Upon first meeting with our client Rich and his builder Mel from DC Builders, we knew this project would be very special. Rich’s enthusiasm as well as his ultimate trust in us, his architect and his builder, is reflected in the success of the end result; a relaxed modern beach house perched atop the Pukehina sand dunes, with sweeping views out to sea and Whakaari / White Island.

Sophia Cole (in collaboration with Olivia Ellis) from our Bay of Plenty studio took her cues from the surrounding landscape and exterior palette when designing the interior colour scheme, kitchen, bathrooms and living spaces. Lighter sandy tones were used in the kitchen featuring Dekton Nilum benching, Bestwood Limestone and Simply Eucalyptus cabinetry, off-white Zellige tiled splashbacks and the textured Adorno panel under the island. Darker tones of Resene Element in the living and master bedroom create a cosier mood and pull through the Flaxpod cladding tone from the exterior.

The rest of the materials we used were pared back and minimalistic, such as the light oak flooring, the mid-toned grey wool carpet from Bremworth, soft grey and white tiling from Tile Warehouse with contrasting gunmetal finishes from Robertson and Heirloom in the bathrooms, as well as the stunning St Michel vanities - all set against a backdrop of Resene Double Black White. The final touches of the interiors suggested by Yellowfox were stunning feature lights including the Trubridge Navicula over the dining table, as well as Mr Ralph Dot wall lights in the bathrooms.