Nestled in a sheltered valley on Waiheke Island, overlooking Awaawaroa Bay, sits this incredible home by Cheshire Architects.
This completely off-grid summer home plays on the idea of the classic New Zealand campsite, with an 'encampment' of three small dwellings clustered around a sun-drenched courtyard.
The main pavilion - that beautiful chapel-like cabin, lined inside and out with old timber - is where most of the living and dining happens. There's a black suspended fireplace, and a huge concrete countertop that extends from the kitchen outside into the courtyard.
The homeware and interior choices are relaxed, earthy, humble but high-quality. Imagine sitting in the courtyard sipping on a pour-over coffee from one of those handmade mugs, or eating pasta from one of those perfectly imperfect ceramic bowls...
The bedroom pods are entirely separate from the main pavilion, and are wrapped in canvas. I can imagine being in this master bedroom (below) on a stormy day - the fire burning, that huge window frame open to the ocean and bush, the sound that canvas makes in the wind and rain... so lovely.
Designing it for the owners to be a complete departure and escape from city life, Cheshire Architects say: "comprising a single gable and a couple of sheds, this little home was built simply and dressed informally. We hoped this would be enough to slough away the memory of the city entirely".
