New Zealand home brings tropical modernism to period renovation

Interior designer Katie Lockhart and Jack McKinney Architects have renovated Franklin Road House, a traditional Edwardian villa in Ponsonby, Auckland, with a holistic approach that respects the heritage of the property. Featuring Fisher & Paykel appliances, the space defines open plan living, with multi-functional zones that form one flowing space.

With constraints around changing the original features and exterior of the property, the design of Franklin Road House focussed on extending and refurbishing the newer areas. The impactful, monolithic extension reveals a surprisingly warm and holistic space that pairs a light, open and airy structure with earthy hues, coalescing to create a welcoming minimalistic space. Jack McKinney comments, “We could have extended in the same language as the original villa, but we saw an opportunity to create a small, perfect sculptural form. It is intended to be read as a free-standing element that complements the villa.”

The brief was primarily spatial. When the project began, the homeowners outlined their desire for a family home that caters to the essentials of everyday life and were interested in an open space that spans the property. With this in mind, the architects have maintained a consistent, warm colour palette throughout including tactile materials and visually comforting textures and positioned the kitchen as a continuation of the rest of the space rather than a defined space of its own.

In a project that is all about cultivating natural flow through integration rather than separation, Fisher & Paykel’s appliances lend a sense of classic modernity to the kitchen that allows the character of the property to shine whilst maintaining state-of-the-art functionality. The integrated cooker hood and refrigerator are concealed behind cabinets of clean lines and classic styling. The two exposed appliances, a contemporary hob and minimalistic oven retain the understated elegance of the rest of the project. Fisher & Paykel appliances also answer the fundamental demand of the brief to design a home that serves the client’s needs as a family.

Jo Jackson, Market Product Manager, Fisher & Paykel comments, “One of our core beliefs is that technology should always begin with the people who use it. We create and design products that can be tailored to your individual lifestyle. With easy-to-use functions and intuitive controls that don’t take weeks to understand, the homeowners will be able to jump straight into using their home the way it was intended. The layout of this beautiful home directly corresponds with Fisher & Paykel’s design philosophy, which is centred around the social kitchen. The connected, open space transforms the kitchen into more than just an area for preparing food but also a place for family to gather and interact in whatever way their day calls for.”

“While we wanted great appliances, we didn’t want these becoming a feature of the kitchen,” explains architect, Jack McKinney. “The whole design is about a unified experience, not a series of features. The integration of the appliances and their minimalist design allowed us to keep a contemplative mood in the room.” On this basis, it was Katie Lockhart that decided on Fisher & Paykel appliances, she remarks, “Working with Fisher & Paykel was great. They suggested the French door fridge for the larder as it could be integrated and hold the volume of food that a family of five needed, had an inbuilt ice machine that was also a client request, and wasn’t too deep for the space. The black oven is minimal in look and really works well to not add too much visual noise in that space whilst offering the best technology for preparing meals.”