Currently Viewing / 
Browse by topic
and/or by category
myTrends - your complete scrapbook of design ideas
|
Barn fresh from Outdoor Living & Holiday Home Trends volume 2403
In the country, a new build is treated with great interest, if not suspicion, by surrounding neighbours. To gain warm local approval, a house will need to sit low on the hill line and be appropriate to the landscape.
This new home, conceived by architect Michael Wyatt and interior decorated by Jewell Cassells, sits demurely within its surroundings.
"The house's familiar barn silhouette is in keeping with the setting, and its position doesn't compromise views from nearby properties," Cassells says. "However, the design is about economy of construction and ease of upkeep, as well as merging with the environment."
The layout comprises a living-dining-kitchen area on the ground floor, with a covered outdoor area contributing to the living spaces. There is also a garage and laundry on this level. Up the stairs, a walkway connects to a master bedroom with ensuite at one end and two bunkrooms at the other. One bunkroom sleeps six guests and the other sleeps five.
"As the owner, who lives in Australia, often brings friends and their families over here ample sleeping accommodation was another prerequisite of the design," Cassells says.
Light-filled and expansive, the interior is a mix of rustic and modern influences. Contrasting with a classic barn exterior, the upstairs concrete walkway and fireplace surround provide a strong, semi-industrial feature.
"The use of strong elements and the simple material palette, including the concrete, enable this connection between contemporary and rugged" says Cassells.
The concrete floors offer a good example of this, and the corrugated iron cladding, also chosen in part for economy, would be equally at home on a farmhouse or a warehouse.
"While barns and industrial warehouses might be cold and uncomfortable places, this house is the antithesis of that," says Cassells. "The wall-to-wall concrete floors, for example, are underheated throughout."
If a welcoming ambience is important for a domestic residence, then it is even more essential for a place you travel to specifically for peace and relaxation. To this end, Cassells has combined large, comfortable furniture pieces with the owners' existing furniture and an array of high-end artworks.
"Modern coffee tables sit alongside rustic, second-hand pieces, creating a comfortable, eclectic feel often associated with farmhouse living," she says. "Together with comfort comes ease of upkeep. Surfaces like corrugated iron and concrete are easy to clean, and the chairs are even covered in slips so they are easy to remove and wash."
The house is positioned so bifold doors open out to the warmest of the day's sunshine, while less sunny facades are blanketed in corrugated iron. The house also has double glazing on all windows and doors.
"Essentially, the home has to be set up for summer and winter," says the designer. "An internal garage means après-ski visitors can kick off their boots and walk straight from car to fireplace. Broad doorways and a covered outdoor space cater to summer weather, making it a home for all seasons."
Nestled serenely in a rural location, this holiday home fulfils several design agendas. These include merging with the landscape, ease of upkeep, and a house that works well when the snow falls or when the summer sun shines.
Large bifold doors and an outdoor living area provide comfort in the warmer months. The classic barn profile prevents winter snow-loading on the roof, while in-floor heating runs through the concrete floors.
An interior decor that merges the rustic with a semi-industrial, modern feel can be seen in microcosm in the kitchen-dining area, where stainless steel is combined with concrete benchtops. The use of solid, honest materials is offset by feature pieces, which bring a more playful air. A large contemporary painting over the kitchen area is a good example of this.
The choice of some blonde woods and simple, sculptural pieces is intended to add a subtle Scandinavian feel.
An exposed ceiling beam runs on the same axis as the upstairs concrete walkway. The antique chandelier brings visual warmth to the dining area and furthers the playfulness of the decor.
The large, open-plan space dwarfs the family pool table.
This ensuite is one of three bathrooms in a residence designed to cater for large numbers.
Skylights throughout the home provide natural light and valuable passive heating.
The upstairs walkway and fireplace surround form one entity.
The larger of two bunkrooms sleeps six. Hooks opposite the bunks are to hang ski gear on.
Credit List
Concept architect
:
Michael Wyatt (Queenstown)
Door, window and kitchen manufacturer
:
Coronet Woodware
Cladding
:
Corrugated iron from Calder Stewart
Tiling
:
Fossilstone by Design Source
Oven and dishwasher
:
Smeg
Bathroom vanity
:
Concrete
Story by Charles Moxham
Photography by Jamie Cobeldick
|
