Inside Addition

In the kitchen, the showstopping ceiling’s herringbone pattern is echoed by the terra-cotta tiles on the floor. Architect Michael O’Sullivan, who designed the steel-and-glass kitchen cabinets, the table, and the pendant lights (made by Lava Glass), further amped up the richness of the room by specifying an onyx kitchen island. Interior designer Yvette Jay, a collaborator and classmate of O’Sullivan, kept her material palette “tight and limited. I had to restrict myself so that everything here ties in with the architecture.”

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Adjacent to the main living area sits a snug lounge that looks out through mullioned windows onto a swimming pool. The room features a CH25 easy chair and a CH008 coffee table, both by Hans J. Wegner for Carl Hansen & Son, and a Mags modular sofa by Hay Studios, all of which are from Auckland’s Corporate Culture and were chosen by Jay and resident Jes Wood. The vase is by New Zealand potters Bruce and Estelle Martin, and the carpet (in Citrine) is from the Lees’ Truth in Color range.

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O’Sullivan designed the ceiling “to have a knitted or woven quality like that of wool or silk.” It dives down over the kitchen and dining area, eventually reaching a point at the entry that is low enough to touch. Here, resident Jes Wood leans against the onyx kitchen island while her daughter Ruby hangs out. Replica Jean Prouvé chairs surround the dining table; a vase by Bruce and Estelle Martin for Kamaka Pottery sits on top. The Reel table under the television is by Atelier Oï for B&B Italia.

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O’Sullivan’s blown-glass pendant lights make another appearance in the living area, where a kauri-plywood wall showcases a piece by artist Martin Poppelwell. An Ipsilon side table by Rodrigo Torres for Poliform rests beneath the artwork and a Jiff side table by Flexform sits next to the sofa. The patterned pillow is made from fabric from Jim Thompson’s Illusion range, while the solid one is from Rubelli’s James Dean range, both from Auckland’s Atelier Textiles. “Any colors that I brought into the house reflected the colors of the natural materials the architect had used,” says Jay. “No hot pinks!”

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