Harbour Edge House by Fearon Hay Architects // Auckland, NZ.

I don’t know how you’re feeling right about now, but for my money, as far as comfortable luxury and understated elegance goes, things simply don’t get much better than this. Harbour Edge House is Auckland-based Fearon Hay Architects‘ most recent project. Situated on the inner Waitemata Harbour, the existing 400sqm villa was built in 1910 and is one of Auckland’s earliest waterfront homes. It’s seamless transition from modest early 20th century villa into a harbour front home is rather genius.

The new design beautifully compliments the original features – the house responds to the needs of modern living and creates a direct connection to the park-like landholding and coastal outlook. A new sky-lit kitchen is placed between the original structure and it’s new twin – the central space conceived as an internal courtyard between the new and the old. The new symmetry not only creates a perfect harmony between past and present – it also provides for spectacular frames of the harbour edge outlook.

I am particularly fond of the sublime and restrained palette of white, with accents of travertine, leather and brass. And that casual-yet-super-sophisticated-white-linen-curtain-in-living-room situation is knockout. Easy, breezy, beautiful. She really could be a covergirl.

[Images courtesy of Fearon Hay Architects. Project team: Jeff Fearon, Tim Hay, Doug Weir, Rachel Higgs & Chris Wood. Photography by Simon Wilson. Styling by Amelia Holmes.]