Here we have given equal consideration to both, while working to a strict budget,” Haden says. “It was key that the design be of a minimal nature with maximum use of space.”
“Many low-cost first homes in New Zealand sacrifice form over function. Here we have given equal consideration to both, while working to a strict budget,” Haden says. “It was key that the design be of a minimal nature with maximum use of space.”
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Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Haden and Elizabeth Kose and children Seb, 3, and Elliot, 1
Location: Warkworth, north of Auckland, New Zealand
Size: 1,130 square feet (105 square meters); three bedrooms, two bathrooms
Designers: Bernie Kose and Haden Kose of BK Design
Ever since he was a boy, Haden Kose had spent time in his dad Bernie’s architectural studio, so he figures it was inevitable he would end up in the same profession. Before he became an architectural designer, Haden got practical hands-on experience as a builder’s laborer, experience that would stand him in good stead when it came to figuring out how to put buildings together.