When it comes to building a new home, most people start with a plan. Colin and Kerry started with scissors. After walking through open homes and viewing online plans and showhomes, they kept running into the same issue. The layouts felt too narrow and too drawn out for their section. 

So one evening Colin began cutting up printed floor plans and taping sections together, shifting rooms around until the flow felt right. 

“I chopped them up and stuck them together, and that was pretty much our layout,” says Colin. 

They took that homemade plan to Landmark Homes Hamilton & Waikato, where the team began refining the idea. 

“When they gave us back the plans, they pretty much nailed it straight away. It was bang on,” says Colin. “Right from the beginning they were listening to what we were looking for.”

Set on a sloping section, the site itself initially presented a bit of a challenge. Creating a level platform would have meant significant foundation work and a substantial retaining wall, altering both the cost and the appearance of the home.

Rather than forcing the section to suit the plan, Landmark suggested adjusting the plan slightly. 

“Nigel and the team came up with an idea that we could drop the second garage down one metre,” says Colin. Lowering the garage allowed the home to step with the natural fall of the land, reducing the need for heavy retaining and fencing. “It just worked beautifully,” he says.

That adjustment also helped shape the overall form. The stepped layout creates variation in the roofline and gives the home a strong profile without overpowering the site.

And it was exactly what the Pattersons had in mind. “One thing I didn’t want was a pitch roof,” says Colin. “I wanted a flat roof. It looks modern, and makes it easier to maintain as I get older!” 

The clean rooflines, paired with linear board cladding and a smooth plaster finish, give the home a strong, contemporary profile without dominating the landscape.

Solar panels and ducted heating were also included, supporting year-round comfort and energy efficiency. The result is an exterior shaped as much by the land as by design intent.

Texture plays a quiet but important role throughout the home. Kerry was clear from the start that she didn’t want anything that felt stark or overly sharp. 

“I’m big on textures,” she says. That thinking is evident from the moment you step through the front door.

Metallic brick wraps the exterior entry and continues inside as a feature wall, creating an immediate sense of continuity. The same material reappears on the exterior chimney and visually connects with the tones in the kitchen splashback, tying the palette together from front to back. Rather than relying on bold colour, the home layers finishes carefully so each space flows into the next.

That approach continues in the living areas. A floor-to-ceiling fluted door conceals the office and sewing space, adding depth without interrupting the clean lines of the room. 

Kerry explains that Landmark Homes Hamilton & Waikato New Home Consultant Amanda Webber came up with the idea for the floor-to-ceiling door. “And then she just had a look and found finishes that would be complementary,” she says.

The detail worked so well that Kerry repeated it behind the bed in the main bedroom, creating a subtle feature wall that adds interest without overpowering the space.

In the bathrooms, texture again takes the lead. Large-format tiles provide scale, while a softly patterned feature tile introduces movement without dominating the room. 

Practical thinking shaped these spaces, too. Kerry positioned a shower ledge at a comfortable height and placed the mixer opposite the shower head so the water can be turned on without getting wet.

Even the walk-in wardrobe reflects that balance between function and finish. Open shelving for shoes sits alongside generous hanging space, creating a layout that works day to day while maintaining the home’s cohesive feel.

Anchored by a generous island and framed by views out to the garden, the kitchen brings together many of the material decisions that define the home. 

Kerry had originally pictured a pale grey scheme, but working alongside Amanda opened up new possibilities. 

Amanda guided the couple through the interior selections, encouraging Kerry to explore options she hadn’t initially considered, including a darker grey cabinetry with a subtle metallic undertone. “I completely flipped on my original idea,” she says. “The deeper tone actually brings warmth and depth to the space without feeling harsh.”

Together, they built the palette layer by layer. Amanda sourced samples and images so Kerry could see how each finish would sit alongside the next. Amanda also introduced the idea of a vintage-style patina splashback, bringing texture and warmth into the space. 

“When I first saw it, I thought, oh, that’s a bit much,” Kerry says. “But now I love it.” 

The splashback now reflects light through to the dining area and links visually to the metallic brick at the entry and exterior chimney, creating a clear thread throughout the home.

Gunmetal tapware and layered lighting complete the space. A separate scullery sits behind a sliding door, with matching benchtops and lighter cabinetry to keep it cohesive but practical.

Positioned to take in expansive views across the golf course and rural landscape, the living area was designed to connect seamlessly to the outdoors. A striking corner of stacking sliders sits at the heart of the space, removing the visual barrier between inside and out.

“We asked for doors that would open up from the corner,” says Kerry. “We’d seen internal corners before, but the Landmark team came up with a design using a substantial steel beam in the wall to cantilever the corner and remove the support post. That means it can open both ways.” The result is a fully open external corner, creating a seamless transition to the patio and uninterrupted views beyond.

A retractable electric sail provides shade in the warmer months, while the outdoor fireplace anchors the rear elevation and defines the entertaining zone. Inside, a Stovax fireplace brings warmth in the cooler seasons, ensuring the space feels just as inviting in winter as it does in summer.

Two years on, the Pattersons are well settled into their Mangakino home, and the enthusiasm hasn’t faded. 

“I love our house,” Kerry says. “Right from the day we walked it, it just fitted us perfectly.”

“With Landmark, nothing was a problem,” says Colin. “They were able to come up with a solution for everything. And that’s important because when you’re building a home, it makes such a difference when things run smoothly.”

For Kerry, the relationship built early on made a difference. “Because our rapport was so great from the beginning, you had confidence that you were being heard. It was just easy; they made the whole process worry-free. The team becomes like your family, really.”

And when friends talk about building, Kerry’s advice is straightforward. “Have you considered Landmark?”