Description:

Windermere is a turn-of-the-century family residence located on the northern ridge of St. Marys Bay overlooking the Auckland Harbour Bridge and inner Waitematā.

Knight Associates undertook an extensive refurbishment of the kitchen, scullery, living, dining and bedroom areas to reconfigure and modernize the residence, accommodating the workings of family life and inner-city living.

With a strong focus on entertaining, the ground-floor kitchen acts as an informal gathering space and provides generous circulation while maintaining a strong connection to an existing outdoor pool house and terrace. Supplementary to the main kitchen was a scullery and powder room that required spatial refinement and improved functionality and storage. Upstairs, the bedroom spaces have similarly been modernized to encompass walk-in robes, improved aspect, and upgraded finishes, fittings, and fixtures. Ensuites and house bathrooms saw a complete redesign and upgrade whilst maintaining a period feel sympathetic to the fabric of the original boarding house.

Materiality was paramount to the design and the palette of Arabescato marble, brushed character oak, hand-cast tiles, seagrass, and natural brass borrows from a time-honoured classicism, with subtle cues to an enduring European aesthetic. The rustic nature of the finishes is complimented by the client's collection of modern art, resulting in an atmosphere that feels contemporary but harmonious with the character of the house.