Speargrass House by Arent&Pyke
Settled upon a raised plateau in Queenstown, New Zealand, Speargrass House, by Sumich Chaplin Architects and Arent & Pyke, blends robust elegance with refined practicality.
Words: Hande Renshaw I Photography: Anson Smart I Archtitect: Sumich Chaplin Architects I Interior Design: Arent & Pyke I Interior Styling: Atelier Lab I Build: RBJ Construction I Landscape: Suzanne Turley Landscapes
The Great Room houses the kitchen, dining and lounge room.
European oak floors and custom maple joinery elements add a golden warmth to the predominantly grey shades, referencing the namesake tufts of speargrass sprouting across the plains.
With the garden designed by one of New Zealand’s most sought-after landscapers, Suzanne Turley, the new build is nestled amongst nature.
When the owners of Speargrass House, a family of four young boys, made the move from Sydney to Queenstown in New Zealand to raise their sons, they called on Sumich Chaplin Architects and Arent&Pyke to design a home with seamless integration with its surrounds and embark on the rural lifestyle they dreamt of.
The original engagement with the project commenced back in 2017, ‘Armed with a model of the house, Principal Architect, Matt Chaplin, visited our offices to discuss the build so we could advise on layout details, determine all surface finishes and commence the design and procurement of furnishings and fittings including the acquisition of new artworks with the clients, says Arent&Pyke.
Settled upon a raised plateau amongst 85 acres in Queenstown, Speargrass House blends robust elegance with refined practicality. Inside the home, instinctive materials complement its bucolic surrounds that take in mountain views of The Remarkables and Coronet Peak whilst ably weathering the wear and tear of country life for a family including four active young boys.
Integral to the interior scheme beyond its seamless integration with its surrounds was ensuring the resonant textures and tones of the landscape seeped within. ‘Blues, saffron and silvery greys are the trifecta colours,’ says the team. The blues respond to the expanse of sky, the saffron the autumnal foliage, and the greys to the rocky outcrops and wispy clouds. Wholesome variants manifest in hues of oatmeal, nutmeg and cinnamon and the alchemic shimmer of bronze articulating joinery handles and lighting fixtures throughout the spaces.
‘Our challenge was to conceive a forever home within Sumich Chaplin’s steel, Schist stone and timber weatherboard structure that wraps around a sheltered courtyard in a u-shape configuration, avoiding the clichéd trappings of a country escape,’ shares Arent&Pyke. The design features soaring pitched ceilings and within expanses of glass, a domestically scaled sanctuary that enhances interaction with family, friends and nature rather than fussy ornamentation.
‘Naturally, stone became our expressive canvas, lining walls, floors and fireplaces, plus bench and vanity surfaces,’ says the team. With the garden designed by one of New Zealand’s most sought-after landscapers, Suzanne Turley, the new build appears instantly nestled amongst nature given large boulders covered in lichen were transplanted from the region, whilst stems and branches encroach upon entry points of the home.
Guided by practicality, timber features prominently throughout the interior – from the higher than average height of the tiled pair of custom coffee tables in the Great Room to accommodate the children sitting beneath to tackle jigsaw puzzles, to the un-precious nature of the solid Oak dining table, which are matched with durable steel Eames chairs with leather seat pads.
Much like the layers of rock, grass, river and sky in the surrounding natural landscape, the bathrooms embrace layers of materiality. From pitted travertine to Calcutta Vagli and Super White Classic Marble, the selected stones all work together, ‘Mingling with intricate tile arrangements they are elevated via layers of detailed materiality, yet maintain a streamlined practicality,’ says Arent&Pyke.
Floating throughout, Akari paper lamps and spherical pendants add a gentle touch amongst the home’s robust frames, as does the crinkled Ingo Maurer desk light illuminating the entrance console.
Whilst furniture selections boast an impressive roster of designer names, comfort – especially in relation to the oversized sofas and armchairs – guided selections.
‘Further anchoring the home to its setting, we selected Oamaru, a native limestone, for the fireplace’s surround set within a Schist wall painted with a chalky cream finish.’
“Naturally, stone became our expressive canvas, lining walls, floors and fireplaces, plus bench and vanity surfaces.”
‘Blues, saffron and silvery greys are the trifecta colours, responding to the expanse of sky, autumnal foliage, plus rocky outcrops and wispy clouds.’
Whilst country themes creep in, they are elevated with an intelligent charm.
‘Within the guest bedroom, we covered the clients’ treasured Giorgetti Progetti armchair with local New Zealand sheep wool, and shepherded a snug Pierre Augustin Rose bouclé wool armchair into the master bedroom.’
The bathrooms share applications of stone upon their walls via skirting and datum lines of varying band widths.
Bedroom details.
‘Blues, saffron and silvery greys are the trifecta colours, responding to the expanse of sky, autumnal foliage, plus rocky outcrops and wispy clouds.’