skelton studio
house

MODERN MAKEOVER

The home’s modernist, Japanese-inspired design principles immediately drew Piers to it. While it was in good condition, it had been significantly altered over its 70 years, so his focus was on restoring the existing heritage fabric while enlarging its liveable space with a new extension. This extended rectangle, clad in perforated steel, now contrasts with and complements the original square, timber structure of the house.

The dining room, showcasing the timber structure

Project Type: Residential Home

Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Architect: Piers Kay

Photographer: Simon Wilson

clean lines

Inside, cedar window frames and French oak floors complement the existing materials, and original timber posts and beams reveal the project’s mid-century roots. The kitchen sits at the centre of the open-plan living and dining area; though prominent, it has been designed to visually recede into the architecture, with few overt details that indicate its everyday function. This is largely enabled by an almost-hidden scullery that occupies a galley-style area in a corridor behind the kitchen, and functions as its true workhorse.

Fisher and Paykel Integrated Refrigerator

UNCLUTTERED SIMPLICITY

In the main kitchen, minimally detailed custom-made cabinetry with stone surfaces was created to read as furniture as opposed to kitchen benches. Piers installed a Fisher & Paykel Downdraft Induction Cooktop, which lies flush with the stone countertop, almost vanishing from sight when not in use. In the scullery, the architect kept the sight-line similarly clean, seamlessly integrating a French Door Refrigerator Freezer, Double DishDrawer, and Combination Washer-Dryer.