Early conversations around the design of this new home by Ben Mitchell-Anyon and Sally Ogle of Patchwork Architecture were based around a simple form that would sit quietly in a rural paddock, but the architects soon realised this was not to be a rustic building. βIt turned out the clients are real design buffs,β says Ogle.
β
The couple had moved to the country where they work from home and live an uncluttered, tranquil existence that focuses on the rituals of the day β the movement of the sun, the preparation of food.Β
β
They have a large extended family, but they didnβt need a big house β in fact, the house has only one proper bedroom. Though it has expansive living areas, with a generous kitchen at its heart featuring a 4.5-metre-long island bench. βEnough for two people day to day,β says Mitchell-Anyon, βbut it can also act like a marae when the family comes to stay.β Β
β
The kitchen is at the heart and sits in the middle of the living area, between a cosy living space and an open dining area that extends to a sheltered verandah, which serves as a separate room. In place of a splashback, thereβs a window above the bench with a view of rolling hills. Itβs built from the same honeyed macrocarpa cabinetry that features throughout the house. βThe interior is quite refined compared with the outside,β says Mitchell-Anyon. βThe materials are simple β plasterboard, concrete and macrocarpa β but the detailing is fine.βΒ
β
That detail carries through into the appliances, all from Fisher & Paykel. Both clients and architects sought clean lines and restrained details that wouldnβt detract from the refined aesthetic β most noticeably with the 75cm induction cooktop, which allows the eye to glide over and out to the magnificent view.Β
β
While the dishwasher is integrated into cabinetry, they were happy for the freestanding refrigerator-freezer to be on show, rather than hidden away β a move that seems so right in a refined, yet practical rural home.Β
β
In all, the effect is one of tranquility. βItβs a very calm place to be,β says Mitchell-Anyon.
β
Related Stories:
