Queenstown Hill
With a material palette inspired by its stunning surrounds, this Queenstown home is an ode to place, expressed in the enveloping warmth of Forté timber.
Forest bathing is a Japanese practice that involves immersing oneself in nature as an antidote to modern burnout – and this treetop home in Queenstown, New Zealand, seeks to capture a similar feeling of therapeutic relaxation. Bordered by a fringe of pines, the design by Edwin Elliott Architect is crafted with a quiet simplicity that allows the natural materials and the unspoilt beauty of the location to sing.
“The site, which overlooks Lake Wakatipu, looks out at a stand of century-old pine trees. These have a European influence that resonated with the clients,” says Edwin Elliott, explaining that they felt the setting spoke to their German heritage. In addition to this European connection, the clients love Japanese design and wanted the home to reflect the style’s simplicity, serenity and sense of restraint.
Those qualities are expressed in Queenstown Hill in a dominant palette of blond timber and textured stone, which together form a quiet and continuous dialogue with the scenery outside: the mountain-fringed lake, viewed through the lush shroud of evergreen foliage. “It’s quite a simple palette – black, white and natural timber and stone,” says Elliott. “It’s very pared back, but it carries the Japanese theme throughout, and there’s a beauty in that minimalism.”
Lined in Forté Marbled Oak boards, the ceiling uses origami-like creases and the striations of the timber itself to create a subtle sense of movement.
Japanese elements are further expressed through the form of the home itself, which Elliott explains is in the shape of a folded fan, with the point of the fan anchored into the hillside at the top of the stairs as you enter the home, then splaying out to embrace the views. This fan shape is particularly conspicuous in the timber-clad ceiling.
Lined in Forté Marbled Oak boards, the ceiling uses origami-like creases and the striations of the timber itself to create a subtle sense of movement. The floors are not only laid in the same Marbled Oak as the ceiling but also echo the ceiling’s fan pattern – a rare challenge well met by installer Floortago, which exemplified a dedication to the tradition of craftsmanship. This incredibly detailed work results in a seamless effect and a sense of being cradled by the warm glow of timber, embracing one from above and below.
Moving from inside to out, the radiating fan lines are continued on the deck in a complementary palette of Forté’s Millboard Limed Oak. This echoes the blond tones of the interior and mirrors the rich character of highly grained timber, but in a robust composite product that’s designed to withstand the elements.
In dramatic contrast, Millboard Embered Oak has been used to clad the indoor spa, providing a punch of moody darkness and capturing the distinctive look of Japanese Shou Sugi Ban – timber strategically charred for longevity – in a resin and mineral material. “It’s really good from a maintenance point of view because even if it gets wet, it’s not a problem as it’s a composite material.”
These contrasting tones, the push and pull of light and dark, illustrate the adaptability of timber and its ability to express different visual moods – from brooding drama to lit-from-within warmth – yet all characterised by the calming sensibility of a walk in nature.
Architecture by Edwin Elliott Architect. Interior design by KaSa Global Interiors. Build by J4 Construction. Flooring by Forté. Flooring installation by Floortago.
