Living the dream with Stria Cladding

“We aimed to have a home with crisp clean lines, a simple colour palette and high standard of building materials.”

Sporting on-trend black paintwork, this two-storey dream home in Auckland was built for a couple with a direct connection to the construction materials sector. As commercial sales manager for PlaceMakers Central North Island, Charlie Bartlett is well-acquainted with modern construction materials. When he specified Stria™ Cladding by James Hardie for his family’s new home in Hobsonville, we took it as a compliment.

“Because it’s a fibre cement product, Stria™ Cladding is a durable choice. It can stand up to the coastal environment and it can be painted dark colours. I also like the width and length of the board, which makes the cladding look like steel - that’s the effect we wanted,” says Charlie.

Charlie and his partner Marjka King teamed the black-painted Stria™ Cladding (Colorsteel FlaxPod by Dulux) with white brick and light cedar. Hardie™ Groove Lining was used on the eaves and soffits, to tie in with Stria™ Cladding’s vertical lines. “We aimed to have a home with crisp, clean lines, a simple colour palette and high standard of building materials. I’ve always wanted to work on my own home-building project, so this was our chance to do what we wanted.”

Ease of installation

Collaborating with draftsperson June Hunter, Charlie and Marjka designed their home to deliver everything on their wish list. With four bedrooms, open-plan living, a media room with a fireplace, massive loggia and a swimming pool, the resulting home certainly has the wow factor. The property also includes a self contained apartment, which helps to pay the mortgage. It’s not surprising that Charlie selected PlaceMakers for materials supply, but this choice wasn’t just because he works there.

“We wanted a premium home and PlaceMakers is a premium merchant. Their trade support is first class, especially the trade portal and trade app that make ordering and payment easy. What’s more, the delivery service with the Hiab was impeccable. Our driveway is tight and they reversed down the driveway safely with no problems.”

As with any build, there were challenges. The house was constructed during the COVID pandemic, so it took two years to complete – one to get consents and another to build. In spite of these frustrations, Charlie and Marjka are thrilled with the result. And they have more time to enjoy their dream home, because it’s relatively easy to maintain.