First Time Lucky in Taranaki

Smart start, stylish finish: Hayden & Amanda’s first home

When Hayden and Amanda started house-hunting in Taranaki, they quickly realised something surprising - building a brand-new home wasn’t much more than buying an existing one. That lightbulb moment sparked their first build with Signature Homes. What they wanted was simple: a home that worked for their lifestyle, stayed within budget, but still had a spark of style and personality.

The Brief: keep it simple, make it theirs

As first-home buyers, they were after something affordable, functional and future-proof. But that didn’t mean boring—they still wanted a home that reflected their energy, with smart design choices and a few bold touches.

The Plan: tried, true & just right

After exploring a few options, Hayden and Amanda walked through the Rosella showhome- and knew it was the one. The layout just made sense, and it gave them the room they needed to grow.

They kept the plan mostly as-is, making a few tweaks to suit their style and make the space feel more like their own.

The look: simple with a pop of personality

To give their home some flair, Hayden and Amanda chose a bold dark kitchen for contrast and a bright orange front door that brings instant personality (and curb appeal!). They also mixed in sections of James Hardie Linea weatherboard with brick cladding to create texture and visual interest.The result? A clean, modern home with just the right amount of edge.

Design

The 184 sqm home would be tailored to perfectly suit their lifestyle – and their two rescue greyhounds, Junior and Bugsy.The couple wanted to keep things simple to fit within their budget, but they also wanted to ensure the house would be able to grow with them. They wanted decking and landscaping to be positioned to capture the views across Fernbrook, as well as all-day sun that streams in through the open-plan living,dining and kitchen areas. Sliders meant these areas could merge seamlessly with the deck.

The build

Hayden and Amanda agree that their favourite part of building a new home (except for getting the keys and moving in) was the interior design and colour consulting process with local designer Sharne Greig, all included as part of their Signature Homes build package. “These parts of the process were so exciting as we could visualise what our home would look like and plan our furniture to fit the space,” says Amanda.

Now they’ve moved in, they have a few recommendations for those building a new home for the first time. “Look around at other homes to get ideas for what you like, including different layouts and cladding options, and an understanding of what works for you,” says Amanda. “You don’t notice the things you’ve compromised on until you move in.” Hayden and Amanda are thrilled with their new home and plan on living there for a long time.

“We’re in an amazing location with great neighbours,” says Amanda. “We absolutely love what we’ve created.”