French accent by the sea

The owners were quite specific, wanting a timeless, French coastal look interior – one suited to the landscape close to Akaroa, with its French colonial history

Garage and cladding. - French accent by the

Entrance gate. - French accent by the sea

Bespoke entrance table. - French accent by the

Entrance/front door view. - French accent by the

French beam over kitchen. - French accent by

Kitchen/morning courtyard. - French accent by the sea

Lounge/exterior view. - French accent by the sea

Flooring detail – bluestone/timber. - French accent by

Wine bar cabinetry. - French accent by the

Master bedroom details. - French accent by the

Interiors by Angelique Armstrong, Armstrong Interiors

From the interior designers

Our owners wanted to remove their lovely tired old bach and build a new comfortable warm abode that would suit them for their retirement and family for years to come.

They were very specific with the theme – timeless French coastal.

This would sit perfectly in the landscape of Takamatua, close to Akaroa.

Finding a balance between French historical and new build was challenging but achievable, as the setting by the sea allowed this look to work in harmony with the existing surrounding homes.

A strong characteristic was to use natural products – natural bluestone, cedar, timbers and copper.

The flooring was an exciting challenge as the detail and planning for this was down to the millimetre.

The layout started at the entrance and ran through to the end of the kitchen.

The challenge was making sure the kitchen design and island sat balanced and symmetrical on the floor, and also in balance and symmetry with the ceiling beams above. – these constraints were integral to the kitchen's design.

The large free standing bespoke steel and dark stained solid oak entertainment unit is a grounding feature in the predominantly fresher colour pallet of the kitchen cabinetry.

The island matches the hues from the ocean outside while the feature lighting pendants reflect the glass floatations of the old Japanese shipping buoys.

The joinery package and design runs throughout the storage and laundry/mudroom designs, WIR and bathroom vanities.

Another design feature was the structural element of the main house which frames the kitchen and entrance.

This is comprised of 150 year old French oak timber beams (reclaimed from an old barn in France) spanning to over 15m on each side of the room.

The beams are wire brushed with a natural raw finish.

We purchased the beams some years ago and were just waiting to use them on a project like this – bringing balance of a slight rustic French look into the classic coastal living.

It was a satisfying challenge to find modern fittings that worked well in the interiors in terms of colour and texture.

The bathrooms also feature a relaxing yet highly detailed cohesive finish.

Overall the design and detailed finish of the home is crafted and finished in the highest quality with no expense spared.