Building Your Dream Home – from Conception to Reality

It takes time, experience and creativity to design beautiful homes that are both functional and unique.

Drawing from more than 20 year’s experience building homes for New Zealanders, David Reid Homes has developed more than 40 House Designs to suit a range of budgets, lifestyles and needs.

However it can be difficult to imagine how a floor plan translates to a physical building.

Dion from David Reid Homes Bay Of Plenty

So this week, we chat to Dion from David Reid Homes Bay of Plenty about the FS208 from the David Reid Homes Fusion Series, which he used as the starting point for inspiration when building their Tauranga Show home.

Why did you pick the FS208?

David Reid Homes has made a name for itself designing and building bespoke homes in the $600,000+ space, but what we set out to do here was create a nice, affordable family home with the character that makes David Reid Homes stand out from the crowd.

The FS208 is perfect for families and entertainers

The FS208 was designed with a family dynamic in mind, but also to accommodate families who host friends and family during the holidays.

It’s a really good example of how clever design and build techniques can be utilised to make the best use of space.

This particular home would suit people on an entry to mid level budget, but can be modified for people wanting to maximise their real estate.

The vaulted ceiling and bifold doors create a vibrant energy and great indoor/outdoor flow

What are some of the clever features or materials you’ve used to make your showhome unique?

In the living area we incorporated a pitched ceiling with bifolding glass doors leading out to a level-entry deck, creating a vibrant energy, great indoor/outdoor flow and a feeling of energy and space.  As soon as you walk in, it hits you.  Another talking point is the funky feature wall, a Milano stone wall product imported from Italy.  You can have 20 different wallpapered feature walls, but this is something really unique – it’s not to everyone’s taste, but always grabs people’s attention.

Most people love Dion’s unique bathroom design

We also went all out in the bathroom, with a tiled shower and a unique design that differs, from your standard New Zealand bathroom. Most people that come through love the bathroom concept.

Why two living spaces?

We are getting a growing number of people requesting two living rooms.

It’s convenient – you might have friends over for dinner, so you can plonk the kids in the lounge with their toys or a DVD and walk away.  Some people want to have a dedicated media room to watch television or DVDs, leaving the main living area as a space for family, friends and entertaining. Or maybe it’s as simple as I want to watch the rugby while my wife wants to watch Shortland street.

Back in the day the walk-in wardrobe was the must-have, then the ensuite, and at the moment the hot ticket is a scullery.

The second living area is tucked away from the hub of the home.

How can people with an entry level budget make their home unique?

When it comes down to making a house your own, it all comes down to the finishing touches, the colour scheme, furnishings and fittings that really personalise your home and make it unique to you.

The big bi-fold doors that spill out into the entry-level deck are an excellent way of using natural light to create an illusion of space, while maximising your living area and giving an instant wow-factor.

It’s common for people on a tight budget to not include the landscaping and design in their budget, and chip away at it themselves as they can afford to.  We’ve got a beautiful mild climate here in Tauranga, and our long warm summer days are perfect for pottering around on the garden outdoors.

The way houses are built these days, there’s nothing to stop you from updating your bathroom, or kitchen when you can afford to.

Our Smart Solutions range, which includes the Fusion series of homes, encapsulates the best of David Reid Homes design, to maximise value without compromising on style.  If you want to find out more, talk to your nearest David Reid Homes builder today, or click here to find out more about the FS208.