When Matt Watson and wife Kaylene purchased this spot of land in the Bay of Islands, it was a dream 10 years in the making. In the early days of his fishing career, Matt had set his eyes on a northern-facing beach nestled into the peninsula, with the hope of one day being able to build a home that would stay in his family for generations. Unfortunately for Matt and Kaylene, it was not 'smooth sailing' from here as nationwide lockdowns and difficult terrains through a spanner in the works, but the pair never gave up hope on building their 'kiwi dream'. 

Matt and Kaylene knew from the beginning they wanted to use Vantage Windows and Doors, a product well-known and trusted by the Watson family for many years. Marc Armstrong from Vantage Manufacturer, Bay Aluminium, helped the couple through the design process to find products that not only suited the Watson's dream aesthetic, but were also functional and equip to handle an environment with close proximity to the sea. Marc recommended high performance glass, with low emissive (Low-E) coating to keep the heat in during the winter months and reflect outwards in the summer months. 

The 'big ticket item' of this coastal build is the entrance, consisting of five and a half meters of Vantage aluminimum joinery and low emissive (Low-E) high performance glass from AGP. Here, APL Architectural Series sliding doors bridge the gap between indoor and the outside environments, while seamlessly blending into the home's aesthetic. "It needs to look and feel good," says Matt.

"The sliding doors go right around the front of the house, so in the summer everything opens up and people can congregate," says Matt. Being able to host friends and family was a key part of Matt and Kaylene's design process, with APL Architectural Series bi-fold and sliding windows connecting the kitchen to the outdoor entertaining area. "The function of these windows makes the space work with how we want to live," says Matt. Above, clerestory windows are set on actuators, which allows automated control even when the family is not home.

The aluminimum joinery is finished in Duratec Metropolis Electric Cow, for a stunning, natural looking finish that feels right at home on this rugged Northland climate. "This is exactly what we wanted," Matt says, "We get to wake up everyday and look out at that view." It's safe to say the Watson's have succeeded in building their Kiwi Dream.

You may have seen parts of this build on Three's Building the Kiwi Dream, proudly sponsored by Vantage Windows and Doors. Stream the entire series of Building the Kiwi Dream on Three Now.