The director of multi-award winning Design and Build company Landmark Homes (Auckland – South & Franklin) is passionate about transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary — and GIB-Cove is one of his secret weapons.

“Landmark Homes specialise in creating bespoke homes for clients and we use a wide range of styles to create the right look,” Michael explains. “It’s all about creating space and a certain vibe, and it’s the little details that really help us to achieve that.”

GIB-Cove Basso played a starring role in a Waiuku home Michael and his team recently designed and built. A modern take on a traditional villa, the property exudes luxury and grace, and is chock full of archetypal villa features, from ornate ceiling roses and hallway arches to intricate paneling and skirting boards. GIB-Cove Basso provided the perfect finishing touch.

“It’s about taking a room that’s a square box and putting key design elements into it to create something special. It’s these finer details that alter the look dramatically, and that is what helps set this home apart.”

Having grown up in a villa in Pukekohe, the owner wanted a home reminiscent of her childhood, “but not like the old draughty villas.”

“The whole concept of this home was about trying to replicate a classical villa style, but modernised, and the owners are absolutely delighted. They just love it — they even got married there over the summer.”

And they are not the only ones who think this property is a cut above. The home also earned a silver medal in the 2023 Registered Master Builders House of the Year (Auckland, Northland and Coromandel), a competition which celebrates building excellence and craftsmanship. It is another feather in the cap for Landmark Homes, which boasts a unique design heritage of more than 45 years, and around 133 awards both regionally and nationally.

As New Zealand’s premium new home building company, it makes sense that Landmark Homes favours the ‘tried, trusted and true’ products offered by GIB, and although Michael admits they often opt for square stopping (“a lot of people want very clean lines across the top”), when they are seeking something more decorative, GIB-Cove is their product of choice.

Quick and easy to install, it is easily painted and integrates seamlessly with GIB plasterboard wall and ceiling linings. Better still, it creates a stable system that ties walls and ceilings together, minimising the chance of joints (and paint) cracking.

“We often use GIB-Cove Tenor because it gives quite a sophisticated square, sharp look. We also use GIB-Cove Classic a bit — but none of them have the same dramatic appeal as Basso.”

With a steep 45° angle bookended by a double step, the Basso profile injects opulence into bedrooms and adds polish to buildings with higher studs. But even without high ceilings, the larger profile can still light up a space — with the right expertise.

“There are lots of clever tricks that can open up a space, like making your doorways 2200mm high instead of 1980mm, or painting your walls, ceiling and GIB-Cove all in the same colour. It’s about playing with the way you do things to make sure you extend the height, not shrink it.”

And although GIB-Cove Basso has been a resounding success in this stunning heritage-style villa, Michael says it is a profile that would also pack a punch in a different style of home.

“Basso is not old fashioned — it can work just as well in contemporary homes as it does in traditional ones. In fact, at Landmark Homes we’re not afraid to mix things up. Sometimes we use different GIB-Cove profiles in different rooms, or just feature them in the public spaces like the hallways and living areas. It’s all about making sure the shop front is right — it’s all about the look!”