Haumoana

This reimagining of a large rural home's interior architecture has reshaped its spaces into a more refined, natural-material-driven retreat—one that speaks to farmhouse heritage while embracing modern, expansive living.

Although well-sited at the crest of a sweeping, undulating landscape, the original 1970s masonry structure had limited architectural character. A considered reorganisation to enhance movement and flow has strengthened the connection to the surrounding rural setting and the ocean views beyond.

This transformation is both structural and atmospheric. Each intervention has stripped away excess while enriching the experience of inhabitation. Spaces have been opened, sightlines extended, and a palette of weighty rustic beams, reclaimed river rimu, leathered stones and blackened steel contributes permanence, warmth and tactility.

The reimagined heart of the home is a new, generous kitchen that now anchors daily life, forming a contemporary farmhouse trinity with the newly configured scullery and mudroom, before seamlessly extending to the outdoors.

Remodelled with richness and a restraint that belies its complexity, every adjustment and material choice has been carefully orchestrated to shape a life well lived. Bureaux-bespoke furniture—such as the loggia’s monolithic blackened steel fireplace surround, replacing a former river stone hearth, and bedroom suite vanities, tables, and carved timber elements—integrates this materiality deeply into the home’s aesthetic. Throughout, new solid oak tongue-and-groove doors introduce weight and presence, while moments of quiet luxury are found in the smallest details, such as leather-wrapped hardware. Each element reflects a commitment to craft and material integrity.

Photography by Sam Hartnett