How one architect sustainably built his dream home with a kitchen to match
Campsites and tramping huts sometimes inspire a good song or two around the fire, but it’s not often that they spark plans for a family home. But for Curated Living architect Michael Cyra, the call of the local bush was too irresistible not to use as a muse for his family’s first home in a riverside village north of Auckland.
Michael from Curated Living.
“We wanted to make a home that felt like the backcountry cabins we had seen on our journeys,” he says. “Somewhere between a refuge and shelter in its simplest form – and a residence. That’s where we wanted to land.”
A rustic backcountry cabin was Michael Cyra’s inspiration for his family’s new-build, but it also had to to have all the modern comforts.
That prompt inspired most of the design decisions made by Michael – the materiality, the New Zealand-sourced cladding, the darker palette and even the scale of the buildings. Embracing natural colours and incorporating textured materials meant that many could be left exposed, creating a striking patina amongst the rolling hills.
Within the family home, the open-plan kitchen brings everyone together, just like the cosy cabins that Michael loves. The reclaimed timber ceiling cocoons the room, while the dark wood cladding is a nod to Aotearoa’s towering natives, a continuation of the exterior. Generous windows with prime-position bench seats further help to bring the outdoors in.
Working with kitchen specialists, Michael chose dark-hued cabinetry colours that matched the cladding for a continuous look. Not one to leave a job half-finished, smoky-black appliances were chosen to complement the space, having met the architect’s requirements for aesthetics, safety and durability. It’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, with the appliances seamlessly blending into the intimate space.
Homeowner and architect Michael says he wanted dark-hued cabinetry colours to match the home’s cladding for a cohesive look.
“What we were looking for was a kitchen that would be settled and just disappear – and the appliances to do so even further,” Michael explains. “The aesthetic had to match, we wanted to have trust in the brand, and an appealing price point as well. With Haier, finding something that ticked all three of those boxes was a massive win.”
The Haier French door refrigerator freezer and the Haier monochromatic black glass oven door work seamlessly with the dark wood cladding of the kitchen cabinetry.
The matching colours, finishes and design details across Haier’s appliance portfolio meant that there were a lot of options to provide the cohesive look that Michael wanted. Recycled timber was used on the ceiling, saving wood from wasteful demolition, while sustainably sourced local pine cladding was prioritised throughout.
Through a thoughtful consideration of materials, form and practicality, the Pūhoi home is a welcome blend of rustic and visionary. It’s perfect for the young family to grow into the house, whilst the joyful wildlife grows around them. Best of all, a black kitchen is perfect for hiding the sins of Michael’s next great project: cooking. Spaghetti night has never looked more appealing.
Photography by: Jessica Chloe Gernat.
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