Quiet warmth
In this issue we visit six very different houses, each with its own approach to achieving a quietness – both in the sense of calm, and often joy, from inhabiting these spaces – and in terms of how they sit within the landscapes they occupy. On the edge of Wellington Harbour we visit a home, which from the street is intriguing; light and rhythmic in tone. The seamless exterior flows into internal spaces that appeal to the senses, from the scent of the macrocarpa to the way the light falls delicately onto surfaces. There’s a sense of stillness in these rooms that embrace the coastal breezes and the salty air.
In Northland, a similar approach was taken in a home designed as a family retreat; a place that would juxtapose the clients’ permanent residence where the busyness of family life dictates a different rhythm. High above the coast between Matapouri and Whale Bays, this holiday home speaks to quiet contemplation. Here, every material was carefully considered, and everything had to earn its place. A striking curved concrete wall defines the spaces, within which there are many options to experience the house, from social moments to places to reflect.
On the edge of a valley in central Auckland, a home for a large family takes a similar approach. Using three key materials across a sculptural, and sometimes ambiguous composition of forms, the spaces here exude a calm warmth that is underpinned by the intangible hero of the space: light, and the way it falls into an array of level changes that follow the slope of the land.
Just outside of Queenstown, our cover home, Wings Over Water, echoes the patterns of nature with meticulously crafted timber cladding. Its roofline reaches up to the peaks around it, while at ground level wrap-around decking and a floating jetty respond to the body of water it was built around. The focus in this home also reflects a sense of stillness; it is a perfectly fitting addition to the landscape.
We also explore a hotel in Marrakech designed by New Zealand architect Bergendy Cooke, who won the 2021 Home of the Year for a home in Bannockburn, Otago. In Morocco, Bergendy utilises a playful approach, integrating elements of the traditional architectural language into a contemporary city retreat.
And, we reflect on the 2023 Milan Furniture Fair and its legacy of colour, form and texture. Plus, we speak to three artists about capturing our immersive landscapes, and consider the bold and playful motifs of a new era in local kitchen design.