Inspired by the materials

Peter Johnston's aim for his house was to achieve the least possible waste and the best possible aesthetic. Photo / Supplied

When Peter Johnston was planning a new home in Cromwell, he let the artist rather than the builder in him dictate the design. He supplied the local council with the least amount of information necessary for consent, so he could let the materials at hand drive the design process.

"What I like to do is collect the materials first, then look at the space and arrange the materials with the least possible waste and the best possible aesthetic," says Johnston, who sculpts, writes poetry and composes music. "When you do that, the materials dictate the design. It is not conventional but it is far more rewarding."

The stunning home embodies ideas and philosophies that he developed during five years of building houses in the area. "My goal was to build a house that inspired others to do something different with materials that are readily available."

So he quit his job while he built his new home. "It took two years from beginning to end - from the day I first put the spade into the soil to lay the foundations, to the day I did the last bit of irrigation for the garden."

Building materials were sourced locally whenever possible, including the cut-face Cromwell stone, macrocarpa decking and larch fascias. The exception was the Canadian cedar weatherboards above the windows, as only that wood could withstand the dry environment without cracking and twisting.

The house was kept to a relatively modest 186sq m to make it easier to heat. A mono-pitched roof rising to the north allows winter sunshine in to warm the insulated concrete floor, which then releases heat at night.

The hallway, foyer and bathrooms are lined with about 50sq m of tiles. Johnston bought two pallets of leftover tiles and painstakingly pieced them together in the fashion of a giant mosaic to create a one-off design.

"There's so much love in this house," he says. "It doesn't matter where you are in it; you're experiencing something uplifting because putting in the time and effort means every space is unique."

Style tips

Light links: Peter Johnston says the hallway is the most important room in his house, linking everything. Designed with five windows, he says "it is one of the lightest rooms and is really uplifting".

Storage smarts: This house appears spacious as it has plenty of built-in storage so the family doesn't need chests of drawers or bookshelves. "People go big because they have so much stuff, but going big doesn't equate to space. Space comes from flow."

Clever borrowing: Two sides of the section adjoin a reserve, so Johnston left these boundaries clear to allow the reserve to feel like part of the garden.