Kate Rogan thinks about design “the entire time”. First thing in the morning, late in the evening, at work and at play, any given moment is an opportunity to create. As co-director of Rogan Nash Architects with friend and fellow fanatic Eva Nash, she says, “You’re always formulating.”
That being the case, there comes a point on any project when you have to call time, and this home in a quiet cul-de-sac in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland’s Grey Lynn — designed by the talented twosome for Kate, her project-manager husband Matthew and their children Hugo (8) and Rose (6) — finished as a beautiful and bold full stop.
“We wanted it to feel punchy without being overpowering, cohesive and not too jarring,” says Kate of just the right amount of colour and pattern that embraces you the moment you descend the concrete steps from the street and into the metal-clad gable house (built by Warwick Aldridge). Through the front door set between panes of frosted glass that provide soft natural light and privacy, you encounter a suburban sanctuary. It’s one that’s both inward focused and borrows short views of the neighbouring mature trees and long ones over the rooftops to create a sense of complete retreat with a side of community connection.
Like many sections, the triangular, sloping site had its drawbacks, but the architecture has expertly overcome them, with Kate and Eva working the positives of the property to everyone’s advantage. “The street elevation is to the east, which means every morning when you head out the door, it’s out towards the sun, which I like,” says Kate. “Then the main body of the house faces north and the rear garden is west, which means the house itself is always filled with sun. Yes, the site was sloping, so there was some working with the earth and steps added to the design, but that just brings drama and loftiness to the interior.”
At the foot of the exterior staircase, the two-storey home’s entryway is as generous as the mudroom and powder room that flank it — and all the rooms that follow. As far as Kate and Eva are concerned, there’s nothing worse than a “mean” arrival experience, and living together well starts with ample space for everyone to effortlessly coexist in every area.
In their practice of developing architectural drawings while also attending to the interior design, the pair are unfailingly client-driven, and this project was no different, with Kate and Matthew’s wants and needs at the forefront of the process. As well as spaciousness, the couple sought a broken-plan concept, which incorporates distinct areas into an open-plan floorplan for increased versatility — for example here, the separate snug and sunken lounge.
In this home infused with not just colour and pattern but also nostalgia (for Matthew, that’s about his Scottish heritage and collection of Star Wars memorabilia encased in custom glass shelving in the office; for Kate, it relates to 1950s and ’70s details — eras that remind her of her English mother and grandmother, both of whom were artistic and unafraid of statement shades and shapes), colour blocking has been used to further delineate the main spaces. “Eva and I were interested in the trend of colour blocking, and having seen it done successfully in other areas of design, like fashion and homeware, we wanted to try it out architecturally,” says Kate.
Part of an overall scheme that includes vibrant wallpaper in the bedrooms and rainbow-bright tapware in the bathrooms, alongside black accents that add crispness and depth, the pair expressed the kitchen in green tones, the scullery/laundry in pink, the dining space in blue and the sunken lounge in taupe. The task of sourcing matching materials to combine in each space was “kind of like a scavenger hunt”, says Kate. “It was quite challenging, but we really enjoyed pulling it off.”
Since she and Eva are forever dreaming up the next best thing, even the most practical elements in this house presented a chance to do something special — like the kitchen’s crockery cupboard door pulls in the circular motif that pops up in several places. They also used two types of tiles to reference European shopfronts and café counters below the durable stainless-steel-plate kitchen bench.
The adjacent blush-toned scullery/laundry combines two of any home’s hardest working spaces into one that gets jobs done quickly and efficiently and is an absolute pleasure to be in. Everything is easy accessible in here, thanks to hanging rails, open shelving and abundant cabinetry. That was another key consideration in this abode: “Storage, storage, storage — you can’t get enough. Even a small cupboard can make a massive difference,” says Eva. “With Kate liking to be really tidy, we’ve provided for her personality with closed and open storage, and hidden storage in as many places as possible.”
Blue on blue and with the same square tiles as in the kitchen (a tip of the hat to the 1970s penchant for mosaic-tiled benchtops), a built-in servery/sideboard creates character in the dining space and divides it from the sunken lounge. Somewhere you can change gear while still being connected to the goings-on on the level above (or go one step further in the separate ‘bubble’ for me-time created by the daybed/window seat), this taupe-toned and similarly tiled living zone links to outdoor living below a louvre roof for all-weather practicality. Beyond that is the leafy back garden, where new planting devised by landscape designer Andy Hamilton joins with the neighbours’ big, old trees — including a macadamia and an avocado that donates bucketloads of fruit to this side of the fence. “Guacamole for everyone!” jokes Eva.
“We’re designing for daily life and trying to make the most of it,” she explains. “Life’s happening right now, so let’s make every day special and give ourselves joy in every moment. Whether it be having a little snooze on the daybed or doing the laundry, let’s make it all good.”
All good with a 6 Homestar rating from the Green Building Council on top, achieved through forward-thinking inclusions such as the thermal mass of the concrete flooring downstairs that keeps the home cooler in summer and retains the warmth of the low sun Kate and Eva have ensured hits it in winter, high levels of insulation, windows and doors designed for natural cross-ventilation, auxiliary spaces like the service courtyard outside the laundry with a spot for an extra drying rack, and provisions for charging an EV.
Everyone involved with this project is feeling pretty chuffed. “Eva and I often say you can tell how good a design is by how happy the client is, and Matthew, the kids and I are very happy,” says Kate.
All four Rogans may love it here, but that’s definitely not to say Kate’s stopped coming up with ideas. “That’s the fun thing about design,” she says, “you can always do more.”
Words Philippa Prentice
Photography Simon Wilson