Atelier Aitken

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An Award winning Architecture and Interiors Practice helping you create beautiful, sustainable homes Follow us on instagram:

Award winning Architecture and Design practice specialising in Bespoke Residential, Commercial, Public and Installation Projects.

08/10/2026

Our Tara Iti courtyard home kitchen opens straight onto the view… rolling fairways, the coastline somewhere beyond, all of it pulled inside through glass that slides fully away.

Even this close to the sea, I didn’t want the space leaning entirely on the courtyard or the distant sea view to do the work. I wanted it to hold its own beauty, regardless of what was outside the glass. So the pavilion got its pitch. Vaulted cedar rising into the trusses, light filtering down through the gable, that same warm oak carried through the joinery below.

The bookshelf built into the end of the island and the little coffee corner nook weren’t in the original plan but I feel that these two elements help to bring in some domestication to the home.

This is what I mean when I talk about a house settling into its site, rather than depending on it. You stop noticing where inside ends and the landscape begins.

What’s the one detail in your home that wasn’t in the original plan, but you couldn’t live without now?

01/10/2026

There’s a particular kind of happiness in a window seat. This one runs the length of the corridor at our Tara Iti courtyard home, tucked behind timber battens that filter the light rather than block it, with the quietly landscaped courtyard just on the other side of the glass.

I’m a firm believer that every home needs at least one spot like this. Somewhere low, somewhere soft, somewhere you can curl up with a good book and watch the light move across the courtyard garden as the day goes on. Natural timber lining overhead, linen cushions, a beautiful portable table or two and a throw within reach for whenever the sea breeze gets in.

It’s a small thing in a house full of bigger moments… but it might be one of my favourites.

14/09/2026

A house that knows when to be quiet… and, it turns out, one that quietly won over the judges too.

This one sits beside Tara Iti, wrapped around a central courtyard so every room looks through to the same patch of sky and light. Vaulted cedar overhead, a fireplace built into stone, lanterns hung low so the evenings feel soft rather than lit. Nothing shouting for attention… everything just settling into itself as the sun goes down.

No heating, no cooling, technically speaking. Just eaves angled right and air that knows where to move. All that thinking sits quietly behind the scenes. What you actually feel is comfort.

Built for a family who spends their days on the course and their evenings right here, doors open, sea somewhere in the distance. Now a 2026 Best Design Awards finalist too.

Please refer to our website for our post production AI policy for photographs of our projects.

09/09/2026

Sandy feet, someone’s coffee going cold, three kids elbow-deep in flour making homemade pasta on the bench… this kitchen has seen it all, and still looks better every year.

The warmth of timber paired with the rawness of steel… nothing precious, nothing that needs babying. It’s what gives this kitchen its bachy, utilitarian soul… somewhere between a summer home and your favourite coffee shop.

I love a beautiful finish, but I also love one that can take a hit even more. Wipe it down, let it age, keep cooking. That’s the whole philosophy in one room.

03/06/2026

Never underestimate the power of a simple bookshelf….. The brief was simple: warmth without weight. Calm without coldness. A home in quiet conversation with its surroundings. Natural light pools across the timber surfaces throughout the day, and the layering of wood tones creates a space that feels quietly alive — unhurried, considered, and entirely at ease with itself. Bookshelf decor from and - a little inspo from our project one week ahead of Photograph by Simon Wilson.

Address

Auckland
1024

Website

http://www.atelieraitken.org/

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