99 Hobson
Street

These are our suppliers and professionals...

Matthew Palmer Construction

Construction

Website: Matthew Palmer Construction

It isn't always easy to find a good builder. Matt is a Registered Master Builder with a great reputation, and we've found him great to work with throughout the tender and construction process.

Classic Metal

Zinc

Website: Classic Metal

Zinc is an amazing product that can last well beyond 100 years, and Classic Metal provided us with great support in assessing this material.

Uddhava is Classic Metal's architectural consultant and she personally delivered samples of their systems to us, to help us with our decisions. Classic Metal provides detailed information on structural requirements and fitting methods, so your architect or designer are properly informed.

These folk know their products and we wouldn't use anyone else!

Mackit

Architectural Design

Website: Mackit

James Mackie from Mackit worked closely with us to realise our requirements and design inputs in the finished structure. Because James is both an architectural designer and builder, he is able to implement ideas in a practically realisable form.

Prowood

Laminated timber

Website: Prowood

The foundations of our home are a visible part of the design and an important component in achieving earthquake resiliency.

Prowood are a New Zealand manufacturer of high-quality laminated timber products. The family business is run by John Woodman, and they have created some beautiful engineering solutions.

Kieran Oliver Contracting

Earthworks

Website: Kieran Oliver Contracting

Our site was heavily overgrown, so it was a big job to clear off the weed trees and brush ready for construction. And although the property is 'flat' by Wellington standards, the contours created during the construction of the Hobson Street bridge in the 1960's needed to be shaped to create a building platform at exactly the right height, with holes precisely drilled for the foundation piles.

Tony, a member of Kieran's team, led the site work. Tony has over 30 years experience with all forms of earthworks and excavation - he brought a friendly and expert hand to all phases of the work.

Ekowood

Wooden flooring

Website: Ekowood

Our requirements for an easy-care flooring that would be seismically resilient could only really be met by wood.

Ekowood is an engineered real timber product that arrives with a factory-applied finish. Product costs are similar equivalent solid timer products, but there is no need to sand and polyurethane.

Temperature Solutions

Ventilation and heating

Website: Temperature Solutions

Surrounded by three very busy roads, we needed a ventilation and heating system that would meet building requirements for fresh air, while keeping noise and grime out.

Garry Quarterman and the team from Temperature Solutions have a small office showroom in Ngauranga and know their products extremely well. There's a lot of information on the web about ventilation and heating solutions, and it can be hard to see the wood for the trees. Garry was able to clearly explain the details of the Lossnay ventilation system and heating options, so we could make informed decisions.

Lewis's

Curtains and blinds

Website: Lewis's

Choosing curtains and blinds can be a nightmare - there is a bewildering array of patterns and fabrics to select from.

We were very fortunate to have the assistance of Carol at Lewis's. She was able to provide expert advice on the availability and suitability of the fabrics we had already seen and made some great recommendations for other fabrics from the extensive range at Lewis's Ngauranga showroom.

The friendly team at Lewis's measured and installed drapes for three rooms, and a blind for the other. They are very good at what they do and their staff are a pleasure to work with.

Plumbline

Bathroom fittings

Website: Plumbline

There are many decisions to be made when selecting bathroom fittings, and your local plumbing store will have products from a number of manufacturers and suppliers.

Many of these brands will come from Plumbline, who have an amazing catalogue filled with high-quality bathroom and kitchen fittings for both modern and traditional settings. This family-run business has showrooms in Wellington and Auckland where you can see and feel their products and receive expert advice.

Kitchen Things

Kitchen Appliances

Website: Kitchen Things

Kitchen Things is a great place to go if you are looking for kitchen appliances. It is a one-stop-shop for everything you might need.

Jon and the team know their products and can explain the pros and cons of each. Kitchen Thing's Wellington showroom in Ngauranga has a huge range from all the major brands - many of their electrical products are actually wired in, so you can see how controls function, how noisy they are (or aren't), and whether they are right for you.

Stash

Wardrobes

Website: Stash

Stash design, build and install custom wardrobes. They have a small showroom in Upper Hutt which displays the different approaches, finishes and fittings that are available.

We really enjoyed working with Chelsea, who was able to make the most of our wardrobe areas and create designs in keeping with the other finishes in the rooms.

Sullivan Consulting

Structural engineering

Website: Sullivan Consulting

Located less than 100 metres from the Wellington fault line, we wanted our home to have special resiliency against earthquakes.

Jared's brief was to achieve a high level of resilience and repairability in the event of an earthquake event. The resulting design is based on an exceedance probability of once in 2,500 years or 1/2500. This is comparable with the rating achieved by Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand, and contrasts with the lesser requirements of 1/500 under the building code i.e. events that might occur once in 500 years.

It is great to have Jared on hand throughout the build to ensure that the engineering goals are achieved.

Mahony Burrowes Horner

Construction contract

Website: Mahony Burrowes Horner

We found it really difficult to find a Wellington law firm to advise on the 'front end' of a residential construction contract, so it was great to eventually get a reference for Mahony Burrowes Horner (MBH).

MBH have worked on many residential construction contracts, and have particular experience with the Master Builders standard agreement. Elspeth and her team can provide specialist advice to help you avoid the pitfalls and establish fair arrangements with your builder.

ecc

Designer lighting

Website: ecc

If you are looking for a something different in a light fitting, check out ecc. Their showrooms are in Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch, and they have an extraordinary range of designer lighting.

We found a special piece for our hallway on their website. They carry a lot of stock which lets you see what you are buying (but be prepared for a reasonable lead time on items which need to come from overseas).

Malcolm Hunt Associates

Acoustic engineering

Website: Malcolm Hunt Associates

Noise is all around us in the city. On average, nearly 60,000 vehicles a day pass our property on the Wellington Urban Motorway, and another 16,000 use Hobson Street and Tinakori Road. So acoustics were always going to be an important factor in our design and planning.

Malcolm gave us practical advice and assessed our design to ensure we were aware of the materials and techniques that would ensure our home would be very quiet, despite its extremely noisy environment. Then, using specialised software, he modelled predicted sound-levels in bedrooms and living areas for our design, allowing us to build with confidence.

Palazzo Kitchens & Appliances

Kitchen design, build and install

Website: Palazzo

Palazzo Wellington has a sizeable showroom, where you can see many styles of kitchens with fittings and appliances.

They can design a kitchen concept for you with no obligation (you have to order a kitchen and pay a deposit to receive a copy of the design).

We came to Kevin with plans that had a problem, and he came up with a solution to address those issues simply and elegantly.

This website reflects the personal opinions and experiences of its authors and is provided for general information only. The accuracy and completeness of information cannot be guaranteed and readers should rely on their own enquiries.