Architect Rebecca Walker’s Warner House

This home designed for her family is a true expression of her preference for pared-back and connection to outdoor spaces.

Some people like their architecture with all the bells and whistles front and centre. Others prefer buildings in which the expert solutions that enhance everyday life are skilfully hidden from view. For architect Rebecca Walker, less “Look at me!” is definitely more — and never more so than when it came to designing her own home.
“I like things that aren’t too fussy,” she says. “Sometimes it’s harder to get them looking simple, but that’s always my goal.”

Architect Rebecca Walker’s Warner House

ABOVE “I wanted the form of the home to do the talking and for it not to be too showy,” says Rebecca. “I also prefer things to be understated rather than make a big, blaring statement because I think those can really date.”

Rebecca has lived at this Mt Albert address for 22 years, in a bungalow that became home to her husband Daimhin Warner and their children too. They all enjoyed the old house, but Rebecca feels strongly that Auckland needs more density, so they recently had it moved to the rear of the property. It was the first step in a thoughtful development that makes the most of the large site while providing the family with a more urban lifestyle — no more gardening all weekend, every weekend. 

Architect Rebecca Walker’s Warner House

Architect Rebecca Walker’s Warner House

Architect Rebecca Walker’s Warner House

ABOVE Every last line, junction, material and hue has been carefully considered to achieve the couple’s aesthetic goals — and their sensorial ones. “It’s very calming,” says Rebecca. “It makes me feel much more relaxed than busy spaces would, and Daimhin is even more minimalist. Often, if I put a little ornament out, I’ll find it tucked away in a cupboard later. It’s hilarious — he’ll rip a newspaper out of your hand while you’re reading it!”

Translating her and Daimhin’s vision into architectural plans, Rebecca meticulously designed a three-bedroom home that presents as one simple form. Two L-shaped brick walls on the front and rear corners serve as enclosing elements, with floor-to-ceiling joinery set into them. A second storey floats above the first, with cantilevered overhangs that allow for a car to swing into the garage at the front, and make the low-maintenance courtyard usable year-round at the back.
“The site is quite narrow, so the shape of the house was dictated by height-to-boundary controls,” says Rebecca. “We got around this by pitching the roof, and allowing the ceilings to follow the roof line. They’re quite low at the outer edges, then soar up to the ridge.

Architect Rebecca Walker’s Warner House

KITCHEN & DINING In this space made more inclusive by the absence of a kitchen island, lacquered white cabinetry by Distinction Joinery meets Raven Oak Shinnoki from VidaSpace under the bench. The Super White dolomite from SlabCo used for the benchtop is harder than marble, so it won’t stain. Lit by Pleat Box pendants by Marset from ECC, the In Between dining suite is by &tradition.

“With buildings close by, the other challenge was the view lines,” she continues. “We resolved this with the use of skylights and top-down blinds, so you can see the sky without losing your privacy. We particularly wanted a view out to the Waitakeres from the master bedroom and up to Mt Albert from the media room, and carefully placed windows have achieved this.”

Architect Rebecca Walker’s Warner House

LIVING Above a Loom rug from Father Rabbit, Isabella chair by Simon James, vintage coffee table, and Sabine sofa from Nood is a recessed Tracking Magnet by Flos Architectural from ECC that allows light fittings to be swapped out and new ones clicked in. The objects seen here include a Scialla lamp, Apollo candle and brass Candle Pod from Ornament.

In keeping with her restrained approach, Rebecca concentrated on concealing and integrating as much of the functional detail inside the home as possible. Built-in cabinetry hides a scullery and powder room, and provides storage that removes the need for extra furniture, creating more room to move and entertain, and reducing visual clutter.

Architect Rebecca Walker’s Warner House

Architect Rebecca Walker’s Warner House

Architect Rebecca Walker’s Warner House

TOP Colour and texture go hand in hand in this house. “So, for example, where there’s a big expanse of white wall, there’s a very textural concrete slab,” says Rebecca. Here, said slab meets curtains in Laconia Air linen by James Dunlop Textiles. The Harvest planter and Shift lamp beside them are from Città, and the vintage stool was an op shop find. ABOVE MIDDLE Concealing the powder room and scullery in the floor-to-ceiling cabinetry ensures a minimalist look with maximum functionality.

To stop the minimalist home feeling cold, the interplay of texture and colour was also a key focus. “I wanted to make sure we had lots of clean surfaces offset with textural ones, and went for a warm, tonal colour palette,” says Rebecca.

Architect Rebecca Walker’s Warner House

Architect Rebecca Walker’s Warner House

TOP The cantilevered steel balustrade and handrail by Powersurge were well worth going the extra mile for. ABOVE In the ensuite, a skylight by Velux lets in light and eliminates the need for a noisy extractor fan. The Boston Gesso wall tiles are from Tile Space and the Tundra Grey floor tiles are from Artedomus.

The décor in this dwelling is a moveable feast of well-crafted pieces that Rebecca loves to rearrange. Her styling is a constant process she prefers to set against a neutral backdrop, and a service she also provides for her clients, whom she assists with everything from master planning to furniture selection. On her own project, she managed the entire planning, subdivision, design and build process, and says it became all-consuming — in a good way.

Architect Rebecca Walker’s Warner House

Architect Rebecca Walker’s Warner House

MAIN BEDROOM Rebecca says the cabinetry that forms a headboard on this side and walk-in wardrobe/dressing room on the other has created her happy place. “I’ve never had such a luxurious space in which to put on makeup without people pushing past me or trying to use the shower.” The cabinetry is cleverly half-height, so it’s not as imposing as it would be if taken right up to the vaulted ceiling. ABOVE Adjoining the main bedroom is a special space Rebecca retreats to to read or listen to podcasts when insomnia strikes, so she can stay connected to Daimhin, yet not wake him up. Switching the mattress and bedding for a thinner squab and cushions turns it into a daybed. Top-down Honeycomb blinds by Venluree allow views of the sky and as a bonus provide better thermal insulation than venetians.

“I both felt the burden of and really enjoyed making all the decisions. Daimhin quickly realised that this was my baby.
I’d say, ‘We have a decision to make’ and give him the options, then he’d choose and I’d say, ‘No, that’s the wrong option’! But it’s so sweet because he’s very design-led yet seems to like everything I do.”

Architect Rebecca Walker’s Warner House

MAIN BATHROOM Echoing the ensuite, this generous space features an Immerge bath by VCBC from Bath Co; a Flynn mirror from Shut the Front Door, customised with LED backlighting; Buddy tapware and a Superthin Ellipse basin by Progetto, with a vanity top also from Plumbline; and cabinetry by Distinction Joinery in Desert Oak Shinnoki from VidaSpace.

Despite the heavy workload, Rebecca’s not one to cut corners. Take the home’s central stairwell, for instance, which wasn’t meant to be a big deal, but became the single most expensive element and one of her best-loved spots. 

Architect Rebecca Walker’s Warner House

Architect Rebecca Walker’s Warner House

TOP “This is just a circulation space and the laundry, but it’s one of my favourite places in the house, thanks to the combination of the light and the materials,” says Rebecca. Stacked appliances from Fisher & Paykel slot neatly into the cupboard. ABOVE Alfie’s room also has ample built-in storage, so his PS cabinet from Ikea was able to be purchased as a ‘want’ rather than a ‘need’. His Sonata bunks are from Mocka.

“The oiled-steel balustrade and handrail were a bit of a splurge,” she says. “I tried to do an economical solution, with a half-height wall with steel detail around it, but when I saw how it looked, I was like, ‘No, flag it, pull everything out.’ I really wanted the transparency. It was a bit nail-biting because it held everything else up while I quickly redesigned the stairwell, but the builders [Earlybird Construction] were patient and Powersurge are very kind and do all the last-minute steel nonsense I dream up.” 

Architect Rebecca Walker’s Warner House

EXTERIOR The cantilever detail at the rear of the home protects the main living area from the high summer sun but lets low winter sun inside to warm the concrete floor, which was power-floated for three times as long as usual to achieve the cloudy finish Rebecca was set on.

This sophisticated abode gives everyone in Rebecca and Daimhin’s blended family space to come together or do their own thing, yet isn’t so big that they feel disconnected. “I’m most proud of the harmonious feeling the house gives,” says Rebecca. “No matter how many people we have here, it seems to accommodate everyone, and that’s my absolute dream — not a house that looks a certain way for the sake of design, although that is important to me, but one that feels really welcoming.”
It’s a home that’s undoubtedly impressive, yet not in-your-face fancy. “I love the level of cohesion and detail — it’s absolutely my highest achievement to date — but I’m not here to impress anyone,” says Rebecca. “I feel like I’m at a stage in my career where I’m sure of what I’m doing; I want to do what I like and think looks good, and this is a pure expression of that.”   

Words Philippa Prentice
Photography Simon Wilson

 

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