Contemporary farmhouse living room featuring Aalto Raki painted feature wall, wood-burning fireplace and built-in window seat — Aalto Raki effortlessly anchors the living space, creating a rich backdrop for other design elements

Situated on a picturesque former vineyard, this new-build home in the scenic suburb of Kumeu, has been thoughtfully designed by the team at Inherent and built by Signature Homes. The owners balanced the convenience of a group home build with use of colour and interesting design elements, making the space feel unique to them.

Modern farmhouse kitchen with black cabinetry, Aalto Raki painted walls and statement pendant lighting

Powder room with bold Aalto Hunting Coat painted walls, brass tapware and contemporary wall-mounted basin

Aalto Raki also features in the kitchen (above); Aalto Hunting Coat adds a rich drama to the powder room

A considered approach

The site for this home was first viewed in the spring—Michelle (founder, Inherent) tells of seeing the beautiful green landscape and tumbling hills, and wanting to invoke colour inspired by these surroundings. The colour palette was curated to reflect this, and a way of capturing the uplifting feeling and optimism surrounding their clients' journey, a move back to NZ from the UK. Inherent design to bespoke the build by the clever use of colour and interesting design elements, making the space feel unique to them.

With a subtle nod towards Māori culture and their respect for the land, the palette evolved to include the pale grey-blue of the sky, and an interplay of the soft clay peach and pinks that you would find in the surrounding soil, along with Mānuka that was grown on the site. These soft tones balanced the overall scheme, embracing the clients' love of nurturing hues. There was however a bit of a twist with the design; although the colour palette reflected the local countryside of New Zealand, the overall design needed to feel European in flavour, with gravel used for outdoor areas rather than traditional decking that you would find here in New Zealand.

Modern farmhouse dining room with large sliding doors opening to rural views and natural timber furniture

Farmhouse mudroom featuring Aalto Mulberry Bush painted feature wall, built-in storage and open shelving

Contemporary farmhouse kitchen with Aalto Zanella painted walls, copper tapware and minimalist styling

Aalto Ocean View is used throughout the living spaces (left); the cheerful Aalto Mulberry Bush is a fun pop of colour in the laundry (centre); Aalto Zanella complements the deep Aalto Raki in the kitchen

Inherent's colour selection

58

TMA018

223

204

68

57

55

“ We wanted to catch that uplifting feeling and the optimism surrounding this adventure, and journey that the clients were under taking with their new home. ” — Michelle, Inherent Design

Modern farmhouse living room featuring Aalto Raki feature wall

Children's bedroom with crisp Aalto Stoke White painted walls, timber furniture and green bedding

Contemporary bedroom featuring Aalto Amble painted feature wall and natural linen bedding

Green is used frequently throughout, with Aalto Raki colour-drenched through the tv room (left); Aalto Amble in the bedroom; and green accents offsetting the calm Aalto Stoke White (right)

Design by Inherent Design / photography Helen Bankers