Kaiteriteri masterpiece combines coastal views with year-round comfort
For building company owner Paul Richards, crafting a home for himself and wife Melissa perched above Dummy Bay in Kaiteriteri, near Nelson, was an opportunity to do something a bit special with a unique piece of land. The final result is a striking home that boasts sweeping coastal views from every room, including the bathrooms.
"Why have that view and not be able to see it from every part of the house? It’s pretty special," Paul says.
Paul designed the home himself, prioritising a layout that makes the most of that breath-taking outlook, both indoors and out. One of his design non-negotiables was making sure there was an outdoor space for each season and weather condition.
Being a coastal property, the site gets wind from every direction: “We get the northerly, southerly, westerly and easterly winds – so I wanted to make sure we had access to an outdoor area no matter what the weather,” Paul explains.
Built on rock and dug in below ground level, this build was never going to be anything less than a challenge – but the incredible views were worth it. From the road, the house looks quite understated…until you enter the house, walk downstairs and hit that show-stopping view.
“From here, you look down over Dummy Bay, an isolated, golden-sand beach; Stephen’s Bay, with its grey sand, sits one bay over. No matter what time you look out, there’s always a fair bit of activity to watch,” explains Paul.
The luxury 297 sqm home has three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and two living spaces, including a stylish Mad Men-esque sunken lounge.
“The sunken lounge is quite a cool space,” says Paul. “Everyone gravitates toward that in the evening. When you’re sitting in that space, your elevation changes – you don’t see as much of the immediate housing below so the view out the floor-to-ceiling windows is unimpeded by housing. It’s pretty stunning.”
For Paul, it’s the kitchen that’s one of his favourite rooms in this house.
“The kitchen is a really nice space to just hang out in, with oversize Fairview sliders that open onto a deck. Last night we were cooking and eating with the sliders wide open in the late afternoon and the sun pouring in. It’s a great space,” he says.
The house has more windows than walls so the right glazing was important. Choosing Fairview Windows & Doors was a natural decision for Paul, who has worked with them on multiple projects since 2018. But this house was different – it called for a custom solution.
“Typically, windows are manufactured off-site and installed later, but this was the reverse,” Paul says. Dion, the local Fairview franchise owner, tailored each window and door specifically for the site. First, they installed lower glazing channels, took measurements, and returned weeks later with custom panels that fit seamlessly into place.
The result? A house where the boundary between indoors and outdoors seems to disappear. The sunken lounge has those gorgeous views uninterrupted by floor-to-ceiling windows, and the large sliders opening from the dining and living areas means Paul and his family can fully connect with the landscape, no matter what the weather’s doing.
Beyond the stunning views, Paul’s home is also highly energy-efficient, with thermally efficient, double-glazed Fairview windows enhanced by a solar film. The home remains warm, even in winter, thanks to the Low-E Solace glazing and solar passive gain in the northwest corner, supplemented by underfloor heating that keeps the concrete at a comfortable 18–20°C.
Even though Paul has built many homes over the last 30 years, this home represents a one-of-a-kind achievement. "Because it was ours, we could do something really different. There's nothing like this anywhere close."