The Treehouse

A PRICELESS VIEW WITH A TRIPLED VALUE

The beauty of Waiheke Island, off the coast of Auckland NZ, speaks for itself, so we created an inspiring, comfortable couples’ retreat that worked with the breathtaking natural landscape around it in every possible sense. From locally sourced materials to using the view itself as a design feature, every inch of this home tells its own story and reflects the community it sits within. A sense of calm now flows through what was once a dull and unappreciated space, and whether visitors are staying for a weekend or a fortnight they leave feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, having formed a real connection with the island. This transformation entailed a refurbishment of the entire property, including a full renovation of the kitchen and bathrooms, following which the rental price more than tripled,

shooting from $150/night to $500.

For more of the inside story on ‘The Treehouse’ click here

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The Retreat

A family home

with a borrowed view

Nestled amongst the palms, just west of Byron Bay, sits a personal oasis. What was once an under-utilised family home in need of some serious TLC is now a welcome refuge from the stresses of everyday life. With a sprawling ground floor design that lends an air of day-spa-meets-private-villa, paired with the simple luxury of a modern kitchen and tranquil, renovated bathrooms, it’s a home you don’t need to take a holiday from. The aim with this project was to create a sense of privacy and tranquility, and the seamless blend of indoor and outdoor spaces takes that brief to the next level. One particularly inviting addition adjoining this outdoor space is the parents’ retreat - a garden shed given new life as a yoga studio and meditation space, complete with outdoor shower.

For more of the inside story on The Retreat click here

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THE OUTSIDE STORY…

“The team at ‘The Feel’ resolved some very tricky slope and shape issues in our inner city backyard, with flair and creativity. They got to know my style from my many clippings and pictures and worked with us to make it a reality.. the plan they laid out for us was practical and clever, and now our trees are fruiting, chooks are clucking and our garden beds are flowering we can appreciate the help we received back when it was a slab of soggy clay!”
Meg and David, North Melbourne. 2019

Built into an extremely steep slope with very difficult access and hard clay soils and being on an island with limited supplies, it made sense for practical, financial ecological and sustainability reasons, that we utilise as many already pre-existing materials from this site as possible for this project, with that in mind, we adopted the Japanese philosophy of ‘Wabi Sabi’ or finding beauty in the "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete".

For more on the outside story of ‘The Treehouse’ click here

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The outdoor bath looks over the bird sanctuary

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BRINGING THE OUTDOORS IN

The tropical weather and proximity to the beach dictate an automatic emphasis on outdoor living. Stylistically, the new design reflects the omnipresent spirituality of the place going back to the original custodians of the land, the Arakwal Bumberlin people, who saw it as a place of healing. In modern times, the surfers, hippies and truth seekers added to the laid back vibe and a distinctly South-Asian flavour - giving us our narrative cues.

For more on the outside story of ‘The Retreat’ click here