It’s not often a person’s passion intertwines perfectly with where they live, but at Pintala in the South Auckland area of Waiau Pa, Nick Bates has achieved exactly that. Nick spent three months searching for the perfect spot and his perseverance paid off. Pintala is on a beautiful site in rural South Auckland with views over the Manukau Harbour, out to Awhitu Peninsula, the Waitakere Ranges and even the city lights in the distance.

The only thing on site when Nick bought it was an old stock shelter, so he pretty much had a blank canvas to begin with. Nick had firm ideas on what he wanted; a rustic-contemporary look, lots of black with white highlights to capture a Cape Cod feel, and most importantly he wanted to live in a home surrounded by equestrian facilities. “I wanted it to be simple in design and to function effortlessly. I didn’t want a glitzy show home, I wanted a working, practical home that also looked good.”

Marley Stratus Design Series in Ironsand was an obvious choice when Nick was deciding on a complementary spouting system.

In keeping with the rustic look and keeping in mind the coastal location Nick wanted wood wherever possible. Board and batten exteriors are used on the cottage, implement shed, and horse barn, all coated in Resene Blackjack CoolColour, which will softly weather and give a permanence to the buildings. The roof is Colorsteel Endura Corrugated Iron in Thunder Grey.

The nearby beach was a factor in the choice of spouting and downpipes as well. The Marley Stratus Design Series was suggested by Customkit because of the fact that it doesn’t rust, is UV resistant, carries a 15-year guarantee and has a great range of colours.

The Typhoon spouting profile, in Ironsand, was picked by Nick because it suited the board and batten exterior. The external brackets suit the traditional style of the house and also make the spouting very easy to clean.