The Awa
Interior Architecture & Design — Nicola Ross Design
Architecture — Double Black Architecture
Builder — Inhouse Construction
Interior Joinery Manufacture & Installation — Avant Garde
Photography — Andy Kruy
The Awa sits high above the Manawatū River, with the landscape and long views becoming a constant reference point throughout the interior. When the clients came to me, they had spent years collecting ideas, references and individual elements they loved. The challenge was to refine that abundance into a clear brief, one that felt cohesive, true to their style and manageable for them to make decisions, rather than overwhelming.
That process became the foundation for the architectural audit and spatial planning review, allowing key relationships within the house to be resolved before construction decisions were locked in. From there, the work extended through the full interior design and bespoke joinery package, with each element developed as part of the architecture rather than as an applied layer.
A natural, textural material language became the thread running through the home, warm, tactile and grounded, but practical enough for everyday life. The project was then supported through construction, with ongoing design input used to resolve details on site and protect the original intent as the house moved from drawings into built form.
“We had a broad idea of what we loved, but we loved too many things. Nicola was able to refine our style and create a home that had a gorgeous flow to it room to room.”
Connection to place
The material palette leans into biophilic design, using natural tones, tactile surfaces and layered texture to reflect the relationship between the interior and its setting above the Manawatū River.
Smoked timber joinery brings depth and warmth, balanced by soft stone and alluvial concrete tones that pick up the quieter colours of the landscape beyond. Linen sheers soften and diffuse the changing light, while blackened metal details provide a restrained contrast throughout.
The intention wasn't to replicate nature, but to create an interior that feels grounded in its setting, warm, tactile and quietly responsive to the river, sky and surrounding landscape.
Interior architecture and joinery detailing
The interior architecture was developed alongside the spatial planning, with bespoke joinery used to shape the rooms, define thresholds and support the way the house is lived in. Rather than treating cabinetry as a separate layer, the joinery was designed as part of the architecture itself, resolving storage, proportion, sightlines and material continuity across the home.
The full joinery design and specification package was developed for manufacture by a third-party joiner, including detailed layouts, dimensions, material selections, finishes and key construction requirements. This allowed the design intent to remain clear through fabrication while still giving the joiner the information required to resolve the technical build.
That level of documentation was carried through construction, with ongoing review and construction support used to resolve details as they arose and maintain consistency between the original design and the finished interior.
Work integrated, but kept separate
The client’s work in digital media was accommodated primarily on the lower level, with a dedicated studio, editing room and inward-goods area allowing the practical demands of the business to operate within the home without overtaking it.
This separation was deliberate. By keeping the working spaces largely downstairs, the main living areas could retain a clear domestic character, creating a genuine distinction between work and home while keeping the business fully integrated into everyday life.
“The communication Nicola had with our other vendors and builders was amazing… she made the experience far less stressful and less overwhelming.”
