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Prior to the renovation, the Kong family's kitchen was inconveniently located on the garden level, deprived of plentiful natural light and separated from the active parlor floor living space.

The clients desired a modern, streamlined retreat to escape the city.

Floor Plan of Hills Beach by Woodhull

An elegant floating stone sink fits in with the home’s vernacular.

Guta Louro says, "I let my space speak for me and allow others to interpret it as they desire, and the empty spaces and the thought-out placement of the pieces (I believe) says a lot about me."

The home is located in Todds Valley, a 10-minute drive from Nelson, where architect William Samuels grew up—and one of the least affordable areas in New Zealand. “The obsession with the price of housing is pervasive and can cloud our thinking when we consider the true value of a home,” he says. “In New Zealand, there is a tendency to think of housing purely as an asset, an investment, rather than a home, a place for life to happen.”