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30 STYLE | home<br />
Melissa Prosser says Sheppard & Rout Architects positioned the house superbly for both its Wairarapa Stream outlook and optimal sunshine with<br />
outdoor living areas on both its east and west sides.<br />
This quietly elegant family haven has turned the heads<br />
of some of the world’s most discerning interiors<br />
critics. Lounging gracefully on an Avon stream flowing by<br />
to Mona Vale, the home’s blend of equal parts refinement,<br />
equal parts vibrancy has earned it international plaudits.<br />
Melissa and Mark Prosser moved into the warm and<br />
welcoming home they built two years ago, after working<br />
for about 18 months with interior designer Ben Lewis of<br />
Trenzseater to achieve interiors that were new, exciting<br />
and unexpected. Correspondingly, Ben’s brief was to<br />
create a space that was useable, not precious, and could<br />
easily be lived in by a family. The result was a triumph that<br />
saw the interiors shortlisted for London’s International<br />
Design & Architectural Awards 2<strong>01</strong>8 and the SBID<br />
International Design Awards 2<strong>01</strong>8.<br />
The couple, particularly Melissa, had firm ideas on style<br />
having built two prior homes for themselves and many<br />
more for clients of Mark Prosser Builders. The home<br />
demonstrates an appreciable balance of both designer<br />
wants and client needs. Well, the yin and yang of Melissa<br />
and Ben, that is. “Mark doesn’t factor in at all,” laughs<br />
Melissa. His favourite spot is the garage, home to his<br />
prized Toyota Landcruiser BJ40, back-up beer fridge and<br />
beloved 40th birthday gift, chocolate labrador Mac, so<br />
named for Mark’s initials Mark Alexander Cook.<br />
Their 20-year-old son, Alex, also lives here, as did his<br />
22-year-old sister Jessica until recently (she’s now moved<br />
out to her first home). Alex then took the opportunity<br />
to nab the guest bedroom downstairs. “Not sure why<br />
as both his rooms enjoyed the same view over the<br />
Wairarapa Stream. Maybe to do with coming and going<br />
easier,” muses Melissa.<br />
Working in the family business, Melissa had boundless<br />
inspiration to draw on, from fabulous homes she’d<br />
encountered and admired. “But it was information<br />
overload, I couldn’t see the wood for the trees. I moved<br />
past the point of wanting to do it myself, so that’s why I<br />
got Ben in.
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