Martinborough weekend retreat, NZ

PROJECT:               Martinborough House

DESIGNER:             Nigel Dong, Designgroup Stapleton Elliott, Wellington

CARPET:                 Crackle, patterned loop pile

"Cavalier Bremworth was the obvious choice as it not only achieved the quality criteria, but offered the largest range of colours, and patterns to choose from." 

 

What was the brief for this project, Nigel?

ND: Fran and Ron gave us a comprehensive brief to create their weekend retreat on this greenfields site in Martinborough as a place to enjoy, relax and to share with family and friends.  The clients also had a wonderful selection of works from local and prominent New Zealand artists which they wanted to showcase.

Describe your design response?

ND: The design was a collaborative effort from myself, Craig Roberts and Chris Gilby and is a modern interpretation of the kiwi batch.  It's based upon the creation of simple building forms which merge with the outdoor living courts and landscape.

At each end of the house are private zinc-clad shells (pavilions), one containing the master bedroom suite and another containing the guest accommodation and servicing areas.

In the middle, a white plaster clad/glazed central pavilion faces northeast and southwest and contains common living and entertaining spaces.  It unites the private pavilions around the family "social centre" which opens directly to the outdoor living areas.

The external zinc wall linings and floor tiles are carried though into the interiors to unite the landscaped courts with the house, reinforcing the notion of inside/outside living.

The emphasis of the design is to merge both house and site to provide views to the surrounding mountain ranges, rural horizons and to capture both morning sunrise and late afternoon sun.

Was there a particular brief for the interior materials?

The design of the interiors was a direct collaboration between myself and Fran Dixon, our client.

Fran had a clear philosophy when it came to the interiors.  The selection of materials needed to be of quality, low maintenance products, as well as being comfortable, as this was a place to relax and be enjoyed by family and friends.

There are hard surfaces through a good portion of the house - but carpet in bedrooms and living areas in the end pavilions?   What was the rationale behind that?

The predominance of hard surfaces in the central living pavilion and circulation spine are used to emphasize the connection with the outside and provide a seamless access from internal living spaces to the external landscaped courtyards.

Carpet is used in the bedroom and informal living areas to emphasis the feeling of introspection and retreat.  When the topic of soft floor options were discussed, our client's response was "it didn't cross my mind not to use anything other than a wool carpet".

This made the task easy when it came to selecting carpets.  Cavalier Bremworth was the obvious choice as it not only achieved the quality criteria, but offered the largest range of colours, and patterns to choose from.  Cavalier Bremworth's "Crackle" was finally selected for its aesthetic appeal both in terms of its textural pattern and colours.

The clarity of these opposing spatial experiences gives this seemingly simple house a unique complexity.

'Crackle' is a commercial-grade carpet with quite a strong design, and it's been mixed together with an equally strong wallpaper in an open space, but softer tones in the bedrooms.   What was the thinking underpinning this choice?

The subtle colour tonings and textural qualities of Crackle provided a stage for the use of more colourful vibrant wallpapers in the private zones of the house.  This was in contrast to the white décor of the rest of the house which was designed as a backdrop to display the selection of the wonderful art.

When specifying carpet, what are the most important things you look for?

In residential projects, colour, pattern and most importantly comfort and health.  This was a particularly important aspect for the Dixons as this was their second family home where they would be hosting their children, grandchildren and friends.

What's been the client reaction to the carpet when they saw it down?  And to the house as a whole now it's completed?

The clients are overwhelmed by the finished product.  This has been reinforced by the positive comments by all who have visited and in some cases stayed as guests with the house.  The house is ever-changing and takes on a new lease of life as the outside planting matures and every time they procure or change the artwork on display both inside and outside of the house.

Does your practice have a preference for using locally made product?  If so, what's behind this?

New Zealand products and local artists are preferred by our practice as they contribute to a unique New Zealand vernacular. Thanks to the Dixon's collection of local artwork this house has a special New Zealand feel

Our practice is a strong believer in specifying products that are fit for purpose.  What that means is that if we can find New Zealand-made products which fit that bill then that's great.

When it comes to specifying residential carpets then Cavalier Bremworth is a bit of a household name that clients can relate to.

In general, how interested are your clients in using sustainable interior products?

Generally our clients support sustainable interior products as they are healthy, safe and good for the planet.

Sustainability is always a hot topic and one which is not usually fully understood.  Our practice does have a preference for using products which are regarded as "sustainable" be it due to its manufacturing processes, their maintenance regimes or simply due to their longevity and life cycle properties. It is fair to say that the material selections for this house were all selected with these issues in mind and were at the forefront of our clients mind when they approved our product selections.