Modern Art

(NZ House & Garden, June 2006)
Photographs by Stephen Goodenough

Style pervades every square centimetre of Lynne and John Abbot's house on Cashmere hill in Christchurch. As an interior designer, Lynne has a finely honed appreciation for colour, art and materials and how they blend together to form an aesthetically pleasing whole.

Function, however, is equally important, she says. In designing their home, the couple worked closely with architects Andrew Smithson and Luisa Viettone of DD Architects Ltd. "I wanted a really open home," says Lynne. "It had to be modern, practical, cutting edge and easy living."

The couple's seven grandchildren, all aged under six, visit regularly so the practical aspect was just as critical. "I wanted it to work every time the grandchildren stay," says Lynne. "It's not always formal entertaining, it was important that wherever you are, you always feel part of what is going on."

Long and wide, the house nestles into the hillside. Christchurch is spread out below and the ocean glimmers in the distance with the snow-capped Kaikouras looming up on the horizon. The volcanic stone of the Port Hills - used in the earliest homes on the hill - forms part of the landscaping, including the dramatic waterfall on the west side of the section, which is illuminated at night.

However it is the interior with its masterly use of space that commands the most attention. It's a visual delight. No matter which way you look, you are rewarded with a vista of artistic shapes and angles. It's a bit like being in a modern art museum where the architecture is part of the art as well.

Step through the large red front door and you find yourself in a dramatic double-height atrium. A silver-coloured artwork, City in Space II, by Ria Bancroft, catches your attention. So does a red and black piece on corrugated iron by local artist Kate Brook.

Stairs climb to the main living areas. It's a massive space, eighteen metres long. An enormous fifteen and a half metres of that is glass: two sets of sliding doors that retract into the wall cavity and one set of bifold doors that are also retracted out of view.

A wide deck provides a seamless extension to the internal living areas and ample space for alfresco dining or simply lying back and soaking up the view on the huge allweather outdoor sofas designed by Lynne.

On the east side more bifold doors open on to a tiled and grassed courtyard with a central stainless-steel sculpture. Sculptured ceilings and cutaway internal walls define areas within the main living space: a formal living area, a casual living and dining area, a formal dining area and the kitchen.

Lynne and Luisa worked closely together when selecting materials and colours. Charcoal porcelain tiles, black and white surfaces, and stainless steel unify the surfaces. Black stone gardens outside complement black carpets inside further blurring the transition between indoors and out.

Beneath the wall-mounted plasma TV in the informal living area are some vibrant pieces of red and yellow art glass from Giovanni Glass. Electric blue sofas are casual and comfortable; two black leather Le Corbusier-style loungers are mid 20th century design classics. Piha Night Measures, a work by New Zealand artist Gretchen Albrecht, enlivens one wall. Facing it, Luisa helped re-colour another artwork in black, white, silver and electric blue.

On the west side of the house is the master bedroom wing . Windows look out to the waterfall and doors open onto a private deck. Features include bedlamps by Philippe Starck , a built-in TV at bed height and a work by Gretchen Albrecht entitled Physic. A Philippe Starck bath is a highlight in the ensuite, which has a view over a private courtyard.

Other rooms open off the downstairs passageway: on the sunny northern side, three bedrooms and John’s study; and on the southern side, nestled into the hill, are a wine cellar, linen room, laundry, toilet and bathroom.

Bathrooms and toilets have have gleaming charcoal porcelain tiles, bathtubs by Philippe Starck, glass-lined showers, sheet aluminium vanities, and Zero basins and toilets by Plumbline.

Although the home has undertile heating and a ducted heat pump system, it is seldom needed, says Lynne. Dark tiles and concrete blocks provide thermal mass, keeping the home warm in winter and pleasantly cool in summer – aided by plenty of cross ventilation from those massive open windows.

“We didn’t set out to do a house that’s self-sufficient in climate control, but the end product is incredibly efficient,” says Luisa.

Lynne and John love their new home, and say it’s a blend of comfort, architecture and style that makes it so appealing.

[ Return to Feature Articles ]