While the couple have only lived in their custom-built house on the outskirts of Orange for three months, they couldn't be happier with the end result.

Anne and Leigh purchased the two-acre block in June 2012, and soon realised when it came to building their dream home there were two design elements they wouldn't compromise on.

Both wanted a house that was solar passive and made the most of its country vistas.

"We didn't want to plonk any standard house here that didn't suit the block," Anne said.

After months of planning the couple ended up with a unique house that looks nothing like the country or French provincial styles that are popular in many rural areas.

"It's a contemporary house with Asian influences. Being Asian I can't hide it, so I may as well embrace it,"?Anne said.

After meeting with several architects the couple settled on Mark Delaney, who had primarily worked on commercial buildings.

"We had to put a fair bit of faith in his design," Anne said.

However, Mark's design ideas melded perfectly with their own and the process of designing the house was enjoyable and rewarding.

Small touches such as the inclusion of north-facing "highlight windows" in all three south-facing bedrooms proved both practical and attractive additions to the house.

They also forged good relationships with builders BT Homes.

Leigh said the couple had been happy living in the heart of Orange and had no intention of building on a rural block until the property caught Anne's eye while she was browsing real estate sites.

"It appealed to us to have a residential block in a very rural area," he said.

He said having a relatively small block allowed the family, including three children Ben, Dan and Alissa, to "borrow the views" without having to maintain a large property, while the fact that the four-bedroom house was only seven minutes from the outskirts of town represented the perfect compromise between city and country living.

When furnishing the house the couple ensured the lounges were low to the ground and didn't impede the view.

"We also didn't want bulky furniture, we wanted to give the illusion that it's a big space," Anne said.

Of all of the features in the house it is the parents' retreat that is one of the couple's favourite places to be.

The retreat can only be accessed via a spiral staircase in the master bedroom and allows the couple to have a few quiet moments to themselves.

"We just hide there and look at the view," laughed Anne.