An easy-care new build in Palmerston North with a surprise in the centre

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17 September 2022

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4 min read

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The streetfront facade may be unassuming but behind the doors is an internal-facing courtyard house pivoted around family, friends and entertaining.
The homeowners, originally from Spain and the UK, came to New Zealand about 15 years ago. Now empty-nesters, their Palmerston North home designed by Nick Officer of First Light Studio in Wellington is perfectly suited to their lifestyle. The low-maintenance private facade belies a layout that can easily accommodate two, or a crowd.
The homeowners are art collectors. “The painting on the wall at the front entrance was picked up from a street artist in Mexico. It’s a favourite piece and an important part of the house,” says Nick.
Kitchen benchtops are Corian in Rain Cloud and the mixers are Buddy X by Progetto.
Bamboo joinery by The Woodsmiths was designed by First Light Studio for the kitchen, dining, bathrooms, laundry and master bedroom. “From a sustainability point of view, bamboo is a great product. And the client liked it. It has a different grain and is something that’s not as commonly used.” The hanging lamp is Wireflow by Vibia.
The Cosmos three-light chandelier is by Vibia. Thoughtful lighting is so important, says Nick. “A lot of the lighting is around creating scenes for how you might use a space. The rest of the world uses lighting quite differently to how we do it in New Zealand. It’s one of those things we think we can do ourselves but we're very quick to go with downlights.”
The courtyard is built around an outdoor kitchen, the Escea EK1550. “As a big entertainer and hailing from Spain, the homeowner cooks a lot of paella and asado-style meats.”
The brick creates a strong, protected feel, says Nick, punctuated with warmer Abodo timber. Louvres control the amount of evening sun in the outdoor room.
The project was dubbed Hole in One, for obvious reasons, and because it is next to a golf course. The site is across the road from the homeowners’ old house. “They knew and loved the area in many ways,” says Nick. “It's in one of the nicer areas of Palmerston North.”