Mind, body and soul Holistic design by Yellowfox accentuates house and site

When the house design is understated and contemporary and the views are expansive, it takes a keen eye to balance indoors and out.

Stewart Hampton had a clear vision of what he wanted to achieve and designed the home himself, with help from Henwood Builders and Yellowfox interior designer Teri Donnelly.

This house has architectural lines, a simple modular form and a relaxed, open-plan feel. Henwood builders did an amazing job from start to finish, says Donnelly.

"The holiday home is situated at the top of a peninsula overlooking Doubtless Bay. With these spectacular views in mind the client and I wanted to keep the colours and material palette neutral and minimal," says Donnelly.

"The views really are the artworks for this house. To optimise their impact, dark window joinery was used to create a framework for the outlooks. Downplaying the home's presence on the land was another key factor dark cladding was used on most of the exterior so that the structure would fade into the landscape when viewed from a distance."

Resene Alabaster was used as a pale accent on the exterior and throughout the interiors.

Both the understated hues and extensive use of natural materials ensure the indoors connect seamlessly with the verdant surroundings.

An entertainer's kitchen is one focus of the space and the owners wanted this to have a dark timber finish, to complement the exterior cladding. The right look was achieved with wood-grain Melamine, which also contrasts the white interior walls in the open plan setting.

"This kitchen has a simple back wall and island layout, a very minimal design. The luxurious waterfall benchtop with a rich vein running through it has the presence of marble, though this look can be achieved with a high pressure laminate Wilsonart Laminate Calacatta Marble from Mercer Interiors. The kitchen splashback, by Image Glass, is in a neutral tone so that when the strip lighting is switched on the colours create a visual feature that brings the kitchen to life, especially at night."

However, there are two sides to the kitchen story. The working kitchen is tucked out of sight from the living areas. Both kitchens were manufactured and installed by Mastercraft Johns Kitchenmakers.

Yellowfox specialises in astute design-led solutions for all interior and exterior projects. Strong associations with respected companies in the industry means if there is anything that Yellowfox isn't able to provide, the company can refer clients to the relevant professional.

For details, contact Yellowfox Auckland or Yellowfox Waiheke, PO Box 11282, Ellerslie, Auckland, phone (09) 525 3450, fax (09) 525 3453. Email: design@yellowfox.co.nz or visit the website: www.yellowfox.co.nz.

Story by: Trendsideas