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In Tandem – Skelton Studio House by Piers Kay
Originally built in 1954 by acclaimed New Zealand practice Group Architects, Skelton Studio House is a mid-century home located on a quiet residential street in Auckland’s North Shore. Piers Kay – an architect at Fearon Hay – has recently renovated and extended the home for himself and his young family, fusing heritage and contemporary ideals to tether this home in place.
Upon discovering the home, Piers was immediately drawn to its modernist and Japanese-inspired design principles. Though in good condition, it had been altered significantly over the years and the garden was overgrown and as such, he focused on restoring and renovating the existing as well as increasing the home’s footprint via a new extension. “The brief we gave ourselves was to respect the original house – we really loved it – and, for a while, we thought we would keep it pure and never change it, but we decided to make the spaces slightly more usable for us and slightly bigger,” Piers says.
The resulting footprint is defined by two connected forms: the existing square structure and the new extension “which is massed as a long, low rectangle to the street,” Piers explains. Their opposing materials of timber and perforated steel create a powerful juxtaposition, leading to an intriguing spatial narrative across the exterior. Both structures sit diagonally on the site, creating deep pockets of outdoor space around the home’s perimeter and an enhanced sense of space across the modest parcel of land. Piers speaks to the effect of this intriguing footprint, saying “there’s a really strong feeling and sense […] of being in a private sanctuary, and part of that is the light and gardens and outlooks, [which] are all really protected and focused.”
Inside, cedar window frames and French oak floors complement the existing materials and original timber posts and beams recall the project’s mid-century roots. The kitchen sits at the centre of the open plan living and dining area; though prominent, it has been designed to recede into the architecture, rendering it almost imperceptible. “Part of the work we were interested in doing was creating a kitchen that had a sense of front and back of house,” Piers says, referring to the dichotomy of the central, primary space and more discreet scullery deeper into the plan. “In order to achieve those spaces, we started talking to Fisher & Paykel about what appliances would work in those various zones.”
“Part of the work we were interested in doing was creating a kitchen that had a sense of front and back of house,” Piers says, referring to the dichotomy of the central, primary space and more discreet scullery deeper into the plan.
In the main section, a round dining table sits in the centre and custom cabinetry in a plastered finish with stone benchtops wraps the room’s edges. The joinery – akin to furniture as opposed to kitchen cabinetry – is beautifully detailed and minimal in expression and the only visible appliance is Fisher & Paykel’s Downdraft Induction Cooktop, which, unrivalled in its sleek appearance, disappears into the design.
“There’s no overhead extraction so it’s quite visually clean and it’s all set flush within the stone and very discreet,” Piers comments. These considered work zones and, specifically, the subtlety of the cooktop, facilitate the act of socialising while cooking and preparing food, fostering connection in this crucial part of the home and contributing to the sense of togetherness in this unique kitchen-dining space.
The second component of the kitchen is the scullery, which functions as the true workhorse. Despite being almost hidden from view, it has been composed with the same graceful attention to detail as the primary space. “Even though it’s not front and centre within the house, we still wanted it to be visually clean,” Piers says, adding, “also, it’s a small space so visual clutter was something we wanted to avoid.” Here, Piers leaned heavily on Fisher & Paykel’s integration capabilities to conceal a French Door Refrigerator Freezer and Double DishDrawer. A combination Washer Dryer is also contained within the cabinetry, and the continuity this design response creates is visually calming.
This sense of tranquillity is integral to the experience of Skelton Studio House and it can be attributed to many things, from the neutral palette that washes over old and new to the singular quality of light that luminates the spaces and the carefully considered apertures. Importantly, all these elements culminate in a condition that celebrates the home’s mid-century bones and contemporary insertions in tandem.
