This tranquil home is a perfect reflection of its Japanese and Kiwi owners - Yuki Fukuda, a sustainable living advisor, and her husband, architect Nathan Edmondston who designed this house.

What was your over-riding philosophy for the house?

Our colour and design theme was a fusion of sustainability and cultural identities. We wanted the appearance of our house to reflect our strong commitment to sustainability. It was important for us that the colours were in harmony with the native trees outside and timber finishes inside, so that we feel we are a part of nature. For example, the feature wall of the kitchen is painted with orange (Resene Grenadier) which signifies the under wing of the kea – our favourite bird, which witnessed our alpine wedding. The orange, along with grey tones in the kitchen, enhances the exterior greenery and provides a feeling of immediate connection to nature.

How did other colour choices support that?

We also wanted our house to honour where we had come from. So we chose Resene Cobalt to give a feel of solidity and integrity for the feature wall in the lounge which connects the modern European kitchen and tranquil Japanese dining area. This colour, a Samurai blue, is highly regarded in Japan (Yuki’s home country). The same colour was chosen as the trims of the tatami mats to ease the transition.

With its Japanese tatami mats and Resene Canterbury Clay walls, the dining area is a quiet, contemplative space. But hidden underneath the raised floor are brightly-coloured storage compartments. We wanted to introduce an element of surprise and a bit of fun to show our cheeky side.

We used different colour combinations and timber finishes in the bedroom wings to provide a sense of privacy. We chose Resene Rasberry for the master bedroom doors for a romantic feel. Light blue (Resene Morning Glory) and light green (Resene Granny Apple) were chosen for the other two bedrooms because they enhance the red alder floor and golden ceiling (Resene Colorwood Natural wood stain). The floor of the loft (the only space without any windows) was painted yellow-orange (Resene Hero) to brighten up this otherwise small space. We specified recycled rimu flooring for the transitional spaces to bring a New Zealand cultural context into our home.

What was the biggest design challenge for this project?

The biggest challenge was creating a harmonious colour scheme in the open-plan living area. We wanted a contemporary vibrant feel for the modern kitchen yet a serene atmosphere in the dining area so the transitional living space needed to connect and balance the two with ease.

With its Japanese tatami mats and Resene Canterbury Clay walls, the dining area is a quiet, contemplative space. But hidden underneath the raised floor are brightly-coloured storage compartments which bring together all of the colours used in the house - Resene Cobalt, Resene Hero (pale orange) Resene Raspberry, Resene Grenadier (orange) and Resene Morning Glory (pale aqua). 

The dining area with the tatami mat floor closed. The walls are in Resene Canterbury Clay while the ceilings are finished in Resene Natural from the Resene Colorwood interior wood stains range, then Resene Aquaclear urethane.

Resene Raspberry was chosen as a romantic red for the main bedroom door. The ladder leads to a mezzanine loft space.

Another view from the master bedroom, looking back down the hall and also outside to the deck. The house was designed by Nathan Edmondston.

A place to sneak away to. The floor of the loft (the only space without any windows) was painted yellow-orange (Resene Hero) to brighten up this otherwise small space.

The feature wall of orange in the kitchen (Resene Grenadier) signifies the under wing of the kea – Nathan and Yuki’s favourite bird, which witnessed their alpine wedding. The blue is Resene Cobalt. 

Coloured doors feature throughout the house. The sea-sky colour of Resene Morning Glory is used on the linen cupboard door.