Glen and Marion’s sea-inspired steel bach

Published: 07 Feb 2013

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Sun, sea and a surfboard light

When people decorate or build a bach, they often feel able to make bolder material and colour choices than they would at home. It’s often a time to experiment and have fun, as Glen and Marion Tasker did when they built their bach at Mangawhai Heads, north of Auckland, using sea-inspired Resene colours.

They also experimented in another way, building their new bach with steel framing rather than the more traditional timber framing.

It was built as a design exercise using all steel construction, by Glen, an engineer who is heavily involved in the steel construction industry.

All structural and wall framing is high tensile steel, designed and manufactured by Framecad.

Both the roof and wall cladding are also steel with the corrugated iron run horizontal along the walls to provide a textured finish. It is finished in the colour New Denim Blue, a colour Resene also has available in a paint for other areas.

The house also features an innovative rain water harvesting system supplied by Marley, ensuring that the water collected off the roof via water tanks, is the highest quality. Marion answered these questions:

What Resene colours have you used, and what inspired those choices?

We used Resene colours throughout the house, with the choices inspired by the longing for fun-filled days in the surf, sand, and sun.

Most of the house interior is painted in Resene Milk White from the Karen Walker range, the kitchen splashback is Resene Happy Hour (a happy splash of colour), the guest bedroom is Resene Ashanti (light blue but warm), the bunk room is Resene Morning Glory (darker for those hot summer days), and the master bedroom and ensuite are Resene Half Tea (calm and peaceful).

How did you decide on the overall look of the interiors? What was your overall philosophy?

We wanted to achieve a light, friendly, modern, and airy feel throughout the house.

What part of the house are you most happy with?

The kitchen/dining/lounge area – it works really well as one open-plan area opening onto decks on both sides, and makes cooking and entertaining enjoyable. We love the surfboard light over the dining table. It was the first thing Glen designed and made when we bought the section… in anticipation of a future bach.

What is your advice for someone trying to achieve a similar look?

Large rooms with high studs and lots of glass can carry more colour than one may think. Plus it’s a beach house – colour adds fun.

What was the biggest decorating, renovating or building challenge for this project?

Being first-timers, doing it ourselves, and actually finishing the project.

Do you have a favourite colour, and if so why is it your favourite?

The boys like blue, I like red and a favourite at the time was lime green. We started with the green Resene Happy Hour splashback and worked around it! The green chosen is vibrant yet not overbearing.

pictures

Photographs from Barfoot & Thompson

Spilling outside

A key factor for bach living is good indoor-outdoor flow, and this one certainly has it. The cladding is ColorSteel in New Denim Blue. 

Colours of the sea

The guest room is painted a warm light seafoam blue. 

Let the sun shine in

The open plan living room is light and airy with walls in Resene Milk White. The funky surfboard light was made by owner Glen before the house was even built. 

One for the kids

Another sea-inspired colour that has unisex appeal covers the walls of the bunk room - Resene Morning Glory. 

A calm place to relax

The master bedroom is what the owners describe as 'calm and peaceful' in Resene Half Tea. 

Lines of design

On the bach exterior, strong linear patterns are created by the ColorSteel 'New Denim Blue' cladding as well as the timber tongue-and-groove soffits and decking timbers. 

Steel by the sea

Not only is the exterior made of steel but the house framing is also steel - it was a design exercise by the engineer owner who is involved in the steel framing industry. 

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Resene Morning Glory

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Resene New Denim Blue

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