Do It Once, Do It Right

When you’re a builder planning your own home, the stakes are higher. For Sam Bain, a Landmark Homes franchise owner, and his wife Susanna, building their five bedroom family home wasn’t just about creating beautiful spaces; it was about embodying the kind of quality and attention to detail they bring to every client project. 

There were two phrases that guided every decision they made during the build process: “Do it once and do it right” and “make sure you utilise the sun.” 

The couple worked with architectural designer Dave Gunter to design a home that fitted their rural lifestyle with three active sons. Set on a sun-drenched site with sweeping views over their 80-hectare property, the home features open-plan living areas, five bedrooms, multiple outdoor living zones, a mudroom and an infinity pool.

“The big gable roofline gives it a classic, traditional aesthetic,” says Sam. “We designed the home ourselves, so thought very carefully about all the details we incorporated.” The home also served as a Landmark Homes showhome for a year, before the family moved in. 

This meant every finish needed to withstand scrutiny and demonstrate real-world performance. The couple’s main challenge with the
building process was finding products that would deliver the look 
they had in mind within their budget. The Hardie™ fibre cement product range ticked both boxes and matched their “do it once and do it right” ethos.

For the exterior, Sam and Susanna chose Axon™ Panel Smooth with Hardie™ Axent™ Trim in a board-and-batten style, painted in Resene Milk White. The product’s robust, low-maintenance performance made it ideal for the home’s classic farmhouse silhouette while delivering the clean, contemporary lines they wanted. 

As a fibre cement product specifically engineered for New Zealand conditions, Axon™ Panel provides weather resistance and durability – critical for a rural property exposed to the elements. “Hardie™ fibre cement products fit well with Landmark Homes plan designs,” says Sam. “The products suited our house design, bringing contemporary finishes that are hardwearing and paint up well.”

Hardie™ Groove Lining became a unifying element throughout the home, used strategically to create visual continuity between indoor and outdoor spaces. The soffits were finished in Hardie™ Groove Lining and painted in Resene Alabaster, creating a seamless visual bridge between the covered outdoor living zones and the home’s façade. Inside, the product brings traditional character to the soaring ceilings in the open-plan kitchen, dining and lounge area.
“Having the open plan kitchen, dining and lounge area as well as the covered outdoor areas in Hardie™ Groove Lining is a stylish feature,” says Sam.
For the mudroom, an essential space for life on a working farm, the couple chose Hardie™ Glaze Lining. With a pre-finished white gloss surface that’s durable and hygienic, it’s perfect for handling the daily assault of muddy boots and wet clothing. Sam and Susanna’s sun-filled home is proof that “do it once, do it right”
is an intelligent way to design and build a home that matches how you
actually live.