Beachfront Living Elevated

“This home at Peka Peka Beach is all about the view. When you’re building this close to the coast, with Kāpiti Island sitting right there across the water, the whole design has to earn that outlook, and that’s exactly what we set out to do. The clients wanted a beach house that lived upstairs, where the sea, the dunes and the island are the first thing you see every morning.

The upside-down layout was the key decision. Putting the main living, kitchen and dining on the upper floor lifts you above the dune line and opens the whole space to the coast. Those big sliding doors fold the living area right out onto the deck, so on a good day the inside and outside become one space, sheltered under the louvred pergola but open to the sea air.

Building on an exposed beachfront brings its own demands. Every material has to handle salt and coastal weather, so the cladding, the joinery and the exterior detailing were all chosen and executed to last. The floating external stair and the glass balustrades keep the design light and open, letting the view carry through rather than boxing it in, and that kind of detail takes precise work to get right.

Inside, we kept it relaxed and coastal but properly finished. Oak floors, a crisp white kitchen lifted by a teal-tiled splashback, a freestanding wood burner for the cooler months, and a floating timber stair with a glass balustrade that makes a feature of the double-height glazing. The bathroom carries the same coastal palette through, with its teal feature wall and stone-look tiling.

A beach house like this is meant to be enjoyed for generations, somewhere a family comes back to year after year. Delivering a home that makes the most of one of the Kāpiti Coast’s best outlooks, built to stand up to its beachfront setting, is exactly the kind of project we love. It’s proof that good design and solid construction turn a great site into a great home.”