Manhattan via Matakana
Room of the week
In search of a bit of rural zen, an Auckland couple have built a loftstyle home on a Matakana hill.
When Cathy Gould and Roger Donald first set eyes on their property in Matakana, north of Auckland, it was nothing but a rough paddock high on a windswept hill. But it had big, empty skies and sweeping views of the Whangateau Harbour. Cathy had a vision for a house there with the essential feel of a barn. ‘‘A contemporary barn,’’ she clarifies.
She wanted no hint of the rustic or the country cottage about her new home. The result, designed with the help of good friend and architectural draughtsman Martin Harnish evokes a kind of Manhattan loft. It’s a feeling heightened by a series of dramatic sculptural light fittings, which, says Cathy, are really an extension of her and Roger’s collection of edgy artworks.
The enormous 16m x 8mliving area, which incorporates four spaces in one – hallway, living room, dining room and kitchen – is the epitome of Cathy’s vision and required much time and skill to achieve the finished look. ‘‘Tongue-and-groove bandsawn timber was hand-sanded to achieve the right degree of roughness, the rumbled villa bricks were ‘uncarefully’ laid to give an old, uneven finish,’’ says Cathy.
The floorboards were laid by CTC Flooring and were sanded to achieve an uneven finish that’s smooth to walk on, then stained. ‘‘The whole process took a month, but we have the most easy-care, beautiful floor I have ever walked on,’’ says Cathy. ‘‘The feel under bare feet is amazing.’’
The room also functions as a gallery space, featuring some of the hottest names on the New Zealand art scene. The couple’s extensive collection reflects such a strong sensibility you might think it had been selected by one person, but that’s not the case. ‘‘Roger and I just seem to get drawn towards the same things. That’s why we have so much fun with it.’’
Now at full capacity, there’s pressure to begin shuffling works around to create spaces for new works – an activity Cathy’s not very good at, given the time and effort she puts into creating a harmonious juxtaposition between objects. Is this perfectionism? ‘‘Totally! Probably to a fault,’’ she says with a laugh. ‘‘It’s my downfall. Especially spatially; everything has to be balanced.’’
What was your vision for this room?
A large, elegant space that would be versatile enough to cater for many different occasions, including family entertaining, dining, parties, events and tours. It needed to cater for both big, grand gatherings and small, intimate dinners.
What are the key features of the room?
The Raimond by Moooi light, from ECC, which hangs over the Spanish dining table, and is the main cohesive element for the whole room. Mark Whyman handcarved the stone mantel, which provides a focal point in the sitting area. The draped sofa is from Studio Italia.
What was a challenge you faced when working on this room?
Building the ceiling. Five 8m-long macrocarpa beams needed to be lifted by sky hooks to span the width of the room. I still don’t know how the builders did it. The rafters and sarking were then built from the inside out.
Were there any ‘‘musthaves’’ when designing this room?
We needed large walls to display our art and be able to enjoy it in a room of scale and size with a gallery/loft feel. I also wanted a corner of my own with a secret hidden TV.
If you had to save one piece of artwork, what would it be?
The lightbox by Anna Delany, my son Tom’s partner. I love the capturing of street life, of real life and moments of other people’s lives. I also love my other lightbox by Emma Bass. I have two arms so I could carry both!