This blog post has little to do with inspirational building or materials but it is inspiring nonetheless. A friend (and very talented photographer) of mine Quinn O'Connell took these shots of Tauranga recently for one of his clients ( De Design Ltd - www.dedesign.co.nz), and it reminded me what a phenomenal town this is (and the Bay of Plenty in general).

We have the beach at our doorstep and a lively cafe scene. We can be in 'the city' in ten short minutes over the bridge, out to the vast landscapes in Katikati or Bowentown in less than an hour or tramping up the Papamoa Hills where you view some of the best scenery there is for free.

While there are a lot of subdivisions popping up all over the place and little beach front properties left, there is still so much room for individuality and unique designs. And no matter where you are in the Bay, you really do have it all at your fingertips. All you need to do is breathe in the fresh air our wonderful environment has to offer and dream a little.

It's human nature to dispute cost. It's instinct to ask about quality. We want the best possible product for the best possible price. Fair enough right?

A lot of people believe the more we pay equates to better quality, and while we, The Thorne Group, indeed support this in some instances, it's not always the case.

Some of our frequently asked questions here at The Thorne Group include: Do you build luxury homes?  Do you build contemporary homes?  Do you build outside Urban Ridge?   

To answer this succinctly - we build anything (well almost anything), anywhere in the Western Bay from luxury homes to basic brick and tile and everything inbetween!  The Thorne Group can do everything from altering your bathroom to commerical developments. 

These answers are always straight forward and therefore easy to answer. Where the cost versus quality comes into play is where things get a little bit tricky. Our competitive prices do not mean we forgo quality! In fact, it's quite the oppoosite!

We are constantly asked, 'what is your price per square metre'? 

This is something that varies based on how many levels you want on your site to which bathroom tap you finish your bathroom with. At The Thorne Group, we price every project on an individual basis and until we see your site and meet with you, we simply don;t have a price per square metre!

Here are a few examples of our diverse range of projects...

Luxury home market

         
                                                                                                                
A timeless home that works with the landscape.
                                                                                                                          


We believe that by spending more time planning you can achieve unique features in a home without blowing the budget (as evidenced below with the atrium effect in one of the Urban Ridge homes).  This home sold for $369,000, and yes, that includes the land!
                                                                                                                                

So you see, it's difficult to put The Thorne Group into a box, because we're not your average building company. We work for you, within your budget to meet your needs. It's what we do best, and what we can do for you.

There is nothing like the warmth of a fire in the midst of winter. After a long, stressful day at work or with the kids, a fire has the power to make all of your troubles go away - even more so when you pour yourself a glass of red to go alongside it!Ok, enough daydreaming - the warmth from a fire is also cost-effective and can heat a home quickly and efficiently.

Gas fireplaces can be alight at the flick of a switch while wood burning fires have that added element of 'naturalness'. 

Landscape Elements have been designing, manufacturing and installing unique custom built fireplaces since 2002 and are fast becoming one of New Zealand's leading suppliers of outdoor wood burners and indoor and outdoor custom gas fireplaces. Jamie from Landscape Elements is always up for a challenge of creating a designer masterpiece.

Landscape Elements has a passion for designing innovative quality products as is demonstrated with their impressive custom made gas fireplaces.  The design of your room, if not your home, can be incorporated around one of these magnificent features.  Either a classic design or the sleek lines of a contemporary look can be achieved and can feature coals, logs, volcanic rock, vermiculite or pebbles and stones.The pictures of the indoor fireplaces are bespoke fireplaces that Landscape Elements have manufactured and installed in homes built by The Thorne Group. 
                                                                                                               
The spectacular double sided flame effect fireplace featured above divides two rooms with the one long flame running the length of the 2m fireplace and is enclosed with glass.  This perfect flame is set amongst white pebbles to create an unrivalled focal point.  
                                                                                                                                                                  

The above fireplace is open on one side and closed to the elements on the other side. 

If you prefer something more traditional this wood burner uses reclaimed bricks.  

Landscape Elements also design and build outdoor wood burning fireplaces through to complete outdoor entertaining areas incorporating features and fittings like sinks, pizza ovens, wood storage, seating, tables and boundary walls, talk to us about an obligation free on-site consultation. Fires are not just necessities in winter, an outdoor fire in the slightly warmer months can make outdoor entertaining all the more comfortable and enjoyable.

Sink & BBQ incorporated next to fire. 



Whatever your purpose for a fire, the end result is still the same - style, warmth and purposeful.