This architectural home, located just off the coast in New Plymouth, features a sophisticated material palette with schist stone, timber decking and black powder coated joinery. For the cladding, the clients wanted the natural look of timber — but without the ongoing maintenance. Nu-Wall’s aluminium cladding in a Metwood woodgrain finish was an ideal solution.

It was important to find a cladding option that could withstand the coastal conditions of the site, which has a high corrosion rating (C4) and medium to high wind zone. The architects specified a BRANZ appraised vertical cladding profile from Nu-Wall for both the main house and shed on the property, to be installed on the Nu-Wall Alibat 20mm batten. 

Based on the specification, the builders contacted the Nu-Wall team to explore finish options. “The client and builder requested a wood look with a rich, dark chestnut finish,” explains Craig Hendrie from Nu-Wall.

Having collaborated with Nu-Wall on other projects, Metwood was a logical choice for creating the wood-look finish. Their wide range of sublimated powder coating finishes offers a natural woodgrain appearance, backed by a 10-year warranty on the pattern and a 25-year warranty on the underlying powder coating. The Metwood finish, requiring only a simple washdown, helps reduce maintenance for clients compared to natural timber cladding.

In this case, the clients had a very specific finish in mind — one that wasn’t yet part Metwood’s range on offer. Metwood and Nu-Wall worked closely together to find the right solution.

“I collaborated with Stu at Metwood to create the dark chestnut finish the clients desired,” says Craig. “It took considerable time to produce samples and match the exact look and shade the client envisioned. We focused on achieving the perfect woodgrain shading on the chosen profile.”

After some back and forth with the client, the team finally landed on the new Metwood Dusky Chestnut finish — which has now been added to Metwood’s range of powder coated finishes. It is a dark finish with very subtle chestnut-like veining that was chosen to contrast nicely with the schist stone and black powder coating components. 

Once the finish was chosen, the rest of the process was straightforward, with Metwood using their sublimated coating process to powdercoat each cladding panel at their facility ready for installation on site. 

The end result is an eye-catching vertically clad facade that combines the durability and low maintenance of aluminium with the subtle texture and warmth of natural timber. 

“Metwood delivered a high-quality finish,” says Craig. “When used in the right areas of a building, it not only looks amazing but also provides the client with significant low-maintenance benefits. The clients here applied it perfectly — it looks fantastic.”