Once you’re inside this impressive rusticated-cedar show home it might be hard to tear yourself away. There are many reasons for staying — front-row seats to the ebb and flow of Tauranga Harbour, sheltered outdoor rooms in which to relax and enjoy the outlook, and a three-bedroom, three-bathroom home that exemplifies laidback luxury. It’s also a study in craftsmanship. Every detail in the 252sqm house has been executed to perfection, which is exactly what’s required in a home constructed to showcase builders’ skills. It’s there in the way the hemlock ceilings knit perfectly with the band-sawn plywood walls, and it’s in the negative detailing that does away with the need for architraves and skirting. Timber is a recurring theme throughout the house. It’s seamless, and yet more evidence of the level of care here. Downstairs are two bedrooms, a bathroom, double garage and lounge from which a sheltered deck flows. Take the stairs — or lift — to the upper level and what unfolds is an open-plan zone where the water views are front and centre. The unfussy kitchen has an island with seating. The main-bedroom suite that takes up about a third of the floor has all the luxe extras you’d expect in a home of this calibre.