Waikato new-build crafted to perfection with loft-style vibe

Tuesday, 21 July 2026

Paulette Bell chose a vintage Kashan rug to soften the polished concrete floors in the Cambridge home she shares with husband Justin; the Halo sofa in Destroyed Raw leather is from Hus – one of the couple’s favourite stores – while the coffee and side tables and the tan leather Morton armchair are from Greenslades Furniture; the 2m-long LED light over the bench was custom-designed by Social Light and the Rocket coffee machine is used daily.

This feature is from the team at NZ House & Garden magazine.

Some people fall in love with the classic lines of wooden villas and bungalows. Others prefer a Palm Springs mid-century modern vibe with its focus on clean lines and simple functionality. And then there are those who crave sleek modern houses with concrete floors and a New York industrial style.

Stroll around the Cambridge home of Paulette and Justin Bell and it’s easy to see which camp this couple falls into. And so it has always been: Paulette, a real estate agent, and Justin, who decided he wanted to be a builder at age 9 and established J.A. Bell Building company 25 years ago, have built their last three houses at the contemporary end of the design scale.

The main bedroom has its own deck by the pool; the cedar hot tub, which had to be airlifted over the house, is accessible from the main bedroom and the living area, and is tucked between the two pavilions for privacy with festoon lighting above from Mr Ralph.

But after 13 years in their previous Hamilton dwelling, the time had come to do something different. “That house was all glass and whitewashed walls,” recalls Paulette, who works for Cambridge Real Estate. “We wanted something darker, moodier and more focused on the industrial style we’d fallen in love with during visits to New York.”

The burnt orange velvet banquette seat was made by Cambridge upholster Paul Tunley, the rustic French oak farmhouse table and vintage German folding deck chairs are from The Sunday Society and the pendant lights are from Mr Ralph.

Their brief to Hamilton architectural designer Nick Crossfield was simple: the 240m² home had to be north-facing for views of the Te Miro hills, it needed the pool that Paulette had long lusted after, and it had to have two separate pavilions, one for the couple and one for their children Ethan, 19, and 18-year-old daughter Charley.

Justin and Paulette love the custom-designed staircase that rises through the centre of the open-plan living and kitchen area, leading to a loft space in the 45-degree pitched roof space that houses a library and home theatre.

Paulette’s son Nick lives nearby with his two children and interior designer wife Adrianna Wilkins, who helped Paulette source the furniture. Oh, and their dream home also had to go all-in on materials such as brick, steel and cedar.

The Belluno brick entry wall adds texture while the reeded glass sliding doors conceal the laundry; the pendant lights are from Mr Ralph, the vintage newspaper clipping of the Eiffel Tower was found during a trip to Paris and the urn on the floor was a wedding gift from Paulette’s family.

Naturally, building it fell to Justin, who spent 14 months of long evenings and weekends on-site, tucked around other high-end projects he and his team were completing around the Waikato region.

Large steel sliding doors designed by the couple were made by A-Line Sheetmetals and help conceal the walk-through office which separates the house’s two pavilions; Justin’s Master Builders award certificates line the office wall.

For the exterior, the couple opted for Canadian cedar cladding in a platinum shade, rather than a more usual dark colour. “It means that it ages nicely and doesn’t need staining every few years,” says Justin. “We wanted a low-maintenance home we could lock up and leave when heading to our Mt Maunganui bach.”

A curved sofa from Hus and Lujo bean bags provide seating in the mezzanine home theatre.

Polished concrete floors flecked with black and white run throughout, joined by slate tiles, and grey carpet in the four bedrooms.

The main bedroom has a vaulted ceiling and a partition wall that conceals a walk-through wardrobe and ensuite; the ceiling fan is from Social Light and the bedding is from Seneca and Bianca Lorenne, while the velvet charcoal comforter and metal bedside cabinets are from Hus; the large graffiti artwork, from Hot Shots, adds a pop of colour.

The result is a home of two halves, with the living spaces and adult pavilion to the right of the entrance and the teen’s pavilion on the left. Both wings are able to be closed off with enormous steel doors but uniting the two is an entrance lined with bricks imported from Italy.

Son Ethan’s room features oak shelving from Città and a stencilled pillowcase bought in Melbourne many years ago.

Left: The couple’s walk-through ensuite features a dedicated makeup station; a concrete bath rests on railway sleepers and has a matching bath caddy crafted by Justin; the reeded glass sliding doors open to a double shower. Right: Black glass penny round tiles line a wall in the powder room; Justin reused an off-cut from the kitchen bench for the vanity top which sits on a full-width wall-hung cabinet; Plumbline Buddy tapware in Aged Brass adds warmth as does the vintage brass gun shell used as a vase.

“We could have made life easier for ourselves by using regular-sized local bricks but we wanted the New York-style of bricks half the size and with an irregular pattern which allowed for offcuts to be used,” says Justin.

“A couple of bricklayers told us they’d never done that before and weren’t sure it would work but we found someone who spent hours cutting the bricks and laying them in a format that provides texture and interest.”

Large sliding doors open from the living area to a portico, kwila decking and the private north-facing back garden; Lujo sun loungers and a Shade7 cantilever umbrella sit beside the pool while a Hus outdoor rug, made from recycled plastic, joins Danske Møbler sofas bought 15 years ago.

Above the open-plan kitchen, dining and living space the roof rises to a pitch of 45 degrees, creating a sense of spaciousness and allowing the couple to fearlessly embrace the black paint pot. “Justin actually wanted to have black ceilings throughout the house but I decided to only paint this room which can take it because of its height,” admits Paulette.

The entry boardwalk, made from vitex and flanked by columns of Buxus ‘Graham Blandy’, leads to a glass front door; aluminium boxes were used to frame the windows at the front and sides of the house to add interest while inside, the Belluno bricks are highlighted by strategically placed lighting; the hanging lights are from Mr Ralph.

The 7m-high roof also meant the couple were able to tuck a mezzanine loft into the space, accessed by a set of steel stairs built by Cambridge Steel Fabricators & Engineers. The loft features a cosy reading nook and bookshelves and, behind a glass door is a home theatre where the family love to congregate.

Most of the cladding is western red Canadian cedar from RK Timbers, stained in a platinum shade; ornamental grasses are planted on the road frontage with a Japanese maple on the lawn; the garage has an attic above it and the garage door was meticulously made by Justin to ensure each timber panel aligned perfectly.

Both Paulette and Justin are keen cooks, so having a user-friendly kitchen was important. That includes a generous island with a Dekton worktop that is friendly to hot pans, and a stainless steel top for the opposite bench.

A bar fridge and compact scullery were non-negotiables, as was the stylish steel open shelving above the sink, created by the company responsible for the staircase. Wanting to make the most of the limited space, Paulette tucked booth seating along one wall, upholstering it in a burnt orange velvet to add a splash of colour.

Outside, the couple designed the pool to be accessible from the main bedroom. “Lots of people put their pool too far away from the house,” says Justin. “We wanted to be able to roll out of bed and into the pool.”

Kwila decking cleverly hides the pool cover while bay trees and easy-care grasses soften the space. Almost hidden by greenery is the cedar hot tub which is accessible from the living area. “Justin likes to jump in there after work and watch the news,” says Paulette.

The couple aren’t alone in the love of their home: in 2022, it won the National Builder’s Own Home category in the Master Builders House of the Year awards. Still, Paulette isn’t convinced this is their forever home. “We both work in the housing industry so who knows what our next step might be?”

Q&A with Paulette Bell

Best budget tip: Be creative with recycled materials. We repurposed recycled mataī for the loft landing floor, leaving it exposed underneath as the dining area ceiling.

Proudest achievement: Winning the National Builder’s Own Home title at the 2022 Master Builders House of the Year awards.

Favourite spot in the house: The dining area beneath the staircase, with its velvet booth seating. We designed it as an intimate dining space to enjoy long dinners with friends and family, often spending the whole evening there.

We love Cambridge because: It has such a community vibe with local shops, markets, amazing cafes and restaurants. Plus, most places are within walking distance.

Favourite local interiors shop: Hus – it has a fabulous selection and the owner has a great sense of style.

At the weekend you'll find us: At our townhouse at Mt Maunganui. Having a low-maintenance primary residence we can lock up and leave gives us more time to enjoy our weekends rather than doing home and garden maintenance.