Little & Fox’s one-room, off-the-grid sleepout is designed to fit into its rustic setting while being as luxurious as a five-star hotel suite.
It was a ride in a Land Rover that inspired this guest bedroom on a Hawke’s Bay farm. Interior designer Asha Payton was being driven to the project site by her client when she envisaged that the guest quarters could perhaps be like the iconic vehicle they were travelling in: tough enough to go off-road, but luxurious enough for a five-star experience.
“The vibe developed as we chatted in the car; hard with a rough exterior, bulletproof, but, inside, luxurious, soft, and calm,” recalls Asha. With the help of Nelly Conway, Asha, founder of Little & Fox, put together a considered, handcrafted aesthetic for the off-grid, 30-square-metre bedroom at the top of the property.
The design was influenced by the car, of course, but also by the rural landscape it sits in, Japanese design, and The Hotel Britomart in Auckland.
Outside, the exterior is green — a nod to the classic Land Rover hue. Inside, almost everything in the room is custom-made. Ashen cedar cladding was specified for the barn door, then charred in the traditional Japanese method of shou sugi ban before being installed. The frame for the bed was custom-designed, then constructed from hardwood that was stained black; it has built-in bedside shelving and a platform at the end of the bed that is wide enough for visitors to sit on to take in the view.
Monmouth Glass Studio was commissioned to make the low-hanging pendant lamps on either side of the bed, and local artist Robyn Fleet created the oil painting that mirrors the moodiness and colour palette of the space.
Texture is added to the room with plastered walls rendered in a tranquil Aalto hue, handmade crockery created by local makers, and Seneca bed linen. The floor-to-ceiling doors that allow for prime vistas from the bed are adorned with blackout curtains and luxurious sheers in The Hotel Britomart style.
A wide deck provides a living and dining space, and the outdoor sauna and bath are solar-powered. “It was so small that we could take a few risks,” says Asha of the room she describes as a joy. “The clients were amazing to work with, and the finished project is a result of that. Clients like that, in trusting the process, are few and far between.”
Words: Kirsten Matthew
Images: Florence Charvin
Judges’ citation
An off-grid sleepout that exemplifies innovative rural luxury, combining Land Rover-inspired design with a bespoke interior. Thoughtfully layered with charred cedar, handcrafted crockery, Monmouth Glass pendants, Seneca linens, and Robyn Fleet’s artwork, the 30-square-metre retreat celebrates texture, craft, and sustainability. Features such as a solar-powered sauna, wide deck for outdoor living, and floor-to-ceiling doors elevate it from a simple sleepout to an award-worthy model of design excellence.
