Huia Road
By Green Room Studio
This house has been a labour of love. Huia Rd is a renovation project that has been undertaken by its owners - Interior Architect, Samantha Elliot and Builder, Mark Hughes. They have taken this old 50’s home set in the bush of Titirangi and are slowly turning it into their own masterpiece.
Beginning the project by completely gutting the upstairs area and creating a new layout for the kitchen. The old kitchen was small and lacked storage, so Sam created a new design that runs in the opposite direction. They also converted the entry porch into a series of large garden planters with herbs and vegetables and added a new door off the kitchen for easy access while cooking.
The vision for the house was to have a mid-century Japanese vibe, and Sam wanted to introduce historical elements from the local area. She drew inspiration from Architect Ron Sang's work and incorporated Pioneer Red Joinery, which was popular in Titirangi homes in the 70's and 80's. Also focusing on the bush outlook and windows as the main features of the house, with all other elements being complementary and subtle.
The use of oak flooring, oak veneer cabinetry, and taj mahal granite achieved a light and muted tonal palette. Stainless steel appliances and tapware added a touch of modernity to the kitchen, which feels like another feature of the house without overpowering the surrounding spaces.
The open plan living was important to the owners, but they wanted to create dedicated areas within the space. Sam used oak slats on the stairwell side of the kitchen bench to create an alcove for the stairs and a bookshelf balustrade on the other side. These small details give each area a personalised touch while complementing the rest of the surrounding spaces.
The kitchen features a large 4 door bifold walk-in pantry and a 900mm wide Fisher & Paykel Quad door fridge/freezer, solving the lack of space and storage issues.
Overall, turning this area of the home into a stunning masterpiece with Sam’s vision and attention to detail.
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Huia Road
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Huia Road
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Green Room Studio
About the
Professional
Samantha Elliot is an interior architect and trained yoga teacher based in Auckland.
Elliot, who grew up on a high country station in South Canterbury, holds a Bachelor of Design (Interiors) from Otago Polytechnic and enjoys working alongside clients to create spaces that, put simply, look good and work well.
Elliot is inspired by modernists such as Case Study architects Richard Neutra and Pierre Koenig. Closer to home, she admires the Brian Brake house, a Titirangi masterpiece designed by architect Ron Sang. While she also takes her design cues from Scandinavian styling – plywood is a favourite - she balances this pared-back aesthetic with elements of comfort and lots of greenery.
A creative thinker with a considered approach, she enjoys the process of working with clients to guide them through innovative ideas to achieve a personalised result that suits their lifestyle.
When she’s not immersed in a world of design, Elliot is practicing yoga. Yoga has a been a passion of Sam’s since she was introduced to it at her boarding school in Dunedin at the age of 16.
She carried on with her practice through her 20s whilst pursuing her career in Interior Architecture. A point came in her life when she realised she needed a better work/life balance and to cut back on the corporate desk life. She then went on to study Ashram Yogas 200hr yoga teacher training and has also since qualified in her Level 1 Reiki Training.
She loves the idea of giving people guidance in the world where we could do with more quiet and self love.
Interiors and yoga are now two loves combined into one. “The practice of yoga has evolved my creativity, and influenced my designs with a more sustainable, ethical and holistic approach.”