Architects go all out with color and materials – and it works
Why? Why not? This seems to have been the standard response from architects Lindy and Malcolm Ewart to lead the design of their own family home at Kohimarama in Auckland. This wonderfully open-minded attitude has resulted in multi-layered, colorful, imaginative, playful, warm, elegant, practical spaces – the list of positive adjectives goes on.
For others less experienced in the selection of materials, finishes and accessories, it could have ended in a mishmash horror story. But the couple, directors of the Department of Architecture + Interiors, ensured that the planning and structure of the dwelling was well thought out. The frame is immaculate.
Paul Ellis/New Zealand Home & Garden
With wooden elements on the inside and a beautiful landscape with trees on the outside, the living room is a pleasant place to be; the 5m high ceilings are lined with western hemlock and a forest of blue gum, pohutukawa, norfolk pine, pittosporum, cabbage, kowhai, puriri, oak and silver birch, as well only ponga, nikau and kentia palms offer a lush view.
Malcolm had been away in Barbados playing social cricket when Lindy came across this property, a 1950s wooden cottage with two bedrooms, a small kitchen and a rotting terrace on 1080m² of land. “You entered the house through the laundry room,” she said.
Yet there was a swimming pool and a large garden with a wonderful view through layers of mature trees. A shabby presentation and two outstanding code-compliance certificates put off other buyers, but the couple moved past the trappings of tranquility.
Paul Ellis/New Zealand Home & Garden
The couple upgraded the pool; solar panels on the roof of the house contribute to the heating of the swimming pool and the house.
READ MORE:
* See the interior of design store owner Taranaki’s colorful 1940s apartment
* Downtown Auckland’s sanctuary with a getaway vibe
* Whale watching is one of the joys of Dunedin’s spectacular waterfront home
Building a house for them and their two children – Cohen, 12, and Mikayla, 10 – has been a wonderful adventure. They were eager to be experimental. “There’s so much black and white used in Auckland’s design – it’s against that flavor,” says Malcolm.
Strictly speaking, it’s an extension (the Ewarts kept the garage and turned parts of the house into a master suite), but making the most of the topography required something special.
The design responds to the site with a cathedral-shaped main living area that overlooks the landscape to the northeast, while a right-angled annex accesses the outdoor living space and swimming pool.
Jane Ussher / New Zealand Home and Garden
When architects Lindy and Malcolm Ewart designed this home for themselves and their two children, Mikayla and Cohen, and rescue dog Juno, they put as much personality into it as possible.
Clad in aluminum, this sturdy center gable, powder coated in Pioneer Red, is a bold architectural gesture. “The exterior was originally going to be zinc,” says Malcolm. “And we planned that only the annex would be red.” That’s when their daughter stepped in. “Mikayla, who was seven at the time, said, ‘Why not put everything in red?’, he recalled. Why not indeed.
From the driveway, the metal box appears impenetrable, and visitors might be deterred by rescue dog Juno which leaps with a growl. At second glance, a brick-covered entrance portal beckons, and Juno’s bark comes with a wag in the tail.
Paul Ellis/New Zealand Home & Garden
A favorite spot for morning coffee is on Homage’s black leather and walnut Eames lounge chair, with the doors wide open; a Hollywood sofa, also from Homage, echoes the green-blue tones of the kitchen tiles and a black cowhide patchwork Rohan rug is by Nick Scali.
The entrance door, paneled with old rimu slats rescued from the original floor joists, affixed in a parquet pattern, is a visual precursor of the material mastery to come. The couple’s builder, Benjamin Wooller of Northern Lifestyles, was a champion find, a true craftsman. “He’s a perfectionist who saw and fixed all the quality issues before we even noticed them,” says Lindy.
The star pattern of the doorway is echoed in the floor tiles and a sideboard in this entry hall. “We wanted the entryway to have detail and interest, and to have its own personality, like you sometimes find in older European homes,” Malcolm explains.
Stepping into the massive volume of the main room is an exalted experience. The tree-lined landscape in a triangular frame of windows catches the eye, but so do the ceilings that reach up to the heavens. And the suspended lighting sculpture. And art and furniture that brings out color and creativity in every corner.
Division in this void is provided by a leather Negresco black granite island bench and a green tile wall that anchors the kitchen. “The benches are too high because Malcolm is so tall,” Lindy explains. A double-sided fireplace separates a second living room in the annex, while at the southern end, a mezzanine which accommodates offices for the children, seems also dedicated to Lego. “If a coin falls, I just throw it back through the wire railing,” Malcolm explains.
On the ground floor, in front of a decorative birch divider that the kids look up to as a climbing wall, are the bedrooms painted in vibrant shades of orange and green, yellow and blue. “We let them choose whatever they wanted,” Lindy explains.
When the couple wanted to tile the bathroom walls in a herringbone style, their tiler said it wouldn’t work with the irregularity of the handmade tiles. He spread them out on the guest bedroom floor to prove his point. “As architects, we appreciate contractors we can trust to point out bad decisions,” says Malcolm.
Other decisions took time. The playroom’s tin ceiling, painted black, was a laborious task and the undulating tiles that wrap around an angular linen closet were another challenge. The pair persisted because they wanted to inject personality at every turn. “There’s far too much plasterboard in the world already,” says Malcolm. “Besides hanging art, there are more exciting things to look at.” This included cladding the media room walls with charred wood, known as shou sugi ban.
The couple enjoyed working side by side on this project. “We knew the difficulties that could arise, but we are low-maintenance customers,” jokes Lindy. And if ever a new idea came up, there would be no discussion. The answer was always the same.
Jane Ussher / New Zealand Home and Garden
The master bedroom, in the original part of the house, has the lowest ceiling height; it was originally painted duck egg blue, but the Ewarts opted for a simple black and gold color scheme.
Q&A with Malcolm and Lindy Ewart
Your thoughts on using color in design: People may be hesitant to use color in architecture, usually out of concern for what others might think. But when used well, color brings depth and richness to buildings and spaces. Malcolm and I are confident in the use of color and were certainly ready to use it abundantly here. (Lindy)
Your tips for beginner builders: Create a contingency fund in the budget. Things will go wrong – it’s part of the process – and you will invariably change your mind about certain design elements, which will cost more. (Lindy)
Tell us about solar panels: There are 27 300W panels and our batteries can store 12.6kWh of energy. In the winter this allows us to keep the underfloor heating on and in the summer it keeps the pool and spa heat pumps running. (Malcolm)
Next on the home to-do list: We want to line the existing garage with bricks to connect it to the entrance vestibule. (Malcolm)
How do you heat the house: In the winter we turn on our underfloor heating downstairs to a low level to keep everything warm underfoot.We also have a heat recovery system installed under the house which pumps warm dry air to through vents, and a fireplace in the main comfort living room. (Malcolm)