The brief was for an Australian family’s holiday home. The guidelines for the Millbrook Resort site called for a design grounded in the rural traditions of Central Otago. The outcome: a 293sqm house comprising a single-level stone ‘cottage’ and connected two-storey timber ‘barn’. The house, with three bedrooms and three bathrooms, measures up everywhere else, too. The owners now have a base from which to enjoy mountain vistas and all the activities the region offers. The simple yet sophisticated home is clad in schist and rusticated cedar weatherboards that wrap inside the front doors, creating a warm, moody entry. Here, in the barn part of the house, are the bedrooms, all with ensuites. Dormer windows, in keeping with the region’s vernacular, provide views and funnel in light. High-performing glazing keeps the warmth inside Steel doors in the link announce entry to the cottage, where you’ll find living spaces with textured walls, concrete floors and a schist fireplace. The centrepiece kitchen has an island with fluted panelling, a bull-nose marble benchtop and reclaimed hardwood framing. Outside, the owners can enjoy more of the scenery from beside the fireplace or while soaking in the spa pool.