There's no place like (this) home

Daniel Simmons Ritchie | Monday, August 2, 2010 8:15

STUNNER: Ron and Fran Dixon's home at Martinborough has topped the region as House of the Year. PICTURES / PETER NIKOLAISON

An airy Martinborough property has been named the region's most finely crafted home of 2010.
Ron and Fran Dixon's home won over the judges of Wairarapa Registered Master Builders for its huge ranch sliders at the north and south ends of the house, which offered ''exceptional indoor-outdoor flow''.
The property won a gold award in its category, new homes $1 million to $2 million, and then picked up several lifestyle awards before winning the top honour, the Wairarapa Registered Master Builders 2010 House of the Year and Placemakers Supreme Award.
As a civil engineer, Mr Dixon had a detailed understanding of how the house was built and said parts of the design were innovative.
''We wanted some really nice outdoor living and I wanted three pavilions _ our master bedroom area, our living area, and another pavilion for our guests or grandchildren,'' he said.
The Wellington couple decided to venture into Martinborough after they tired of their usual winter getaway.
''We did have a holiday home in Ohakune,'' he said.
''I got past skiing and the drive was a long way to Wellington so we decided to come to Martinborough to spend a little bit more time and it's a good place, good restaurants and plenty of things to do.''
The house was designed by architect Nigel Dong and completed in February after a year of construction.
The contractor, Bardik Developments Ltd, is owned by Mr Dixon's friend Lee Mason, who scooped up eight prizes at Friday's award evening.
Mr Mason said that as soon as he saw the drawings for Mr Dixon's home he knew it was going to be a fantastic house to build. The Dixons' house will now go forward to the national Registered Masterton Builders awards, to compete against 19 other regional winners in September.
Other Wairarapa winners included a silver award for DR Borman Ltd in the new homes $600,000 to $1 million category, a silver award to A1 Homes in the James Hardie Show Home category, and a silver to MB Brown Ltd in the retail and business project category.