The kitchen embodies an industrial feel with brushed stainless steel, cast concrete elements, and ceramic tiles.
Nestled within an existing orchard and framed by a mountainous backdrop, a newly-built home in New Zealand’s Queenstown embraces the local agricultural vernacular to carve out breathing space and light.
Like much of their work, Fearon Hay Architects’ latest project balances simplicity with complexity, demonstrating a deep sensitivity to the surrounding New Zealand landscape.
While a sense of luxury was on the minds of founding architects Jeff Fearon and Tim Hay, they were also conscious of designing a rural and robust home that would withstand the harsh, Otago climate of the country’s South Island. “The client brief was to create a main residence and a separate guest wing for visitors and their children, so we looked at creating a collection of forms centred around an arrival courtyard,” Tim Hay says.
The Auckland-based practice, with a satellite studio in Los Angeles, worked within the confines of an existing planning control that required the roof to be a minimum 22-degree pitch height. “We used this idea to create a powerful pitched roof that was derived from a more honest, agricultural shed idea,” Tim Hay says. These confines informed the starting point for Orchard House, which is set across a collection of simple volumes that encircle a courtyard and open up to breathtaking views of the surrounding mountain range.
“We didn’t want the design to shout, we wanted it to sit quietly in the orchard, so we looked at something discrete, and this is why we chose zinc, a soft natural material,” Hay explains. Zinc cladding was used in combination with a more traditional corrugated iron sheet applied across the walls and roof of the home. These materials were softened by locally sourced Otago Shist stone. “One of the clients, a creative, desired a dedicated space for her studio, and both clients were passionate about various aspects of the design and creation, so were actively involved in the project’s development,” Hay adds.
The main house showcases expansive floor-to-ceiling windows that flood the interior with natural light and perfectly frame the breathtaking views of the surrounding mountain range.
The Uchiwa wall lamp, designed by Ingo Maurer, enhances the kitchen and dining area with its minimalist yet intricate design. Its rice paper shade casts a warm, inviting glow, making it a captivating focal point.
Considering the brief’s emphasis on simplicity, the chosen materials are fitting. “While the exterior is clad in zinc corrugate to sit quietly in the orchard, the interior is imbued with a warm palette of oak and limestone,” Hay says. “We wanted to embrace a more agricultural shed-like structure, yet at the same time, we wanted to occupy each structure with a rich, layered interior and refine the architectural language.” The Fearon Hay architectural team collaborated closely with fellow Auckland-based interior design practice Katie Lockhart Studios to develop the interiors.
The dining space is centred around a custom-designed oak dining table, locally crafted by Grant Bailey and surrounded by rattan and timber Fredericia J39 Mogensen dining chairs. An Austere Chandelier 2Y by Hans Verstuyft for Trizio21 hangs overhead.
In contrast with the clean-lined and raw exterior aesthetic, natural oak, limestone, and plaster were applied by Lockhart and her team to instil an intimate mood of ‘poetic gradients’ of colour. This was achieved through a restrained palette of earthy hues, accentuated by design pieces such as the Artemide Tolomeo Mega wall lamp and timeless furniture, including J39 dining chairs by Børge Mogensen, B&B Italia Tufty-Time sofa and Cassina 637 Utrecht armchair by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld that further soften the scheme to build a sense of comfort and luxury. “We intended to create an interior that felt unique and suited the client’s needs as a family. I think this house reflects its owners very well – it is unique in every way and has great strength in terms of architectural form and texture with a warm and personal interior,” Lockhart says. “Layers such as the Heath Ceramic tiles in the kitchen – which are hand-glazed, and the Ambitec wall finish add a further sense of dimension to the architectural volumes.”
Fearon Hay and Katie Lockhart Studio approached this home with a shared vision; to create a family home that embodies ease and resonates with the homeowner’s relaxed lifestyle. The result is a calm and creative sanctuary perfectly suited to a tranquil Antipodean life.
This feature originally appeared in est magazine issue 53: In the Kitchen.
In the intimate snug space, an Artemide Tolomeo Mega wall lamp illuminates the iconic B&B Italia Tufty-Time sofa by Patricia Urquiola, creating a harmonious blend of modern and timeless pieces.
The custom-designed curved timber bed frame serves as a centrepiece, adorned by a pair of Applique À Volet Pivotant wall sconces. These classical sconces were designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1962 for her mountain chalet in Méribel.
The entrance sets the stage with its polished plaster walls, timber-lined ceilings, and tiled floors, establishing a warm and inviting ambience that echoes throughout the home.
The post Home Tour | Orchard House by Fearon Hay appeared first on est living | exceptional living.
