Style: September 01, 2022

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Crib life
The perfect place for extended family to gather, opening up to the
elements has given this Karitane crib its heart.
Words Kim Dungey Photos Andy Spain
Time on holiday is rarely spent inside with the
doors closed and even less so at this Karitane
crib, enjoyed by three generations of one family.
The inspiration for the design was living “in” the
scenery, or having a part of the house that could
literally open up to the surrounding views and the
elements.
Designed by Wellington’s First Light Studio, it
comprises two offset boxes, with an airy pavilion
in between that flows seamlessly from indoors to
outdoors.
Full-height bi-folds open to the northeast,
southwest or both, connecting the sea and hills in
any weather. The stainless steel kitchen island can
simply be rolled out to provide a work space next
to the barbecue.
Lead architect Anna Farrow says the extended
family had holidayed on the site for many years
and their brief chronicled a typical day in their
new crib: a morning coffee, a swim, reading in the
sun and perhaps a dinner of freshly caught fish at
sunset.
The corner site at the top of a hill meant the
view to the coast would never be built out.
However, a neighbouring two-storey house sat in
the way of the sun to the north so the challenge
was to orientate the crib in a way that would
optimise the available sunlight and also provide
some privacy. Small and unpretentious, the crib has
a simple form and an open floor plan.
The 110sqm footprint includes two double
bedrooms and a bunk room, with built-in window
seats in all the rooms (including the living room)
that can double as beds. Family members often
stay over and the house can sleep 14 if it needs to.
The bathroom is laid out as if at a campground
with the shower, toilet and vanity in separate
spaces so multiple people can use it at once. Like
the stainless steel kitchen island, nothing in the
central space is fixed.
The two cedar-clad boxes resonate with the
solidity of the family’s 1960s predecessor.
Reclaimed mid-century doors in blue and yellow
make reference to the cheerful colourways of the
original crib, which was powder blue with bright
yellow doors and white trims; the original doors
could not be reused as the crib was moved off-site
in its entirety.
While plywood features throughout, playful
colour accents – blue, green, yellow and orange –
define individual spaces.
To the northeast are the silver waters of
the Waikouaiti River and Karitane Bay; to the
southwest, a rolling green horizon created by the
distant ranges.
The outdoors contributes to the liveable space,
making the small footprint feel bigger, and almost
every room makes the most of the views.