To Keep You Home

Located in Westmere, Auckland, To Keep You Home is an award-winning new family home that places connection at the centre of everyday life. Designed around a magnificent 100-year-old pōhutukawa tree, the L-shaped plan embraces a sheltered internal lawn, creating a private sanctuary where family, landscape and architecture exist in perfect harmony. Hidden from the street and tucked down a private driveway, the home reveals itself gradually. Rather than presenting a public face, the architecture turns inward, wrapping around the central courtyard to create a calm and protected environment where every room maintains a visual connection to the heart of the home. Externally, black corrugated metal cladding gives the L-shaped form a quiet, textured presence, chosen for its durability as much as its aesthetic. The result is a house that feels both intimate and remarkably open. At the centre of the plan, a generous open-plan kitchen, dining and living space acts as the social hub for family life. A soaring walnut acoustic ceiling, bespoke walnut cabinetry, granite benchtops and carefully considered brass detailing create interiors that feel rich, warm and enduring. From the kitchen, parents can watch children playing on the lawn, speak with friends in the lounge or move seamlessly to the covered outdoor dining terrace, reinforcing the idea that every space is connected. A restrained palette of natural materials is complemented by moments of surprise, with colour introduced in carefully hidden spaces to create personality and delight. Every room has been designed around the daily rituals of family life, balancing openness with privacy while allowing the landscape to become an integral part of the home's experience. Recognised with the 2019 Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA) Auckland Housing Award for New House, and also acknowledged as a 2019 Interior Awards Finalist and 2020 TIDA New Zealand Architect-Designed Kitchens Highly Commended, To Keep You Home demonstrates how thoughtful architecture can create places that are both beautiful and deeply liveable. It is a home that celebrates family, craftsmanship and a lasting connection to place.