- James Davis’ two-bedroom Round House on the Kāpiti Coast is for sale, attracting early interest.
- The home, featured on Grand Designs NZ, offers stunning views and was designed by Gary Phillips.
- Davis and his partner are selling due to their growing family and need for more space.
It’s the Grand Designs home that didn’t cost an outrageous fortune or end in tears, and now it’s for sale.
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James Davis’ remarkable two-bedroom home on the Kāpiti Coast, affectionately known as the Round House, had only been on the market for a few hours this morning before attracting buyer interest.
The property, which has an RV of $1.17 million, featured on Grand Designs NZ in 2022 and is being marketed by Sharalyn Fraser.
Designed by Gary Phillips, of Novare Architecture, and built by Cameron Builders, the 12-sided house features views of Kāpiti Island, the coastline, Mount Taranaki and Mount Ruapehu.
The stunning property has an RV of just over $1m but is aiming to sell for much more. Photo / Supplied
James Davis, right, with his mother Sally, and architectural designer Gary Phillips. Photo / David Haxton
Davis said putting the property up for sale was bittersweet. “It’s an interesting home so it might sell, it might not. But we’ve been really happy there,” he told OneRoof.
“It’s a magical place up there and the pictures don’t capture just how amazing it is when you’re living there.”
The journey has been somewhat of a love story for Davis, 36, who said he met his partner, Renee Smith, while building the home.
“She lived in the garage with me, and we built the garden together, and our love blossomed from there,” he said.
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While living there, the couple welcomed their now one-and-a-half-year-old son, Navy, who was “the biggest blessing of our lives”.
Now, with their second baby on the way, Davis said it was time to look for something bigger.
Davis said he enjoyed the process of building his grand home.
“I had my eyes set on this design years in advance of purchasing the section. I had this picture in my head and just couldn’t let it go. I was obsessed with it.
“So, I thought I would have a crack at building something a bit different and cool.”
Davis’ unusual house was inspired by the octagonal house his uncle owned in Wānaka. He decided to create his own version on a new Waikanae hillside subdivision, which he bought in 2020 for $240,000. Photo / Supplied
He decided to create a two-storey roundhouse, like a castle turret, on a new Waikanae hillside subdivision in Wilson Way.
With a bit of financial help from his mother Sally, Davis enlisted architectural designer Gary Phillips to design the home.
Duane Cameron, from Cameron Builders, built the dodecagon-shaped western red cedar-clad building masterpiece on a perfectly round concrete base.
Inside, the home features two bedrooms, two lounges, a kitchen, two bathrooms, and a bespoke metal spiral staircase created by Arvid O’Sullivan, from Fusion Engineering, that had to be craned in.
Davis said he signed off the 2022 Grand Designs NZ episode by saying he was going to build his mum’s house next, which he has now completed across the road.
Davis, who is a skilled landscaper, took charge of the exteriors, using decking, retaining walls, boulders and sub-tropical plantings to create a stunning garden and outdoor living space. Photo / Supplied
He and Renee are still looking for their next home, and Davis was even contemplating building it, but for now, they are just going to “test the market”.
Davis said they had also run the property as an Airbnb, which had been “super popular”.
“People have celebrated their anniversaries here, come up from Wellington, and some have got engaged here.”
The home had also recently been part of the Waikanae Lions Garden Trail, and Davis said they had between 700 and 800 people through.
“People love it. It was like a couple of days of good compliments.”
The property has been pitched to buyers looking for a "personal sanctuary, permanent home or successful high-end Airbnb". Photo / Supplied
Fraser said the “super private” home perched on the hill had hit the property market this morning and had already received an inquiry.
“It’s a beautiful property. Once you’re in there, the look and feel is amazing.”
Fraser said the family had been using it as their family home and were “very reluctantly” putting the home on the market.
“But, their family is growing and unfortunately they have outgrown it.”
While the RV was $1.17m, Fraser said that was not indicative of the price they were trying to attract for this “amazing home”.
Fraser said open homes in Waikanae had been “pretty busy”, with one property attracting 44 groups.
Te Arai Lodge made a star appearance on Grand Designs New Zealand in 2018. At the time, it was the show’s most expensive build. Photo / Supplied
“We will have multiple team members on hand. We are very excited to be marketing this property.”
The OneRoof property listing describes the elevated home above Waikanae as an “extraordinary retreat” offering peace, privacy and architectural brilliance.
“A standout feature is the completely private outdoor shower, nestled among lush tropical planting and bathed in both morning and evening sun, it offers a truly magical way to begin or end the day.
“Whether as a personal sanctuary, permanent home or successful high-end Airbnb, this one-of-a-kind home offers a rare lifestyle opportunity, a tranquil, luxurious retreat unlike any other in Waikanae.”
It is not the only Grand Designs NZ home up for sale.
Vince and Kathy Moores’ Italian-style villa that appeared on the fourth series of Grand Designs NZ hit the property market last month.
The luxurious Te Arai Lodge is one of the most expensive properties for sale on OneRoof and was one of the biggest and costliest to feature on Grand Designs NZ.
The six-bedroom mansion has an RV of $4m, but the owners and their listing agent, Greg Dennerly of New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty, are hoping a buyer will spend much more.
The ambitious build, on 2ha in Te Arai, near the Tara Iti and Te Arai Links golf courses, even had then TV host Chris Moller worried: “I just hope they get to enjoy it, and [they] don’t end up living in the shed.”
- 14 Wilson Way, Waikanae, Kapiti Coast, is for sale, deadline closing November 27
