Home in Okato

*Note: Some painting is yet to be finished, hatch door to be fitted.*

Some of you will already be aware of this, but for those of you who don’t know, my husband owns and operates a shed company - KiwispanNZ Taranaki. He’s a qualified builder (which means our house will never be finished) with over 15 years experience building.

Over the last few years, with the popularity of industrial design, shed houses have become an increasingly enticing option for people wanting the chance to build their own home. Steel frame buildings are not only quick to put up, but they’re often much more affordable than your standard timber and brick home. This is a great way to achieve your dream of building without being so indebted to the bank you’re loosing sleep over mortgage repayments.

Not for the faint of heart - this look is strong, bold and dramatic. With clean lines and hard surfaces the beauty is in the precision of these simple elements coming together, the epitome of less is more.

‘Styles come and go. Good design is a language, not a style.

- Massimo Vignelli

Bringing timber elements into the home instantly adds warmth and depth to what could have easily felt like a big cold shed. Layering rugs and soft materials is a lovely contrast to the polished concrete floors and instantly brings a homely feel.

The beauty of this type of design is its minimalistic nature. It is a blank canvas, allowing you to influence the interiors in any number of ways depending on your taste. Whether you lean towards industrial or farmhouse, boho or modern simplicity - even an eclectic mix of these - these homes are the perfect backdrop for your family life.

The exterior of these homes are striking and yet can fit seamlessly into both rural and urban areas. By again adding timber elements like cedar you can break up the mass of cladding and highlight certain areas of the exterior - your entrance, or make a feature of your outdoor entertaining space like the inset of the veranda roof (see gallery of exteriors below).

Another option for the exterior of the home is an awesome NZ made product FlashClad. This highly durable material is powder coated so your colour options are endless. There are a couple of different claddings which make it a perfect for those who aren’t so enamored with the classic corrugate look.

Interior design services for these builds is covered by KiwispanNZ without being passed onto you the customer. This means you can have someone on hand during the build process to help you along the way with important design decisions. I will help you with all aspects of design from the big picture to the nitty gritty, floor coverings to light fittings and everything in-between.

You can follow KiwispanNZ Taranaki on Facebook here to keep up to date with all of their projects or jump on their website for more info.

A shed to call home

‘Styles come and go. Good design is a language, not a style.

- Massimo Vignelli