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Maurice and Marije’s ‘Kowhai Cabin’. Out front, maneuverable bi-fold screens provide privacy and security. The majority of the larch cladding is stained in Resene Wood-X wood oil from Resene ColorShops in a clear finish, but the portion surrounding the entry has been tinted Resene Foundry to define the area and break things up visually. The aluminum front door is painted Resene Galliano.
When the bi-fold screens are open, the house feels in more engrained in the landscape. The larch cladding is stained in Resene Wood-X wood oil in a clear finish. Around the windows, it has been finished in Resene Wood-X wood oil tinted with Resene Foundry to visually recede and provide an element of contrast.
The interior living area has been kept simple with minimal mid-century Scandinavian furnishings, bringing focus within the space to the natural textures. At the left, the feature wall is painted Resene Elephant. The larch clad walls and flooring have been sealed in a clear Resene finish.
Concrete walls provide both insulation for the cooler months and ensure that the hideout doesn’t overheat in the warmer ones. In the kitchen, dining and living spaces, feature walls have been painted Resene Elephant to provide contrast and frame the stunning outdoor vistas.
?Concrete walls provide both insulation for the cooler months and ensure that the hideout doesn’t overheat in the warmer ones. In the kitchen, dining and living spaces, feature walls have been painted Resene Elephant to provide contrast and frame the stunning outdoor vistas.
Larch cladding runs throughout the house, which has been coated with a Resene clear finish to show off the natural wood grain. The bathroom, a deviation from the timber textures and colour used in the main body of the house, is painted in Resene Triple Sea Fog.
Maurice & Marije build a scenic alpine hideout
On what was an unoccupied and solitary patch of land in the alpine mountains now sits an uncomplicated cabin, positioned effortlessly among nature. It’s the creation of Maurice Regeer and Marije Hoornstra of MnM Design who built and designed their ‘Kowhai Cabin’ as a hideout for limitless summer and winter outdoor activities using a sophisticated and restrained palette of Resene paint and wood finishes.
At just 112m2, the three-bedroom cabin is both energy and space efficient, thoughtful and unpretentious. The design duo’s intention was to disturb nature as little as possible, to create a bach that merely exists among the landscape rather than intruding upon it. Siberian larch cladding envelopes the property, which has been lightly charred in areas to blend in better with the surrounding plant life. Floor-to-ceiling windows extend down one side of the property, bringing the outside in, with views of the mountain on one side and the sky, trees and open fields on another.
“The shape brings light into the house and this warms the concrete floor and walls that act as a heat conductor,” Marije explains. “Roof overhangs and sliding doors protect from harsh winds and temperature shifts. During warmer times of the year, the cabin opens up and interacts with the outdoors.”
The couple intended for the hideout to be both practical and comfortable whether they are enjoying the space with visitors or in solitude. This meant creating both social and private areas, with a concrete wall acting as a spine to segment each room. The walls enable the build to segment warmth and enable a consistent temperature throughout the year.
“It was important that the cabin had a non-stop dialogue between the interior and exterior. It wants to be open and enclosed, warm and cool simultaneously,” Maurice says. “The striking entrance draws you in and gives a glimpse of the interior.”
Colour, too, was as important a consideration indoors as it was outside, and the oiled larch cladding, Resene paint colours and raw concrete strike the perfect balance between warm and cool. “It’s well known that blue colours can make an interior feel cold, but our idea was to show people how dark colours can envelope you and make the interior feel warm and cosy if used well,” Marije explains. “Dark and light blues work well with pops of yellow, rough concrete walls with smooth velvet fabric, warm timber with cool concrete floors.”
The semi-open plan layout combined with a continuation of colour ensures a fluidity between the outdoors and indoors. The accent wall, which is painted Resene Elephant, provides a dramatic window to the exterior landscape. Marije injected additional pops of yellow and blue through textiles, light fixtures and a few small accessories.
Deeper into the hideout, the area has been compartmentalised into sleeping and bathing facilities. As the larch cladding and Resene Elephant accent wall runs throughout the build, Marije decided against using another strong colour in the space. “There are several materials used in the house, so we didn’t want to introduce an extra colour to the interior, so we decided against white.” Instead, Marije opted for Resene Triple Sea Fog, a soft grey, to provide warmth and simplicity in relaxing areas, such as the bathroom, while complementing the colour of the concrete.
The finished result is a stunning and cosy ski hideaway, which won MnM Design two awards last year in the ADNZ & Resene Architectural Design Awards. Maurice and Marije took home both the ‘Residential Compact New Home up to 150m2’ award and the regional ‘Residential Interiors Architectural Design Award’ for Taranaki/Whanganui/Manawatu in recognition of their design excellence on the project.
designMnM Design
images Glyn Hubbard
Published: 11 Jul 2019
Do you have a home full of wonderful Resene paint and colour? Send us some snaps by emailing [email protected].
Maurice and Marije’s ‘Kowhai Cabin’. Out front, maneuverable bi-fold screens provide privacy and security. The majority of the larch cladding is stained in Resene Wood-X wood oil from Resene ColorShops in a clear finish, but the portion surrounding the entry has been tinted Resene Foundry to define the area and break things up visually. The aluminum front door is painted Resene Galliano.
When the bi-fold screens are open, the house feels in more engrained in the landscape. The larch cladding is stained in Resene Wood-X wood oil in a clear finish. Around the windows, it has been finished in Resene Wood-X wood oil tinted with Resene Foundry to visually recede and provide an element of contrast.
The interior living area has been kept simple with minimal mid-century Scandinavian furnishings, bringing focus within the space to the natural textures. At the left, the feature wall is painted Resene Elephant. The larch clad walls and flooring have been sealed in a clear Resene finish.
Concrete walls provide both insulation for the cooler months and ensure that the hideout doesn’t overheat in the warmer ones. In the kitchen, dining and living spaces, feature walls have been painted Resene Elephant to provide contrast and frame the stunning outdoor vistas.
?Concrete walls provide both insulation for the cooler months and ensure that the hideout doesn’t overheat in the warmer ones. In the kitchen, dining and living spaces, feature walls have been painted Resene Elephant to provide contrast and frame the stunning outdoor vistas.
Larch cladding runs throughout the house, which has been coated with a Resene clear finish to show off the natural wood grain. The bathroom, a deviation from the timber textures and colour used in the main body of the house, is painted in Resene Triple Sea Fog.
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
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If you're stuck on what
colour to use or need colour
advice, try out the Resene
Ask a Colour Expert service.
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