Seamless Integration with Nature: Speargrass House in Queenstown by Arent&Pyke.

When they made the move from Sydney to Queenstown, Arent&Pyke’s clients definitely got the perfect family home for raising their four boys with the rural lifestyle they dreamt of. The challenge was to “conceive a forever home that enhances interaction with family, friends and nature, rather than fussy ornamentation,” explains the team at Arent&Pyke. So what did the Sydney-based design practice do? They looked outward.

With tufts of speargrass sprouting across the plains, the interiors embrace a myriad of cream and grey shades that pull the New Zealand landscape into this country home, designed by principal architect, Matt Chaplin. Arent&Pyke note that, in this project, “blues, saffron and silvery greys are the key trifecta of colours.” The blues respond to the country sky. The saffron references the warm autumn foliage. And the silvery greys are the consistent thread that ties the home into the rocky outcrops and wispy clouds that form the picturesque surroundings.

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“Given the home’s proximity to the mountains, it was integral that the interior scheme has a seamless integration with its surroundings,” says the team. Speargrass House is really all about ensuring that the textures and tones of rural life seep their way deep into the bones of the home.

Suzanne Turley, New Zealand’s most sought-after landscaper, set up a series of locally sourced large boulders covered in lichen in the gardens. “Stone naturally became our expressive canvas,” shares the Arent&Pyke team, as they describe how they lined the walls, floors, fireplaces and vanity surfaces in the material. Ceppo di gre marble was hand-cut into oversized tiles, paving the thirty-metre-long colonnaded hallway that bridges the parents’ retreat from the boys’ shared bedrooms.

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In the Great Room, which houses the kitchen, dining and lounge room, the speckled grey foundation cosies the vast space. And in any Great Room, great things must happen. At the right time of the day, the sunlight comes in, bouncing off the floors’ “confetti of mineral deposits, drawing focus downwards to an intimate scale”, the designers explain. This moment is further enhanced by the black ceilings that top the space.

Much like the layers of rock, grass, river and sky in the country landscape, the bathrooms are layered with various bands, each embracing different materiality. From puttered travertine to Calcutta Vagli and Super White Classic Marble, the selected stones all work together to “whisper soft sensuality,” explain Arent&Pyke. Floating vanities and the glazed tiles that flicker when the sunlight hits them all contribute towards a rich but light-feeling bathroom that one can sink into and take in the country surrounds.

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[Images courtesy of Arent&Pyke. Photography by Anson Smart.]