John's design takes flight

Take a magnificent site, adventurous homeowners, an architect known for his edgy thinking, and a palette of Resene colours… and the result is a stunning home with surprise elements perfectly tailor-made to its occupants and location.

The project has won several awards, including a Residential Interior Colour Maestro award at last year’s Resene Total Colour Awards.

Wellington architect John Mills explains:

Wellington sites like this are a delight to discover and work with, the clients had lived in a state house here for many years before deciding their future home needed to be warmer, lighter and more inspiring. With a brief that required natural materials and strong energy efficiency, they added the desire to make their home a sculptural element suspended in the bush-scape, to embrace and frame the outstanding views... and a killer kitchen.

We were chosen from a short list of architects for being good listeners and having a warm, contemporary and colourful aesthetic with subtle detailing, generous use of timbers and a relaxed but evolved feel.

The concept design that the client’s embraced was inspired by the aerial dance of the tui that abound on this site, which is perched on the edge of the town belt. The ceiling, with its expressionistic composition of six different colour-stained ply panels, represents the blurred flash of deep incandescent colour one experiences as a tui dives past you in full flight. This sense of movement is echoed in the floating ‘pacific awning’ roof. It starts true and square to the north and west, then dips and twists to the south and east, reflecting the flight of the tui.

From the untreated flooring, other timber and decking, to the solar water heating and wool insulation batts, the clients embraced the chance to make an enduring and evocative home. They were keen to explore how open we could make their living level. Contrasting with this notion are the cosy window boxes to perch in while reading in the afternoon sun.

Downstairs provides accommodation for the frequent guests that come for a few days and end up staying for weeks, captured by the peaceful, inspiring and sunny location.

Without the obligatory garage, we were able to complete a beautifully finished home at one with the bush. Warm, light and expressive, part nature, part pavilion, it is loved by the owners. 

Project by www.johnmillsarchitects.co.nz.

Published: 19 Feb 2015

Do you have a home full of wonderful Resene paint and colour? Send us some snaps by emailing [email protected].

plywood ceiling, painted ceiling, living room, lounge, dining room, open-plan living

The stunning paneled plywood ceiling is an ever-present element of the open-plan living area and is finished in a range of Resene Colorwood stain colours specifically chosen by John and customised for the project. 

plywood ceiling, painted ceiling, staircase, interior, ceiling design, home decorating

A dramatic slice of the ceiling is seen up the stairwell where one wall is finished in Resene Double Black White, and the other in Resene Gulf Stream. 

stairwell, blue paint, interior, dining room, indoor-outdoor flow, deck, painted ceiling

The shimmering watery blue of Resene Fountain Blue sits on the rear wall while the warm blue-green of Resene Gulf Stream is on the stairwell wall. 

green bedroom, green paint, feature wall, bedroom ideas, paint ideas

A peek at one of the downstairs bedrooms, which has a Resene Green Smoke feature wall.  

coloured ceiling, painted ceiling, bathroom, vanity, interior, bathroom ideas

The coloured ceiling continues into the bathroom where the walls are Resene Double Black White and the vanity is made out of Tasmanian blackwood.

kitchen, painted ceiling, island bench, open-plan living, home design ideas

Built-in seats follow the generous sliding windows around the corner – the perfect spot to read or chat to whoever is working in the kitchen. The island bench is like a piece of sculpture with its curved timber top and slim metal legs. 

exterior, deck, indoor-outdoor flow, hilltop home, architecture homes

The house appears to hover lightly on the edge of a bush-clad hill. 

pictures

Photographs by Paul McCredie.

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Resene Double Black White

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Resene Green Smoke

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Resene Fountain Blue

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Resene Gulf Stream

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