Inspired by its dramatic surrounding landscapes, this new Queenstown build showcases rich raw texture, organic forms and lashings of modern, moody hues.
Words Kim Dungey | Photos Vaughan Brookfield
“Bring the outside in” was the brief for this stunning Queenstown home.
Nestled by the lake, flanked by schist rock and towering mountains, it will eventually become the owners’ permanent home and needed to cater for both children and grandchildren.
The interiors, designed by Eternodesign in Christchurch, include an open-plan kitchen-dining-living area with spectacular lake views, and luxurious bedrooms and bathrooms.
The kitchen features a basalt grey stone benchtop and blackened wall units with walnut-stained internal shelves.
This moody colour scheme continues into the scullery but there the dark units contrast with white finger tiles.
Brass pendant lights hang over the dining table, while an oversized black slatted door leads to an adjacent media room.
Eternodesign director Emma Morris says celebrating the landscape called for a textured palette, subtle lighting and earthy colours in the master en suite.
Subtly textured rippled tiles contrast with large, grey porcelain tiles and make an ideal backdrop to the freestanding bath with its matte black bath spout. The vanity has a sintered stone benchtop, paired with dark drawer fronts. Black shutters, installed prior to the plumbed bath, provide privacy but also open to the view.
In the separate powder room, a freestanding, floor-mounted concrete basin takes centre stage. The black basin is complemented by a brass tap and mixer, and a softly curved mirror hangs above.
Adding interest to the natural stone walls is the light cast from hand-blown, brass-detailed opal glass lights that turn on via a hidden sensor.
Completing the powder room was not without its challenges, Emma says. Because the natural crevices in the travertine were left unfilled, the wall tiles were brittle and tricky to work with.
Secondly, the room needed to not only be beautiful in its own right but connect with the design features of the living areas.
“We achieved this with discreet, bespoke, vertical slatted wall panelling and a hidden door to mesh the spaces together. When the slatted door is closed, there is no sign of a powder room.”
The attention to detail paid off as the home was recognised in recent awards run by the National Kitchen and Bathroom Association.
The kitchen won the Canterbury designers’ award (for kitchens costing $90,000 to $120,000) and the master en suite received a platinum award and the distinction award (for bathrooms up to $50,000), while the powder room was a runner-up in this year’s Trends International Design Awards.