TE ARAI BEACH HOUSE
In Te Arai, New Zealand, a Fearon Hay designed beach house subtly adapts and moderates connections to the outside.
Project Details
A TRANSITIONAL SPACE
Set among sand dunes on a forested coast, Te Arai Beach House materializes as a simple, gabled structure. The monolithic timber building could be mistaken for a barn – and many dot the rural east coast. However, closer inspection reveals a house rich in nuance, invention and detailing. In response to the site and prevailing conditions, Fearon Hay has pulled windows and doors back behind a periphery of adjustable shutters, blurring distinctions between inside and out, allowing residents to moderate their experience of the outdoors.
Project Type: Vacation home
Location: Te Arai, New Zealand
Architect: Fearon Hay
Interior Design: Sonja Hawkins Design
Photographer: Simon Wilson
THE SOCIAL KITCHEN
“The kitchen is the center of the house. Isn't that life on holiday? If you're not outside then you're at that table; it's integral,” says interior designer Sonja Hawkins, who took a layered approach to complementing the simplicity and durability of the architecture. A long farmhouse-style table stands in for the typical kitchen island, reflecting the social role of the kitchen and providing a means to accommodate larger groups without losing the sense of intimacy. As cooking is one of the main activities at the house, the kitchen was required to meet dual high standards: performance and seamless integration.
THE KITCHEN AS FURNITURE
Appliance selection and integration are essential to creating a kitchen that reads as a piece of furniture within an open-plan living space. Here, an integrated Column Refrigerator, Column Freezer and CoolDrawer™ provide an ample and flexible food care solution. Integrated DishDrawer™ dishwashers are also concealed within the cabinetry – one single, one double, to cater to the demands of a bustling holiday house. The Minimal style steam and convection ovens also disappear into the dark tones of the hand-painted cabinetry, so as not to distract from the stone and brushed-brass materiality.
