Here comes the sun

Living in a picturesque native bush landscape is often a trade-off. On the one hand you have natural beauty and privacy, but on the other the trees may block the light and sun.

This property was no exception. With a high bank of native bush and trees to the north, the house did not get much light or sun in winter. But that wasn't the owners' only concern.

"Although the house was only built in the 1990s, it looked much older," says one of the owners. "A rather dated red cedar exterior and timber railings gave it a very '70s feel."

An ill-defined front entrance was another concern, says Steve Seddon from Seddon Associates, who was contracted to design the renovation.

"It was difficult even to find the front door, and this elevation had no impact," he says. "Consequently, the entry was redesigned to give it more visual weight. The proportions of the windows and frames were changed to provide more uniformity, and to remove the higgledy-piggledy look."

Timber rail balustrades were replaced with streamlined glass, and the entire cedar exterior was refinished with a black wood stain.

To better suit modern lifestyle requirements, the interior needed to be reconfigured while retaining the original footprint. Seddon says the main living space was compromised by the lack of light and also by a structural wall between the dining and living areas, which effectively cut the space in half. The wall blocked the view from the dining table and gave the house an enclosed, cluttered look.

Other areas needing attention included the kitchen, which was small and not well suited to entertaining, and the master suite. This incorporated a dark, south-facing bathroom.

Seddon says removing the structural wall in the living area, opening up the space and maximising the outlook were priorities.

"We needed to bring a sense of order to the interior. The straight axis through the house was not clearly defined by the existing layout some of the walls were at unusual angles. It was also essential to maximise the wall of green a beautiful view to a bank of native ferns and bush at the northern end of the living room."

Three French doors in this wall were replaced by a wall of glazing, which features substantial cream-painted wood joinery.

"This end of the house needed more weight," says Seddon. "Heavy framing balances the solid wall of kitchen joinery at the opposite end of the room, while the glazing makes the roof appear to float."

New sliders replace a set of French doors, creating a seamless 3.9m-wide opening to the deck and garden.

Additional light is provided by a series of new skylights that run the length of the living area, along the ridge of the roof.

"As well as introducing plenty of light, the skylights break up the great expanse of ceiling," says Seddon. "They highlight the spine, adding interest to this dominant form. Visually, they are rather like a hinge mechanism in the middle of the ceiling."

The skylights finish above a bank of wall cabinets in the new Poggenpohl Plus Modo kitchen. Lara Farmilo, of Poggenpohl New Zealand distributor Akzente, says the cabinets were designed to provide a solid wall a complete full stop to this end of the living space. An integrated door at the far left of this wall is a secret opening to the master suite.

The Plus Modo kitchen design also plays on the concept of light and shade, with Titan Grey textured lacquer surfaces alternated with Mineral White. The kitchen is further defined by open and enclosed elements, which include sliding wood platforms for food service.

Further remodelling has transformed the master suite. Passageways and the original bathroom were gutted and combined to create one large bathroom that is open to the bedroom. This utilises space that was formerly wasted.

New clerestory windows were added to bring northern light into the bathroom and new dressing room.

Story by: Colleen Hawkes

Photography by: Jamie Cobeldick