Fernhill House, Queenstown

Located on a steeply contoured site in the Queenstown hillside suburb of Fernhill, this home captures sweeping south-facing views over Lake Wakatipu, looking down the lake toward Kingston and directly across to Cecil Peak. Held within the same family for over 30 years, the overseas based owners are now realising their long-held vision of creating a New Zealand ‘home away from home’.

The gradient of the site been a challenging yet defining design consideration. The home is terraced down the hillside, ensuring that each of the three levels maintain a strong visual connection to the lake and surrounding mountains. Living spaces are oriented south to fully engage with the outlook, while carefully positioned voids and openings capture northern sun to bring light and warmth.

Architecturally, the form is clean and modern, with extensive floor to ceiling glazing creating a luxurious, high-end feel. The exterior material palette of steel, cedar and locally sourced schist respond to Queenstown’s alpine character. The homeowner, a contemporary artist, required interiors that would serve as a refined and elegant backdrop for a curated art collection. Natural light and material texture provide subtle richness with a calm, gallery-like environment where the artwork becomes the focal point.

Condon Scott has been engaged to deliver both architecture and interior design, ensuring a cohesive and carefully considered outcome across all aspects of the project.