NURTURING LUXURY

BLENDING PEACEFULLY INTO THE SURROUNDING LANDSCAPE, THIS GETAWAY RETREAT IS THE CREATION OF ARCHITECTURE BY DESIGN AND AN OTAGO FARMING COUPLE. WORDS

Fires for any season

The stunning Naked Flame suspended fireplace featured here at Fallow Ridge is a true design statement piece that is as functional as it is beautiful. Naked Flame nakedflamefires.com

With hectic lifestyles becoming increasingly the norm, this farming family saw the need for a quiet retreat in the hills, where people could come to relax and unwind for a while. Sarah and her husband Dave have lived and farmed on this land for over 17 years.

“I grew up here, so I feel very connected to the land,” says Sarah. “We love the mountains and the fields, the rolling hills and river valleys.”

When the family decided to diversify their sheep and beef farming business, they looked for a business that would fit with busy family life and could be operated from home. “This idea to build a luxurious retreat for guests to come and relax in has been our passion project for about the past four years,” says Sarah. “It’s brilliant to see it finally come to fruition and welcome our first guests.”

The brief for Ken Turnbull of Architecture by Design was to create a self-contained, luxurious guest accommodation unit. It needed to be off-grid and blend into the environment.

“Two of my ‘must-haves’ in the brief were a living roof and a suspended ceiling fire,” says Sarah. “I did a lot of scrolling through Pinterest and Instagram to find the sort of cabin we were looking to create.”

With a backdrop of rolling paddock country, tussock blocks and steep river faces, it made perfect sense to disguise the retreat with a green roof, which is almost unnoticeable, while resting harmoniously on the land.

“We wanted to create an earthy, moody and relaxing escape for visitors,” says Sarah. “It’s a place where guests can breathe deeply, reconnect and enjoy a slower pace.”

Before the structure started to unfold, the foundations proved a sticking point for the couple, as the retreat sits on schist rock outcrops. “It meant we had to jackhammer out the rock and use lots of steel and concrete to hold it up,” says Sarah. “It turned a two-week stage of the project into a two-month undertaking!”

The Perfect Fit

The quality aluminium joinery is a perfectly presented feature throughout the home and was supplied by Vantage Aluminium Oamaru.

More Than A Measure

The luxurious motorised blinds and curtains for this home were supplied and installed by Active Interiors.

The roof was another challenge in the construction of this abode. The structure needed to hold the weight of not only the earth and the tussocks but also any snow that could fall on it. “We live in a high-snow zone, so an engineer was needed to design the steel and timber framed roof to support the waterproof membrane and grassed rooftop,” explains Sarah. She goes on to say that it hasn’t taken long for the plants to become well-established.

To continue the theme of earthiness, the couple chose larch exterior cladding, which can be left to fade naturally, and an interior lining of varnished macrocarpa seated into rebated skirtings.

The family is happy with the 53 square metre home and compliments Ken on his creation of a complex set of plans. “There’s an incredible amount of detailing in the home, and we’re delighted with the great job Ken did for us,” says Sarah.

The interior of the retreat is a juxtaposition of the surrounding landscape, yet at the same time, the contrast works beautifully. The greens, tans and blacks work cohesively to bring that sense of luxury to the space.

“It’s wonderful how it works together. Our guests comment on how luxurious it feels, while also feeling immersed in the wilderness of the land,” says Sarah.

Fiona from Active Interiors worked with Sarah to select the curtains and blinds for the retreat. “We wanted to select curtain fabric that softened the space but didn’t detract from the stunning scenery,” says Fiona. “The roller blinds are all motorised to give that added luxury of being able to operate them with a push of a button or even from the comfort of the bed.”

Favourite aspects of the home for Sarah include the suspended ceiling fire. “I’d only seen one other example of these fireplaces in New Zealand and one overseas. It makes the place unique, and I love that sense of luxury, even within nature.” The double shower with the expansive views is also a treat for the eyes, and the bathtub on the deck is an idyllic spot for a soak with a glass of wine.

Sustainability and carbon reduction are crucial to this build, with the timber framing and New Zealand larch and macrocarpa milled locally. The power is entirely off-grid, and the interior furnishings and linens have been selected from small New Zealandbased businesses. It’s the complete care package that’s happened here when building this home and running this business.

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

Architecture By Design – Ken Turnbull 027 689 7069

WINDOWS AND DOORS

Vantage Aluminium Oamaru 03 434 5250 vantageoamaru.co.nz

DRAPES AND BLINDS

Active Interiors 03 453 0499 activefurnishers.co.nz

FIREPLACE

Naked Flame NZ 0800 468 836 nakedflamefires.com design@kturnbull.nz 03 689 7077 027 689 7069 713 Lower Hook Road R.D. 8, Waimate

Style And Purpose

THIS SERENE HOME IN THE COROMANDEL IS THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF HOW GOOD DESIGN, COMMUNICATION AND FINE ARTISTRY ACHIEVE A GREAT OUTCOME, THANKS TO JOHNSTON ARCHITECTS AND BESPOKE INTERIOR DESIGN.

Pauanui in the Coromandel is one of New Zealand’s most popular holiday destinations. Stunning beaches, open spaces, majestic mountains and an abundance of outdoor recreation opportunities make it an ideal spot to rest a little and live a little.

Johnston Architects were approached by the homeowners to design a new family home on a prominent vacant lot that looks directly down a beautiful canal within the Pauanui Waterways development. This unique residential waterfront development at the marina allows homeowners to berth their boat at a private jetty, just metres from their front door. With a backdrop of the sub-tropical forest slopes of the Pauanui foothills, it’s a lush and spectacular location.

“Our brief was for an elegant and timeless residence with a particular focus on creating physical and visual connections to the outdoors that would allow the family to take advantage of the warm Coromandel climate and stunning canal views,” says Regan Johnston, director of Johnston Architects.

LUSH LOUVRES

Ensuring commitment to quality and sustainability, the stylish louvres in this home and all products from Locarno Louvres are sourced locally with European motors and controls.

Clear Thinking

Warmth and views are guaranteed with the high performing low-E Max glass in these Overwall stacker doors with stylish black Elemental hardware, all from NZWindows.

A Passion For Design

The warm-hearted team of designers at Bespoke Interior Design have created a space that is truly unique and connects the homeowners to a natural and harmonious environment through their interior design mastery.

The 250 square metre home that Johnston Architects have created does just that. The views of the canal are prioritised, both from within the home and when looking through the building from the covered morning loggia. “This ensures the main bedroom and all the public spaces within the home have a direct connection to the outdoors and the views beyond,” adds Regan.

A generous forecourt to the rear of the site allows for easy access and vehicle manoeuvring from the street, even when towing a boat. The garaging incorporates a loft bedroom that caters for overflow guest accommodation.

The choice of materials for this home includes an exposed steel structure with floor-to-ceiling glazing to create the highly transparent pavilions that face the canal and maximise the water views. Large sliding doors can be fully opened to provide seamless connections between the indoor and outdoor living spaces.

Operable louvres and wind blinds are featured over the canal deck and loggia to create spaces of comfortable outdoor shelter no matter the prevailing weather or wind direction.

The custom rainwater spouting profile was designed to complement the dark-stained cedar cladding and Eurotray roofing to create the simple, yet sophisticated gable-roofed building volumes. “In the base of the home we’ve also used local stone that matches the canal walls,” says Regan. “This helps to integrate the home within the marina and ground the structure within the landscape.”

For Johnston Architects, it’s crucial to exceed their clients’ expectations every time. Hence the careful selection of products and materials, with an emphasis on using high-quality local materials with low maintenance requirements. “We want our clients to enjoy living in their homes secure in the knowledge that their homes will age gracefully and look just as good in years to come as they do when freshly complete.”

The team at Johnston Architects prides itself on adding value throughout the entire design and construction process. According to Regan, a new home of a given size will cost roughly the same to build, whether it’s poorly planned and unattractive or well-planned and beautiful, so they use all their team’s combined experience to create the best possible residences for their clients. “In doing so, we create not only comfortably practical homes, but assets that appreciate in value,” says Regan.

As with all Johnston Architects’ homes, the greatest challenge is ensuring that the purity of the initial design intent is retained in the finished home. To help them in this endeavour, they worked with an award-winning interior design company – Bespoke Interior Design.

Bespoke Interior Design has partnered with Johnston Architects on multiple prior projects and has similar tastes and aesthetics. Jane McAulay, Director and Designer at Bespoke Interior Design, says she takes her cues from the location, architectural drawings and from the client’s preferences. “Each job is different, and in this case, we worked with the client and the architect to provide a selection of all interior and exterior finishes and fixtures. Selecting everything required for the entire build,” says Jane.

The ethos behind this home’s interior is one of harmony with the exterior. “We examined the view and provided a repetitive textural look that’s not too contrasting,” says Jane. “We wanted the homeowners to have that sense of breathing out when they arrived here. In other words, to look at the view and not feel challenged by the interiors.”

Because of Jane’s comprehensive knowledge of construction drawings and her 25 years in interior design, it’s fair to say she’s operating at the top of her industry. “It’s very much about working in harmony with the architect and clients. For example, we had an issue with some of the custom stone arriving cracked

Process To The Project

The clarity and quality of Pocket Engineers’ approach to all their designs mean an outstanding result for the structure of this elegant home.

ARCHITECT

Johnston Architects

03 326 6688 johnstonarchitects.co.nz

BUILDER Leonard Builders Ltd

027 493 0647

INTERIOR DESIGN

Bespoke Interior Design

021 030 0040 bespokeinteriors.co.nz

LOUVRES

Locarno Louvres 09 525 2525 Locarno.co.nz

ENGINEER

Pocket Engineering 03 390 1588 pocketeng.co.nz

ALUMINIUM WINDOWS AND DOORS

NZWindows 07 869 5990 nzwindows.co.nz along the veining. Thanks to our expertise and working together, we decided to cut the stone smaller and create a different pattern with the stone, which worked beautifully for the ensuite bathroom,” says Jane.

Jane is ever aware of making the job easy for the builder and produces comprehensive schedules with every item coded to help the builder have a command over the project. “The builders love these, as the items on the schedule relate to a labelled box of tiles or door handles, for example, so that there’s no misunderstandings or errors,” says Jane.

Tim Leonard and his team of builders, subcontractors and suppliers took great pleasure in building this home and were integral to the success of the project.

The clients, architect, interior designer and builder are pleased with the results. Regan comments, “We are delighted that through the efforts of the entire team, the lightweight and transparent delicacy of the pavilions were able to be maintained and that the home feels as light, open and connected to the site as we had hoped.”