How a builder couple built their own family home with PDL
Find out how builders Ben and Quinn of The Block fame built their own family home with PDL with the concept of Electric Home Design.
Ben and Quinn from The Block, seasoned renovators with 10 homes in 10 years, recently built their dream family home — a light‑filled, two‑storey modern build overlooking a Christchurch park. See how pre‑planning with PDL and Electric Home Design elevated their vision.
About Ben and Quinn’s new family home
Christchurch couple Ben and Quinn of The Block fame are no strangers to building and renovating, having worked on and lived in 10 different houses over the last 10 years. However, their most recent project was their very own new family home.
The two-storey, light-filled modern build overlooks a park in a new Christchurch subdivision and combines family living with a stylish aesthetic. With a northfacing garden, a playground next door, and a location close to a school and shops, it was a perfect canvas for Ben and Quinn to build their dream family home.
Prioritising Electric Home Design
With 10 years of building experience under their belts, the couple knew that out of all the tradies they would be calling, the first would have to be their electrician. “We wanted to take the best bits of our last houses and make a perfect house for us,” says Quinn. “In previous builds and renovations, by the time we realised what we really wanted to do it was a little bit too late. So, this time we got Andy our electrician in as soon as the frames were stood.”
With that, Andrew Marker of A1 Electricians was called to tour the site with the couple and discuss what they wanted from their new home. They discussed all the electrical possibilities that they could include in their Electric Home Design.
The importance of starting early with Electric Home Design
“It opened up a lot of doors for us as far as electrical gear that we could put in,” says Ben. “We visited the PDL showroom prior to our build beginning and got really excited about the features we could have in our home. You don’t just have to have a few power points here and there — there are so many different options.”
Starting an Electric Home Design plan early meant the couple could allocate budget to what they wanted to achieve and reduce the need for retrofitting. Some important things they considered included switches and sockets, smart home options, and home security.
“There are a lot of exciting things you can do electrically nowadays,” says Andrew, “and it’s really designed around how you want to live in your home. Some things to consider would be the style of cover plates, smart home options, and security or automatic sensors.”
Ben and Quinn say that having Andrew involved from the start helped with key elements of their home’s design. “He had some awesome ideas around light placement. It can be quite overwhelming if you’ve got a large ceiling space. We’ve got some feature lighting that he placed perfectly for us, as well as all our downlights. And there was lighting above the kitchen bench splashback to bring a bit of mood lighting as well.”
Selecting the right electrical solutions
Picking switches and sockets that complement home design
The couple’s home sports a light, airy, and modern design. It’s built of white brick, timber cladding, and striking black joinery. The interior features light timber on its floors, kitchen cabinetry, and occasional furniture, with some warm brass accents in for contrast. Rooms and doors are arranged to create seamless flow throughout the house, like a living area that opens onto a deck and a small gate to the park next door for the kids. It was important for the couple to pick the right range of switches and sockets that would complement this and add to their overall living experience.
As a seasoned interior specialist, Quinn was quick to spot how the timber-edged design of PDL Iconic Essence would complement their home’s design. “It’s so beautiful. I loved how slim it was, and the curve, because we’ve got lots of curves in the house. And its timber feature matches our aesthetic,” she commented.
Another unique feature of PDL Iconic Essence is the easy swappable cover. The couple can easily swap between different cover styles without electrician assistance, keeping things flexible for potential future renovations or refurnishing.
For additional convenience, USB-C fast chargers and pictograms were added to the sockets and switches respectively. The Iconic range is compatible with PDL’s Wiser smart home system too, so it was straightforward for Andrew to add some smart home features to make the family’s daily life easier. All these features made PDL Iconic Essence an easy choice for the couple.
Andrew says PDL Iconic Essence was the perfect finishing touch to the design. “I think one of the best moments was when we installed the Iconic Essence cover plates in the kitchen and Quinn got to stand back and see that the design had come together well,” he commented.
Selecting a smart home solution
The couple knew from the start that they wanted to have a smart home system installed for convenience. They decided to go with PDL Wiser, a wireless scalable smart home automation system. It links to the Wiser app for easy control of lighting, blinds, plugged in devices, sensors and more. Additionally, it’s fully compatible with the PDL Iconic Essence switches and sockets the couple chose.
Wiser’s app control capabilities were a game changer for Ben and Quinn. “Now we have lamps that we can control from our phones — it’s things that just make life so much easier,” says Ben. “I love walking downstairs every morning, flicking the switch and three blinds all go up. Having the blinds on automation is a game changer!”
Wiser can also set up ‘Wiser Moments’ with custom settings, which can be activated through the app. For the family, Friday nights are movie nights; and Ben and Quinn love how Wiser transforms their living room into a theatre with a single screen tap as the family cuddles up on the couch with popcorn. “It’s so cool — you press one button, then the automated blinds come down, the lights dim, and the lamp goes on,” Ben commented.
The couple also chose some Wiser extras for added security. They’ve installed an interconnected Wiser Smart Smoke Alarm system, which will send a notification to their phone if smoke is detected and will trigger every alarm in the house to sound.
Additionally, they’ve installed a Wiser Water Leakage sensor next to the bath to detect potential leaks. The sensor is battery-operated, so it can be moved into the hot water cupboard while they’re on holiday for additional peace of mind.
Advice for building a home
It’s been a year after the home was finished, and the couple still love living in it. “It’s beautiful, the details are right on point for us,” says Quinn. “We’re so glad we got Andy involved at an early stage to give us those recommendations,” adds Ben, “it was the small details that make life so much easier. He is a true professional and adds a lot to your build. We couldn’t recommend him highly enough.”
Andrew says his advice to homeowners is to think about an electrical plan early in their project. “There’s a lot of exciting things you can do, and the earlier you get in the more you can see. The thing I enjoy most is showing customers the endless possibilities and seeing the delight on their face when we can deliver it to them at the end of the job.”
Start with Electric Home Design
When you’re planning a home project, it’s easy to overlook the electrical aspect. When planned right, electrical solutions can work seamlessly to make your home living smarter, safer, more stylish and sustainable. This is Electric Home Design at PDL.
If you’re new to building and renovating, we understand Electric Home Design can be overwhelming. Not sure where to start? We’ve collected some inspiration, information, and home planning advice to set you up in our PDL Home Magazine. It’s free to download and comes with electrical recommendations on a room-by-room basis.
Download your copy of PDL Home Magazine
Get inspired with a free copy of our PDL Home Magazine, featuring inspiration for every room in the home and recommendations on electrical solutions.
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