Design writer Leanne Moore selects some of this year’s best New Zealand architectural spaces and places.
Anyone convinced that modern design means hard lines and spartan spaces need only peek inside the homes featured here. The projects include a cosy South Island bolthole, a Wellington new build with
What we surround ourselves with at home really does matter. Scientists have recently proven the importance of our surroundings in an experiment that linked intentionally designed spaces to wellbeing. The key to fostering wellbeing at home, according to neuroaesthetics, is to create a look and vibe that feels right for you. The homes featured here reflect the life experiences of the people who live there. Each home is unique, interesting and inspiring in its own way.
Renovation Of Group Architects Home By An Architect For His Young Family
Architect Piers Kay couldn’t believe his good fortune when he came across the Skelton Studio House for sale on Auckland’s North Shore a decade ago. It was built in 1953, near a cluster of other Group Architects homes, and he could see that it retained the rigour of its original Group design. His expert eye saw beyond its neglected condition, and he purchased the property to begin what he initially believed would be a restoration project. Work began in 2013 to reinstate the sliding glazed walls and flat roof.
Piers, of Fearon Hay Architects, embarked on a more ambitious phase last year, extending the floor plan by one-third to adapt the home to the needs of his young family. “Originally I intended to be a design purist, but the longer we lived there, the more I saw how the house could be extended sensitively while retaining its original character,” he says. “The aim was to create more open and livable spaces, with a focus on the kitchen and dining space as an anchor.” In lieu of an island bench, he opted for a kitchen table. “We designed it with a scullery and mudroom around the corner, which balances the open space very well.”
Rural Hideaway Featuring Layered, Curated Decor Assembled Over Time
In a remote Central Otago landscape, designers Veronica Alkema and Gary Stewart have built a rammed-earth house designed by Christchurch architect Charlie Nott. The house is filled with furniture accumulated over 30 years, from the couple’s previous life in Wellington. They bought the land in 2012, and spent years camping on it in all seasons, dreaming about the house they would build one day.
“Our architect, Charlie Nott, had a book featuring modern, sharp-edged rammed-earth houses from Arizona. As soon as we saw the homes in this book, we knew this was the material that would sit beautifully in the landscape here and would work well in this climate, and we simply loved the look of it. As it turned out, we had a rammed-earth expert, the wonderful Jimmy Cotter from Down to Earth Building, living up the road in Hāwea. Meant to be,” says Veronica.
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The texture and colour of the rammed-earth walls were the driving factor to the overall look and feel of the interior decor. “There is a wind that can blow across the valley and hit the house. It sounds like a train coming and it’s known locally as the Matakanui Express,” says Veronica. “Because of this we wanted the house and its interior to have a solidity and warmth to it; a calm and quiet place to shelter from whatever craziness was happening outside.”
Combining Complex Colour Blocking & Mixed Materials With Ease & Experience
The clever and creative use of colour blocking is a theme throughout architect Kate Rogan’s own home in Grey Lynn, Auckland. It’s something that she and Eva Nash, her partner at Rogan Nash Architects, enjoy exploring in their work. “We’ve used it here to delineate internal areas of the home. The kitchen is slate green, a dusky blue sideboard anchors the dining room, the living area is sandy beige and pale pinks denote the service areas such as laundry and scullery,” she says of the new build.
“We wanted to evoke the feel of a European milk bar/cafe, with the combination of different tiles.” The olive and white Mutina tiles wrapped around the base of the kitchen island are repeated in the entranceway and the sideboard in the dining area is finished in 70s-style square tiles. To soften the graphic lines of the kitchen, a circle motif was introduced with the pendant lighting and in the cabinetry hardware — Super Moon pull handles by Bankston. The colours, and extensive use of 1950s-era Tomado shelving, cement the overall nostalgic tone of the space.
Up & Coming Designer Thomas Seear-Budd Is Inspired By Contemporary English Architects
Wellington-based architect Thomas Seear-Budd, named emerging designer at the Best Awards 2023, took a Gold Award for this new build in Eastbourne, Wellington, designed with his partner at Seear-Budd Ross, James Ross. The judges described RK Residence as a “beautifully crafted home that seamlessly merges with its environment while exuding an inviting sense of tranquillity and connection to the landscape”.
The clients wanted the home to embody its coastal environment and facilitate a peaceful, relaxed lifestyle synonymous with beach living. “Together we developed a brief whereby the essence of the project was distilled into a few words — light, airy, informal and calm,” says Thomas.
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“The hipped roof adds volume to the interior. We then introduced the macrocarpa rafters and ceiling lining to inject a lovely scent into the home while providing a warm counterpoint to the grey-toned exterior.”
The work of contemporary British architects heavily influences his work. “John Pawson’s still and pure interiors, alongside David Chipperfield’s rigour, simplicity and strength, are often discussed in the office,” he says.
An Alchemy Of Colour, Texture & Vintage Furniture By Interior Designer Jessica Close
Flockhill is a working sheep station and the new homestead, by award-winning Warren and Mahoney Architects, sits on an elevated site. “After a long conversation with the clients, we landed on the idea that the interiors would be a conversation with nature,” says Christchurch-based interior designer Jessica Close. “We wanted the homestead to feel luxurious, warm, unpretentious, contemporary, and distinctly New Zealand,” she adds.
In the centre of the room featured here, is a custom-made ottoman upholstered in Fermoie’s Rabanna. “It’s piled high with books from local independent retailer Scorpio Books, and various board games. The curtains in this room are a rich, felted Bordeaux-red wool. They are like blankets framing the windows. Undeniably luxurious when pulled at night and divine to handle,” she says.
“I sourced a rare pair of Ole Wanscher walnut armchairs from Ross Morrison of Mr Mod. They are sculptural masterpieces! Beyond the chairs is a bar in Aalto Cloak. This is the only painted joinery in the interior and the shock of colour makes me smile.”
Creating Outdoor Spaces That Have The Same Level Of Intentional Design As The Interior Of A Home
Our fascination with the ambiguity between internal and external domestic spaces continues. As the furniture, lighting and various other accoutrements for outdoor living become increasingly sophisticated, there is more emphasis on the interaction between the house and landscape.
“We are finding that our clients want outdoor spaces that provide an extension to the interiors of their home from an aesthetic and functional point of view,” says Auckland interior designer Tomi Williams, of At Space.
Careful consideration has been given to the elegant outdoor area featured here, designed by At Space. The vertical foliage backdrop creates a room-like space, which makes the pale-toned tiles around the pool and the designer white chairs pop against the greenery. “Our client wanted to improve the connection between the interior and exterior of this beautiful older home in Mission Bay,” says Tomi. “The exterior palette is an extension of the inside spaces, which feature chalky white walls and textured soft grey tiles.”
Boutique Design Brands Emerging As Success Stories In International Markets
Just as the worldwide web has brought exciting home decor options to New Zealand, the Aotearoa aesthetic is popping up all over the planet. Toronto, Belgium and Los Angeles are just some of the cities where design-conscious consumers are snapping up our furniture, wallpaper, bedding and rugs.
“From the early days of the business, we were aware that the market in New Zealand was small, and our focus was always to build an offshore client base to scale and build the volume we would need to be sustainable,” says Auckland-based wallpaper designer Emma Hayes, who has been exporting for more than 13 years. “Our offshore clients often use our designs as a springboard for the colour palette of a room,” she says.
Swiss-born, Auckland-based Daniela Schmidhalter says her organic cotton bedding brand Dehei, which offers a unique and playful spectrum of colours, has found a growing and dedicated following in Australia and Europe. “We’ve built a strong international community since we launched seven years ago and there’s continuing interest. We do our own thing, don’t follow trends, and it’s all happened very organically.”
Auckland-based Nodi rugs is another brand that’s resonating with consumers across the Tasman and in the US. Founder Olivia Moon says: “International sales are a key part of the business. We find this totally exciting, challenging and invigorating. I love jumping on a plane to present the brand to a whole new audience. This aspect not only drives growth but getting out of New Zealand and seeing design from an international perspective helps inspire and stimulate new ideas and fresh thinking.”
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