New Zealand Couple Builds Award-Winning Dream Home

Shelley and Jim Wilson finally built the home Shelley dreamed about since childhood, nestled into the hills near where she grew up in Timaru, New Zealand.

As a child, Shelley was captivated by how big the mountains looked from the Hadlow area. After moving to Dunedin, meeting Jim, and eventually returning to Timaru, that dream of building near those views never faded.

Finding the perfect spot took years of patient searching. One day while driving around Hadlow, Shelley told Jim she wanted to see "a view like that," pointing to the rolling hills that would eventually frame their home.

The couple worked with architects for two years before partnering with Dimension Building and builder Richard Phiskie. Their vision was simple: face the views and let the house blend into the land, not fight against it.

"I wanted it to disappear into the land," Shelley explains. The design sits the home slightly lower into the hillside, tucking it into the natural ridges rather than perching on top.

Shelley designed the floor plan herself, mixing industrial style with natural stone elements. Schist stone appears both outside and inside, inspired by the Wānaka homes they admired early in their relationship.

Every detail serves the stunning views of mountains and ocean. Even the blinds tuck under pelmets so nothing interrupts the panorama of Mount Cook and the sea.

Construction took just over a year, with only minor Covid-related delays. The four-bedroom home sits on 1.84 hectares, which Jim mows in about an hour on his ride-on mower.

Sunny's Take

The couple's favorite room is a hidden cinema with an 80-inch TV and bar, tucked away so secretly that their grandchildren couldn't find it during their first visit. "Jimmy and my son could hide in there and have a bit of time away from the grandchildren, and they have no idea," Shelley laughs.

The home won multiple awards at the 2022 Registered Master Builders House of the Year Awards. But the Wilsons remain humble about their achievement.

"I didn't want for it to look like Timaru's best house from up on the street," Shelley says. "I wanted it to be humble."

She credits visitors with the glowing descriptions. When you walk down the front steps and open the door, Mount Cook and the sea greet you alongside a reflection pond.

Now the couple is moving back to Dunedin to be closer to family. While sad to leave, they're excited for new owners to create their own memories in this tranquil retreat.

"It's like we're the only people on Earth because you don't hear or see anything or anybody," Shelley reflects, capturing the peace their childhood dream delivered.