Early conversations around the design of this new home by Ben Mitchell-Anyon and Sally Ogle of Patchwork Architecture were based around a simple form that would sit quietly in a rural paddock, but the architects soon realised this was not to be a rustic building. “It turned out the clients are real design buffs,” says Ogle.

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The couple had moved to the country where they work from home and live an uncluttered, tranquil existence that focuses on the rituals of the day – the movement of the sun, the preparation of food. 

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They have a large extended family, but they didn’t need a big house – in fact, the house has only one proper bedroom. Though it has expansive living areas, with a generous kitchen at its heart featuring a 4.5-metre-long island bench. “Enough for two people day to day,” says Mitchell-Anyon, “but it can also act like a marae when the family comes to stay.”  

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The kitchen is at the heart and sits in the middle of the living area, between a cosy living space and an open dining area that extends to a sheltered verandah, which serves as a separate room. In place of a splashback, there’s a window above the bench with a view of rolling hills. It’s built from the same honeyed macrocarpa cabinetry that features throughout the house. “The interior is quite refined compared with the outside,” says Mitchell-Anyon. “The materials are simple – plasterboard, concrete and macrocarpa – but the detailing is fine.” 

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That detail carries through into the appliances, all from Fisher & Paykel. Both clients and architects sought clean lines and restrained details that wouldn’t detract from the refined aesthetic – most noticeably with the 75cm induction cooktop, which allows the eye to glide over and out to the magnificent view. 

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While the dishwasher is integrated into cabinetry, they were happy for the freestanding refrigerator-freezer to be on show, rather than hidden away – a move that seems so right in a refined, yet practical rural home. 

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In all, the effect is one of tranquility. “It’s a very calm place to be,” says Mitchell-Anyon.

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