Trends New Zealand Volume 35 No 5 | Page 24

Above: Open sesame – seen here from the back yard, the open-plan kitchen, dining, and living room environment opens up to the rear yard and pool via operable walls of glass. Hardwearing timber-look tile floors running from the alfresco dining area to the indoor dining area help define these areas and at the same time accentuate the indoor- outdoor nature of the home. search | save | share at penetration, this created opportunities for more windows – throughout the residence, windows with views are optimised and, where a natural view is lacking, ponds and landscaping create complementary outlooks. And the complex yet harmonious nature of the home’s layered, textured cladding is also an indication of what’s to come on the interior. From the dramatic double-height entrance, family and guests quickly arrive at the large, open-plan kitchen, dining and living area that is the heart of the home. In turn, the dining area and adjacent living area open up via full-height stacker and sliding doors to a lawn, an alfresco living area, landscaped gardens and the pool. Even the kitchen offers glimpses out to the lawn and pool, while an activity room also opens to the rear indoor-outdoor environment. This room is designed to offer flexibility and can double as a guest bedroom or gym. Beyond the activity room, at the end of the home, there is a powder room easily accessed from the pool. “The wide use of glass operable walls and architectural vistas through the interior draw the eye towards the lawn, pool and landscaped garden as well as to the canopy of the nature