Private front facade gives way to openness and light at the rear of this new family home

Entering the front door of this modern home, visitors are struck by its spacious, open-plan interiors, flooded with natural light. However, with site constraints to address, designer Darren O'Neil had to make some dynamic architectural moves to create the relaxed, family-friendly feel.

O'Neil says while the design had to respond to issues like a limited frontage, a long, narrow site and steep shading angles in respect to the neighbours, it was never compromised by them.

"To give the home weight within the wider streetscape, I designed a private, almost abstract frontage that emphasises natural materials and strong rectilinear forms," says the designer.

The garage's cedar strip cladding forms one part of the facade while, to the right, board-formed concrete and a batten corner element combine on the front of the home proper. The extended garage soffit shelters the front door.

However, if the design is quite private and closed off to the street, it's quite a different experience when actually stepping into the interior.

"A vista extends from the front door right down the length of the long, relatively narrow home," says O'Neil. "And from the entertainer's kitchen right to the back of the residence, the home has strong links to the outdoors, including from the kitchen to the alfresco dining area and yard, which is also accessed from the lounge."

O'Neil used several strategies to facilitate the upper-level set backs needed to maintain the required shadow lines to the neighbours and also to maximise natural light penetration. These included strategically raising some ceilings, the use of high clerestory windows and even a glass ceiling on an upstairs hallway.

"The stepped ceiling heights create intimacy in some areas while optimising the main living area's sense of volume and light," says O'Neil.

Designer Emma Morris of Eterno Design was involved from the early stages and undertook the interior architecture and interior design.

"Our brief was to create a warm, welcoming interior that captures a sense of Scandinavian style seen for example in the predominantly white walls and oak floors," Morris says. "The palette was chosen to enhance the home's strong architectural forms and also the interplay of light coming through the varying ceilings."

There are a number of character finishes, such as the textured concrete wall seen upon entry and the bespoke, dark-stained oak panelling to evoke cosiness in the winter or media room. And shutters were specified on tall narrow windows to bring a more architectural feel into the spaces.

"In fact, we added texture and interest in several ways," she says. "Another was with the custom Italian porcelain tile splashback in the scullery. This was also brought through into the powder room and master suite, for continuity.

"Maximising discreet storage was another requirement and this was addressed in every-thing from a walk-in drying room for the laundry to the dedicated floor-to-ceiling coat and shoe cupboards behind the hallway wall."

Story by: New Zealand TIDA Homes

Photography by: Jamie Armstrong