Sitting in front of the fire outside their Wānaka home toasting marshmallows with their kids was not something Alisha and Ben Goodwin envisaged when they moved back to Aotearoa from London, despite the journey to building this new family abode beginning years before they settled down in the scenic town. Although they didn’t know each other then, they’d individually pursued their passion for its picturesque landscape back in their Otago uni days, each developing an affinity for the area and its outdoor pursuits, but it wasn’t until years later, after they met on their OEs then started a family in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland, that they had an epiphany about calling it home.
Finding themselves on regular southern sojourns for weekends away, weddings and the like, on one such trip they happened upon some sections for sale in the Northlake subdivision, near Mount Iron. “The development was nothing more than marked-out sites at that stage, which only required a deposit,” says Alisha. “We drove up, and seeing those 360-degree mountain views had us all of a sudden wondering if we could get one. We put a deposit on a piece of land before we even got home.”
Phase one of being pulled to the mainland saw them conceptualise their first build in this location as a holiday home. “We were never intending to move here, but then Covid hit,” says Alisha. “We were partway through building the holiday home and thought, ‘Why don’t we just move down?’ Remote working sorted, six weeks later, we were here.”
With their kids Archer, Freddie and Livvy all sharing a bedroom, the family quickly outgrew that dwelling, so when a larger section came up in the same area, they jumped at the chance to build again — this time fit for purpose as a permanent residence.
“I obsess over all the aesthetic decisions, but our real driver was how we live,” says Alisha. “We love cooking and entertaining, and wanted to build a home around being social. Our goal from the get-go was to ensure there was enough space to have our friends and family over all the time.”
To help crystalise their vision, she and Ben engaged Bryce Monk of Threefold Architecture and Annique Heesen of Gezellig Interiors. “Without their input and interpretation of our ideas, we couldn’t have achieved what we aspired to,” says Alisha.
Working with a bigger site allowed Alisha to incorporate design details she’d dreamed of all her life. “I have memories from when I was a kid of my parents’ friends turning up to parties at our home,” she says. “We’d watch them drive in and walk up to the front door all dressed up, so there’s a real sense of nostalgia in that for me. Here, we’ve created our version, with beautiful textured walls at the front of the house that create a special moment on arrival.”
An entrance courtyard follows, featuring pavers edged with gravel and planting that takes cues from the Mediterranean, chosen for hardiness in this arid environment and to complement the architecture, which Alisha describes as “Tuscan farmhouse with a Japanese sensibility” and pays homage to the couple’s time living abroad and love of travel.
The European flavour continues as you arrive at the front door, which is flanked by steel-framed windows that give a first glimpse inside. Rather than offering up the view to the mountains beyond at this point, the artwork is showcased first, before the big reveal around the bend that never fails to wow guests as they make their way into the main open-plan living area. A cathedral ceiling soars overhead and concrete floors stretch out underfoot in this space layered with soothing, tactile materials.
“Our brief from Alisha and Ben was to create a series of spaces that felt as if they’d been there for a while, and weren’t too new and polished,” says Annique. “Using textural stone paired with dark timber as the solid-surface heroes, then finishing with design details with curved edges to soften the spaces has made for an interior that’s robust and welcoming at the same time.”
Achieving her aim of facilitating social interaction, Alisha cites the generous kitchen island as the home’s heart. “People really gravitate towards it and its tactility,” she says. Its practicality is a real win too, because neither she nor Ben can bear clutter. “People always ask us, ‘Where’s all your stuff? How do you keep it so tidy?’ We’re so busy with life, work and side hustles that keeping things minimal really helps us mentally, so we’ve got cupboards and drawers everywhere.”
Utility spaces such as the mudroom, scullery and laundry have been designed as workhorses with an elegant execution. Alisha says the scullery is “a saviour”. The pantry is well stocked for baking — essential for the recipe testing she conducts for Crumbs & Confetti NZ, for which she and her business partner Sarah Godfrey create cake and cupcake kits for those grappling with similarly hectic households. Against the neutral colour palette derived from the surrounding landscape, handcrafted fixtures, locally made furnishings and treasured objects of interest come together in succinct vignettes that reflect the couple’s eye for finishing touches.
“We’ve always been collectors — finding things on eBay, in vintage stores and through independent makers,” says Alisha. “There’s loads of stuff here that we’ve carried around for years, waiting for the right space in which to use it. Our art has been bought over a long period of time as well — it’s something we enjoy looking out for to mark milestone occasions. Reflecting on when I studied interior design 20 years ago, my portfolios were pretty much what we’re living with now. We’ve worked our way up to the home we’ve always wanted.”
Time moves quickly in the Goodwin household. Amid the daily juggle of parenting and professionalism, and the weekly demands of working remotely and travel, it’s a wonder they have any energy left for entertaining. But somehow Alisha and Ben do manage to fit it all in, and when they look back on their journey thus far, they’re pleased with the path they’ve taken to ensure their family can make the best of life as they know it.
Words Alice Lines
Photography Biddi Rowley