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On a clear day, you can catch a whiff of sea salt from atop the cliffside.

This three-bedroom holiday home on Waiheke Island by MacKay Curtis is designed to maximize sun, views, and opportunities for outdoor living. The ground-floor living area is enclosed with glass, while the bedrooms and bathrooms are housed in a timber-clad box. Sliding glass doors open the living area to the deck, which overlooks Mawhitipana Bay.

The interior palette takes inspiration from the natural earth tones of the site: The stain to the timber rafters echoes the surrounding trees; the soft gray tone of the kitchen island has been matched to the bark on the piñon pines; and the walls are a snowy white contrasted with deep bronze window frames. “It’s a neutral palette that welcomes the textures, weaves, and claywork of local artisans,” explains Moore.

Designer Jules Moore sits in a window seat with her French bulldog, Sake. A New Zealand sheepskin rug and woven pillows from Turkey add a sense of warmth and comfort to the ledge, while the bronze casing of the Marvin Ultimate Awning Narrow Frame window captures the view like a painting.

Facundo is working on an update to the cabin that mirrors the doors at the back window to allow for cross-ventilation.

Polished concrete floors and pale clay plaster on the walls were used throughout the kitchen and living spaces.

The bathroom's shower is wheelchair accessible, if needed.

The reading nook corridor has a sizeable sliding glass door that pockets into more glass, with thresholds flush between the cork floors on the interior and the large format porcelain tile on the exterior. The center of the atrium is filled with raked 1/8” Desert Gold crushed granite.

Exterior