ARTICLES

Thursday, March 9, 2017

A Cape Cod-style new build in Auckland and a transplanted villa renovation in Hamilton are the Supreme Award winners in the 26th Registered Master Builders 2016 House of the Year Awards.

The Awards were announced at a gala dinner attended by over 500 guests from the building and construction industry held at the Langham Hotel in Auckland.

Auckland firm Richard Davidson Builders won four national awards for their Campbells Bay home, including …

Thursday, March 9, 2017

An Auckland couple’s grand plan to give their elegant St Heliers home the garden it deserved involved months and months of not-so-grand hard labour. Trish and Chris mulled over the transformation of their garden for years, but the final stages of their ambitious makeover were carried out relatively speedily by the couple themselves – they planted 7000 roses, buxus and other plants during four months of dawn-to-dusk, hands-and-knees toil.

Their story …

Thursday, March 9, 2017

Sue was living nearby when she fell head over heels for the house with its graceful return verandah, two pohutukawa standing guard at its entrance, and proximity to the Waitemata Harbour. “I ran past it most days and hoped that one day it would be mine,” she says. After much cajoling, the Waymouths convinced the family who had lived there for 20 years that they would love it just as …

Monday, January 18, 2016

http://www.radiolive.co.nz/The-2015-Auckland-Garden-Design-Fest-is-comming-this-November/tabid/506/articleID/96078/Default.aspx

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Monday, June 29, 2015

As Featured in Trends magazine,

Holiday homes were once defined by their large sites – landscaping was limited to a great expanse of buffalo grass and a few fruit trees. Today, sites are smaller, space is at a premium and there is a more pressing need to maximise the available outdoor living areas.

For this project by landscape architect Robin Shafer of Shafer Design and pool builder Neil Runciman of Frontier Pools, …

Monday, September 2, 2013

Gardens by New Zealand Top Designers/Robin Shafer – Rose Thodey and Gil Hanly.

Monday, September 2, 2013

No property sits in isolation – there is always a backdrop that influences both the architecture and the landscape.For this Greenhithe project, it was a picturesque native bush setting that helped inspire the landscape design by Robin Shafer of Robin Shafer Design.

“The design needed to complement the setting, but the architecture of the house required a degree of formality,” Shafer says. “There was also a need to link several …

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Lifestyle considerations are always a priority when you are looking to renovate or build a new home. And an attractive outdoor living area is probably right at the top of the list.

Robin Shafer of Shafer Design says the earlier a landscape designer is consulted on a project, the better the outcome.
“Outdoor living is an integral part of a modern lifestyle, and needs to be planned from the outset,” …

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Alfresco living is so integral to modern lifestyles that landscape design is no longer an afterthought. Rather, it is a crucial element of the overall architecture.
Robin Shafer of Shafer Design says a project has much more scope if landscape designers are consulted early.

“A thoughtful landscape that enhances the architecture will increase the value of a house substantially.”

Shafer says a successful project invariably involves teamwork and good communication between …

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Hard and soft landscaping completes the home’s Mediterranean air. The landscape design was by Robin Shafer Design and built by Town & Country. The garden was planted and will be maintained by Christine Ramage Landscapes.

The brief was to design a formal structural layout with a resort flavour, says Shafer. The overall look also had to fit with the

Italianate style of the house.

“We used natural stone to age well and tone …