Distinctive Designs

Dan and Olivia had spent years building and shaping homes for others. When it came to their own, on a rise above the Atawhai community with views across Tasman Bay and the Boulder Bank, they wanted it to say exactly what they do. “We both love design and the finer details, so with our own…

For Carmen Hubber of Hub Design, the Queenstown studio she founded in 2003, light is both the starting point and the final word on how a home feels. The brief was simple: warmth. A home that feels cosy, natural and calm, where everyone can find their own place without being pushed to the edges. Carmen…

High in the alpine country the house sits above a lake, the mountains rising behind it, a line of snow on the tops that shifts with the light through the day. That view is why the owners are here, and holding onto it became the thread running through everything Threefold Architecture did to the home…

This Jacks Point home arrives as two pavilions. One holds the living, kitchen and dining. The other holds the bedrooms. The entry sits between them, and a sheltered patio fills the gap, so the house folds around its own courtyard, out of the wind on a Wakatipu afternoon. Immersion Architecture’s floor plan does most of…

Most pendants come in fixed lengths and leave the room to cope. The Capsühl Linear works the other way. Social Light designs and makes it to order in New Zealand, the client choosing finish, length and drop while the fixture is scaled to the room before it is built. “Every Capsühl Linear is specified to…

For Kovacs director and furniture designer Hildy Kovacs, that was the case with the Elton sofa. She began to feel that modern furniture had become too uniform, lacking personality. “Designers are constantly influenced by what surrounds them,” Hildy says. “I was beginning to tire of the sleek contemporary aesthetic That opened the door to exploring…

Ceramic artist and co-owner of Timeless Tiles, Elise Johnston, says nature-led colour stories are defining today’s interiors. “Warm earthy tones continue to shape modern interiors, pairing beautifully with natural wood accents and timeless travertine looks. “Rich autumnal hues, including chocolate, linen, rust, and clay tones, are emerging strongly, alongside soft greens that bring a calm,…

Cosentino has opened a showroom in central Christchurch, a permanent base for the Spanish surfaces company in the South Island. It opened in May, and rather than a trade counter, the fit-out reads as a working interior, with the stone run across the floor, up a full facade, and into the tables and basins. The…

Framed by planting and open sky, what’s been created here is less an outdoor structure in the usual sense, and more a place you end up staying longer than you planned to. Somewhere to sit, talk, play chess, dine with friends outside, and let time stretch out a bit. The original brief started with a…

On an established, secluded section above Wānaka, Reign Architecture was presented with a broad, level platform surrounded by mature planting, the ground falling away to the west. Two mature magnolia trees were also to stay exactly in place, a client non-negotiable. These qualities informed where the home, its terraces and key sightlines were arranged. “Rather…

A stillness settles over Kaiteriteri just before the day fully wakes, when the light off the Tasman turns the water silver and the bushcovered hills hold their breath. It’s the kind of place that draws families back year after year until the pull becomes permanent. Such was the case for this family, whose home is…

Perched on a corner section in the sought-after Paton Rise subdivision, this mid-century modern home commands attention. It’s the first show home for David Reid Homes Nelson & Tasman. Director of Operations Dan McIvor led the build, with New Homes Consultant Bridget McIvor’s design vision carried through to the finished home. “We’re proud to showcase…

What began as a family nursery has evolved into Easy Big Trees, one of New Zealand’s leading suppliers of mature trees, helping create landscapes that look established from day one. Managing director Chris Harrison is the third generation to lead the nursery, alongside his sons Barney and Ryland Harrison. The team’s expertise spans deciduous, evergreen…

What they don’t always see is the team behind it all. That’s exactly why the recent Myles Sellers Memorial Award means so much to Mastercraft Kitchens by B&M Joinery. Presented by Master Joiners, the award recognises businesses that have created an outstanding workplace and team culture. Being chosen as this year’s recipient is an honour…

Comfort, efficiency, and design now go hand in hand when it comes to choosing windows and doors. With up to half of a home’s heat able to escape through substandard windows and doors, homeowners are demanding smarter solutions—moving beyond double glazing to high-performance thermal systems that look as good as they perform. Modern systems like…

Designed by MAUD with interiors by at.space, the project called for a builder capable of delivering a complex design with precision. Homeowner and interior designer Alex McLeod of at.space, wanted her new family home to reflect happy childhood memories and to capture the sense of calm and intimacy she remembered from her grandparents’ mid-century courtyard…

What started as a modest renovation enquiry evolved into a full reconsideration of the site. The existing dwelling was ultimately deemed unviable, opening the opportunity for a complete redesign. The resultant legacy home responds confidently to its setting and speaks a timeless architectural language. Led by Jon McAlpine Architecture, alongside builder Kevin Garrity from Edinbridge…

Quantum’s portfolio of timeless, classic design delivers style and practical performance, with a carefully curated range of surfaces to enhance the spaces people live and work in. Director at Quantum, Larry Harrison says: “While we stock an extensive collection of products here in New Zealand, our real passion lies in a collaborative approach.” Quantum works…

Perched just back from Mount Maunganui’s iconic shoreline, this home stands with a quiet confidence. Its architecture is striking yet understated, a study in limestone tones and clean lines. The garden, therefore, needed to do something deceptively difficult: enhance the home’s presence without competing with it. The landscape had to settle the building into its…

The vision of Sticks and Stones Design came to life as a relaxed, resort-inspired retreat designed entirely around the lifestyle of its owners. And at the heart of the refined coastal home is a beautifully resolved kitchen where warm oak textures, sculptural and assertive Taj Mahal stone and cleverly concealed functionality combine. The renovation was…

Designed specifically for the way New Zealanders live today, the range reflects a shift toward cleaner aesthetics, higher performance and seamless integration into modern architectural spaces. As James Fisher, Chief Product Officer at Escea Fireplaces, explains: “We’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how a wood fire performs and looks in modern New Zealand…

Nestled within the relaxed coastal landscape of Whangamatā, the Pipi Road Residence stands as a testament to meticulous interior design, blending durability with understated luxury. Although a new build, its emotional resonance is profound — a home that captures the spirit of a beloved family bach while offering a contemporary haven for generations. At its…

That is exactly where REVEGO, Blum’s innovative pocket door system, is making an impact. Designed to allow full-height cabinetry and entire zones to disappear behind sleek sliding fronts, REVEGO is redefining how modern interiors function. Unlike traditional cabinetry, REVEGO uses fully integrated pocket technology that allows doors to slide away into narrow side compartments, creating…

Life along the Pauanui Waterways unfolds at a slower register, shaped by water, weather and horizon. This home is perfectly tuned to that rhythm, articulated through a sequence of gabled forms in cedar, steel and board-formed concrete, softened by established planting. This interplay between structure and landscape establishes a calm, responsive dynamic at the water’s…

Vegetation cascades over rolling hills and spills towards the shoreline. Beyond, an exposed headland bears the full force of the salty easterly weather. It’s a site defined by both beauty and challenge, conditions that would come to shape a home designed equally around its surroundings and the family who call it their own. The brief…

The arrival sequence of a home sets the tone for everything that follows. It is the first tactile and visual interaction with a space; the point where architecture begins to communicate mood, restraint and permanence. For Te Arai Construction Concrete, that moment is treated as a sculptural experience, carefully composed through the use of burnished…

From the outset, the vision was clear: a place of escape and connection. Amid the dunes, the perfectly positioned home basks in sunlight, yet is sheltered from prevailing beachside conditions. The clients’ desire for a spacious, versatile residence with floors elevated much higher than the existing property places the ocean and dormant volcano Tuhua in…

The first thing you notice is the horizon that feels close enough to touch. An endless sweep of ocean framed in glass, where sky and sea blur into one uninterrupted view. There’s a moment, standing in the main living space, where the boundary between inside and out seems to disappear entirely. The ocean stretches wide,…

Instead of blending into the hillside, this Welcome Bay residence makes a confident architectural statement. Yet for all its visual presence, some of the home’s most impressive achievements are largely invisible. Behind the clean architectural lines sits a carefully engineered building envelope designed to deliver exceptional comfort, health and energy efficiency. Striking design and outstanding…

Crestview presents as a crisp, sculptural form against the green hillside. Designed by The Architecture People and brought to life by Wildwoods Construction, the home is a considered response to place, shaped as much by the contours beneath it as the clients’ specific vision. The Whatawhata home occupies a narrow buildable corridor where geotechnical requirements…

Homeowners Sam and Candice approached Slate looking for a team who could guide both the architecture and construction under one roof. Slate Studio’s design team says, “Sam and Candice came to us wanting more than just a builder. They were looking for a team. They had a clear vision for a modern pavilion-style family home,…

Minimalist finishes and a combination of cedar, concrete and many naturalgreys let the views take centre stage in this tranquil coastal home. The site, once home to a modest cottage, was always defined by its extraordinary outlook across harbour, offshore islands, and distant ranges, but unlocking its potential took a strong expert vision and engineering…

Making the most of site restrictions is usually where good architecture comes from. People think there is some grand inspiration when something a little bit strange crops up; but often it’s doing something that’s grounded in outcomes. My place is a slender tower, reaching high to the views and sun on a south-facing site that’s…

New Zealand Panels Group has expanded its Prime Stone benchtop range with the introduction of two new colours, responding to growing demand for surfaces that balance design appeal with improved material safety. The additions, Ohakune and Statuario Venato, bring the total Prime Stone collection to 26 designs.Both reflect the brand’s focus on refined aesthetics inspired…

PROFILE 1: AUBREY Overlooking Albert Town and Lake Hāwea, this expansive home is wrapped around a gully, brimming with kānuka trees, a natural element that Bryce says defines the home’s identity. Rosenfeld Kidson vertical cedar clads the home and serves as a soft accent inside that welcomes nature in. Hugh and the homeowner worked closely…

In the mid 1990s, Ambitec began investigating alternative wall finish systems capable ofworking with light rather than concealing it. Textured plaster finishes used in Europeprovided a reference point – finishes that embraced light rather than fought it, and celebratedimperfections rather than hiding them. Inspiration came from Venetian plaster in the chapels of Italy, the colourful…

Queenstown properties boast spectacular mountain and lake views, but this can mean conflicting landscape design needs: an outdoor space that balances openness with closeness. Jude’s recent Mill Vista project is one such case. “The site had beautiful views of Lake Hayes and The Remarkables, which I designed an open view towards, but then the internal…

Designed for her own family, the home explores how architecture can frame views, shape daily life, and provide a sense of protection in an exposed environment. Maja began with a clear vision: “Views from anywhere on the property – direct and look-through views.” The brief also called for “a spacious, fun, open-plan family home” and…

For owners Sarah and David Kidd, this peaceful, low-maintenance property has been thoughtfully updated and extended to accommodate their visiting daughters, grandchildren and friends. The new extension and layout are ideal for gatherings with a new swimming pool to soak in while enjoying the stunning mountain views. Director of Modbox Joe Daly says, “Sarah and…

The owners of this rural valley home swapped their busy lives in Dunedin for a calmer pace of life. Mike Kapua of Mike Kapua Builders developed a close relationship with the homeowners during the build. Mike says: “Richard and Fiona live a lifestyle deeply connected to the outdoors. Whether tending to their gardens, exploring walking…

In the West Meadows neighbourhood of Wanaka, a new house by Immersion Architecture brings a quietly confident presence to its prominent corner site. Named Terrace House, the project pairs robust construction with carefully framed views to create a contemporary alpine retreat designed for extended family living. Rather than relying on spectacle, the architecture celebrates material…

The Boulders residence is a summit in its own right, the pinnacle of site-responsive, sustainable architecture, of awe-inspiring ambition and ingenious biophilic design. It sits 480 metres above sea level on a challenging, steep slope between the mountain range and Lake Dunstan below. Completed in 2023, a lucky few have since had the pleasure of…