Bliss has a new address. It’s above Lake Rotorua, beside a pool and with all-day sun and all-weather living spaces that frame and celebrate the views. All this, and more, was achieved on a demanding site, high on the hill and exposed to the prevailing wind. Not that you’d know it, such is the clever design and craftsmanship. A glazed link allows the owners to move seamlessly between indoor and outdoor entertaining areas, depending on the weather and time of day. These flow into the kitchen/living area – a warm and inviting space, thanks to the high stud, over-height glazing, oak ply ceiling and timber floors. The simplicity of the kitchen, in white with oak accents, takes nothing away from those vistas. It’s flawless. Good design means excellent natural light and solar gain thanks to low-e glass, high clerestory windows and cross ventilation. There’s also upgraded insulation, mechanical blinds, zoned in-slab heating, a gas fire and parts of the three-bedroom, two-bathroom house can be shut off when there are no guests. This 330sqm family home is beautifully equipped for modern life, easy living, entertaining – and lake-watching.