The desire to connect with nature in an alpine wilderness environment and spend meaningful time with multiple generations of family informed the creation of this home.
The annual trip home to Scandinavia takes 24 hours, yet they can be at their Glenorchy "gard" (homestead or farmhouse) in a mere two and a-half hours.
They call it "Scandinavia around the corner".
They wanted the home to feel rural, linked to the land in structural materials and interior finishes.
"Mountains grow on you and take over. The design of the house, with windows to the gable tops, allows the peaks of the mountains to be seen in every direction. The local materials of schist and mortar, and the 120-year-old timber exterior of the house make it timeless, which we like. It’s not a flavour-of-the-month thing."
Architect Hamish Muir, of Mason & Wales, notes the exterior building materials, of a robust stone base and large timber post-and-beam construction, reflect the surrounding natural landscape.
As these materials age, the house will blend into the mountain environment and seamlessly accommodate the usual layers of life in the wilderness, such as cobwebs, bird droppings and water staining.
Human comfort is key to the interior, too.
"We come from Scandinavia, where you spend a lot of time indoors, so the house needs to feel warm, which is key. The energy we feel when landing in Queenstown Airport is multiplied when we step into the house."
The owner says the test is how his children feel about it: "They love going there, as do our friends from all over the world. Everyone feels the uniqueness of the environment and how that is brought inside. It is a home you walk into and feel immediately comfortable sitting in an armchair or settling on to a sofa."
Interior designer Jewell Cassells, of Cassells Green Interiors, focused on bringing nature into the home in its softest guise to counterbalance what can be, at times, an unforgiving alpine environment.
