Light touch

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 answered with warm timbers and a palette drawn from the Queenstown landscape, grounding the interior and letting light do the rest.

Because here, light is the project.

A north-facing aspect delivers generous daylight, but only for so long. Hub Design responded with a second scheme for after sunset, layered, controlled and intuitive. Soft ambient light settles the house in the evening, while sharper task lighting steps in when needed, each on its own control.

In the living room, downlights are notably absent. Instead, a concealed LED strip washes the cathedral ceiling in a clean, uninterrupted line. A sculptural pendant, crafted from recycled cardboard, takes over at night, casting a softer, more intimate glow.

Every light source is adjustable. Dimmed low, the house feels still and cocooned; turned up, it shifts effortlessly into function. The effect is fluid, responsive, and quietly luxurious.

That same fluidity carries through the palette. Upholstery, rugs and drapery sit in soft tonal layers with no harsh contrast. As the lighting changes, so do the colours, deepening, lifting and reshaping the mood of the room. It is subtle, but powerful.

The main living space brings it all together. At its centre, a curved Elton settee by Kovacs, upholstered in Misia’s Nuit, wraps around a pair of Louie swivel chairs in a richly textured Fine fabric. The chairs pivot between fire and conversation, allowing the room to shift with ease.

The settee is the anchor. Its continuous curve shapes the room as much as it furnishes it, drawing people in and holding them there. In morning light, its sepia tone reads as warm sand; by evening, it deepens into something richer and more enveloping. Generous, tactile and made for lingering, it sets the tone for everything around it.

A Naked Flame fire grounds the arrangement, its flicker bringing warmth and presence even when the room is empty. The layout invites connection, everyone can see, speak and settle, while the softness of the materials creates a sense of quiet enclosure.

Unsurprisingly, this is where everyone gathers.

Beyond it, the house unfolds with equal intention. Bedrooms sit in separate wings, each with its own ensuite and access to private living spaces. The family can spread out or come together, always connected.

Materiality takes the lead in the bathrooms. Travertine introduces a soft, sandy grain that sits naturally alongside warm timbers, while bronze tapware reinforces the tonal palette. Each ensuite becomes a private retreat.

In the main bathroom, a custom Hub Design vanity anchors the space, with lighting layered as it is throughout the home, bright and functional in the morning, low and ambient by night.

The shared spaces are designed for hosting, with multiple zones for gathering and dining. Large doors open to outdoor rooms on either side, allowing the house to expand with ease. At full stretch, it can host twenty; at its quietest, it feels just as complete.

Everything circles back to the same idea: light, tone and form working together. The result is a home that shifts effortlessly from lively to still, equally suited to a house full of guests at sunset or a quiet alpine evening with just the family inside.