For the owners of the Twin Peaks House, hospitality is both their profession and their lifestyle. Naturally, their home needed to reflect their twin vocations!
Before they engaged Maud to complete a renovation, the heritage house in Ponsonby, Auckland was closed plan and cramped with a low-slung ’70s addition at the rear. The clients wanted the living and bedroom areas to be on one level, the kitchen to be the heart of the home and an inviting garden space for entertaining.
‘We’re always interested in the idea of home – spaces that people can occupy with ease and which enhance their connection to place, the natural world and to each other,’ says director, Natasha Markham. ‘We were also keen for the addition to respond to its context and for the garden to feel like an extension of the interior spaces – an outdoor room.’
The retro addition was removed completely, freeing up the backyard for a paved dining space and a small raised lawn. Sliding doors open both the kitchen and the sitting room to this secluded outdoor sanctuary designed by Babylon Gardens.
‘The home easily caters for a crowd or a couple by providing a range of different spaces and the ability to open them up or close them down as required,’ Natasha explains of the network of rooms sprawling from the central node. ‘The kitchen needed to operate as a hub with both interior and exterior spaces for gathering located nearby.’ Beyond this generous kitchen lies the main bedroom, secreted in its own wing at the end of the site with its own garden views.
Alongside establishing multiple gathering zones and a functional green space, sensitivity to the heritage overlay was a paramount design concern.
The house is located in a conservation zone, which meant the architects had to contend with strict heritage guidelines. To overcome this challenge, the heritage bricks from the old chimney were repurposed to clad the new addition. This new exterior nods to the warm walnut and brass details of the kitchen cabinetry.
‘We very much see heritage as a continuum rather than a static point in time,’ says Natasha. ‘It’s important that new architecture engages with the past but at the same time speaks in today’s language.’
A perfect mantra for a house that glides fluidly between competing demands.
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The garden designed by Babylon Gardens is described as an ‘outdoor room’. Photo – Sam Hartnett. Styling – Alice Lines.
An outdoor entertaining space was paramount for the clients, a pair of hospitality professionals. Photo – Sam Hartnett. Styling – Alice Lines.
A constellation of gathering spaces are concentrated at the centre of the site. Photo – Sam Hartnett. Styling – Alice Lines.
The garden was designed informed by the warm brass and walnut tones of the kitchen. Photo – Sam Hartnett. Styling – Alice Lines.
Custom walnut joinery holds family pieces. Photo – Sam Hartnett. Styling – Alice Lines.
Large sliding doors create ample connection between the generous kitchen and outdoor space. Photo – Sam Hartnett. Styling – Alice Lines.
The living space opens onto the garden and benefits from greater access to natural light. Photo – Sam Hartnett. Styling – Alice Lines.
The front sitting room exudes the prominent heritage details of the original house. Photo – Sam Hartnett. Styling – Alice Lines.
The children’s bedrooms are at the front of the house. Photo – Sam Hartnett. Styling – Alice Lines.
The main bedroom is located at the end of the site behind the kitchen. It’s level with the raised lawn and has its own garden views. Photo – Sam Hartnett. Styling – Alice Lines.
The heritage weatherboard facade is grand! Photo – Sam Hartnett. Styling – Alice Lines.
Simplicity is key in the bathroom. Photo – Sam Hartnett. Styling – Alice Lines.
San Fransisco-style in Auckland! Photo – Sam Hartnett. Styling – Alice Lines.
