On a Taranaki hilltop, Lars and Christina Binsbergen have hand-crafted a life defined by deliberate artistry, Swiss precision and a resilient spirit that transforms timber into beauty. 

Words Lucinda Diack  Photos Jane Dove Juneau

For Lars and Christina Binsbergen, life is a series of deliberate, hand-crafted movements. Their home, a striking timber structure perched on the highest point in town, serves as both a sanctuary and a testament to a journey marked by immense creativity and profound resilience.

There is a quiet sense of passion and pride that sits between the couple. Listening and watching the two of them it is evident that the love they originally found on the ski-fields of Wānaka is very much alive and well today, albeit softened by time and strengthened by challenges.

A former member of the Swiss Ski Team and formidable ski racer, Christina spent nearly five years chasing winters, from home in Switzerland to New Zealand, training and instructing, the snow was her haven; and it was there she met Lars, a Canterbury-cum-Taranaki local who had moved south for the snowboarding scene.

As they chased winters together, they made the decision to live and start their family in Switzerland before the pull of the Kiwi lifestyle brought them back to Lars’ roots in Taranaki, where he could pursue his passion for windsurfing and begin a new chapter in craftsmanship. After many years working with fibreglass and boat building, his transition to fine woodwork was driven by a desire for a more creative and less toxic medium. ‘Making furniture just seemed like the next step,’ he explains, ‘and was a way to continue working with my hands but also to expand my creativity.’

His creativity is something he is incredibly humble about. Self-taught from library books, he has built an enviable career since this transition, firmly positioning himself as a ‘master craftsman’.

 

 

 

Commissioned to complete kitchens, internal joinery, lighting and the list goes on, his work eventually spilled out of interior spaces and into the public sphere when he was tasked with building six large scale treehouses for Taranaki’s Pukeiti Gardens. Each immersive wooden sculpture allows visitors to engage with the forest canopy, reflecting his philosophy of blending functional design with the natural environment.

While every project is memorable for different reasons, for Lars, his forays into public projects are always favoured. ‘I often choose community work over commercial work because it holds meaning – there is a story to be told and the works reach so many more people.’

Creating with meaning became the philosophy that guided his most personal and large scale project: the construction of the family home. After living down the road for 25 years, the couple jumped at the chance to buy a piece of land that once housed the town’s water supply. ‘The proximity to the river, the view … it was a section we had looked at and considered for many years,’ says Christina.

Designed by the couple, Lars then physically built nearly every aspect of the home himself, viewing the complex project simply as ‘just a big puzzle’.

The interior is a showcase of his mastery: the kitchen joinery and floors are crafted from American oak, while the dining table is made from ‘glowing red mataī ’ salvaged from the Pureora forest. Inspired by Christina’s homeland, the house has been designed with European sensibilities – highly insulated and built to last generations.

However, the joy of the build was intertwined with one of life’s greatest challenges when in 2019, middle son, Lenny, was diagnosed with bone cancer at the age of 17. ‘We were in the design phase and we just put it all on hold to focus on him,’ reflects Christina.

About to undertake his own building apprenticeship, Lenny drove his parents forward, encouraging them to plan, execute and build the home. ‘It did give us something else to think about …’ says Lars. ‘It was a necessary distraction amongst everything else and Lenny was deeply involved in the process, taking great pride in seeing it all come together.’

While Lenny passed away before the house was completed, his presence remains a core part of what makes the structure a home. Embodied in the family dog, Kobe, a joyful blue staffy who ‘Lenny insisted on getting during his treatment.’

With three boys, life has never been dull in the Binsbergen household. Ski racing, water sports and endless outdoor adventures have been at the core of their way of life. However, the focus has now shifted from ski’s to wheels, with their youngest son, Seppy, cementing his place in the world of downhill mountain biking. ‘We chase summers now,’ laughs Christina.

With eldest son Finnley in Australia, Lars and Christina operate as a dedicated support crew for Seppy, one of them always travelling with him as he takes on local, Oceania and even world circuit championships. ‘I love being on the road with him,’ says Lars. ‘Sharing it all with him is really special.’

While Lars is in the workshop or on the race circuit, Christina finds her rhythm in the soil and the kitchen. A dedicated gardener, she has transformed their bare plot of land into a lush landscape of fruit and vegetables, with wooden pathways leading visitors through the space with intention; and alluding to hidden corners designed for quiet reflection.

If not outside, she can be found spending time in the kitchen, where she talks with pride about her six-year-old sourdough starter, used daily as part of her Swiss heritage ritual of baking sourdough bread. ‘It is meditative and very grounding to work with your hands to build, nurture and grow,’ she says.

The Binsbergen way of life is one of deep connection – from the materials they use, the land they inhabit and the family they have nurtured through both triumph and heartbreak. Whether it is a swim in the local river at the end of a long day or the meticulous fitting of a timber joint, there is an intentionality to their existence.

Their home, with its distant views of the ocean and the Pouākai ranges, stands as a symbol of what can be created when skill, love and a bit of creativity are applied to the raw planks of life. As Lars says, he would ‘much rather spend the time refining this house’ than ever starting over. Content to continue crafting a legacy that is uniquely theirs.

Perfecting Sourdough

More than a loaf of bread, sourdough can be thought of as a living project, with many enjoying the alchemy of transforming flour, water and wild yeast into a crusty masterpiece. At its simplest, a sourdough starter is a living culture of wild yeast and beneficial bacteria. To keep a starter alive, you must ‘feed’ it regularly with fresh flour and water. This process, often called refreshing, ensures that it stays active and healthy.

My number 1 tip for any sourdough starter is to keep it in the fridge at all times.

When making sourdough, you want to put some of your starter in a different jar and feed it; leaving it on the bench until bubbly. It is important that you also feed the mother starter at this point to ‘refresh it’ before storing it in the fridge for next time.

Once your starter is bubbly, stretch and fold 3-5 times to develop the gluten and give structure to the bread. It will become less sticky and the best thing is no kneading is required.

If you are learning, start with white flour. Once you master some good loaves, you can start experimenting with different flours and grains, and even fruit and nuts or cheese.

There is no right or wrong with sourdough, give it a go and start making your own bread. It is so rewarding and tastes so much better than bought loaves.