Courting connections

Designed by Nicola Ross Design

From the designer:

This project represents the ongoing collaboration between builder, architect and interior specialist – a partnership that has developed a signature style through integration rather than handover. 

Architecture, construction and interiors were resolved collectively, ensuring a home where every element is cohesive and considered.

The brief asked for a pool house to serve as temporary accommodation before the main residence was built, followed by a family home that balances everyday living with spaces for entertaining and retreat. 

The site’s unique position alongside the Manawatū Golf Course, river and reserve offered both outlook and privacy, with the architecture oriented around a central courtyard to anchor outdoor living and draw light into the plan.

The exterior establishes a confident palette. 

Tilt panel fencing set the tone at the boundary, while the home combines a Rockcote plaster system with cedar shiplap, stained a warmed black. 

Copper spouting and downpipes add richness, herringbone timber soffits bring texture, and Kaynemaile screens in copper give privacy to select windows while maintaining connection to the outdoors. 

These moves are echoed inside to ensure materials flow seamlessly across thresholds.

At the heart of the home, the kitchen anchors family life and entertaining. 

An oversized island, fabricated in stone with a thick curved end, creates a dramatic focal point. 

Mesh and glass cabinet fronts add lightness, balancing the visual weight of open shelving. 

Custom joinery continues throughout the interiors, wardrobes, vanities and built in elements, reinforcing proportion and flow while extending the exterior palette indoors.

Distinctive features showcase both lifestyle and craft. 

A step down media room with golf simulator and bar provides a dedicated retreat. 

Floating stepping stone pavers across a pond create a striking entry sequence inspired by travel. 

A bespoke spiral metal staircase offers a sculptural vertical connection. 

The courtyard with its outdoor kitchen and pool acts as the social centre, blurring architecture, interiors and landscape.

Lighting was designed to highlight form and material while shaping atmosphere. 

Task and feature lighting provide function, while uplighting to vaulted ceilings creates drama and shadow play at night.

The result is bold and material driven, yet warm and practical for a young family. 

This project demonstrates how collaboration and integration across disciplines can deliver a home of cohesion, character and craft, the hallmark of our shared style.

Story by: Trendsideas