Outbuilding of the Week: Two Tiny Cabins That Play With Light

Photography courtesy of ArchDaily; interview info via New Zealand's Home Magazine

Take a tour of two tiny cabins, designed by firm principal Nat Cheshire of Aukland-based Cheshire Architects, located on a moody, remote estuary in northern New Zealand. The pair of structures are full of dichotomies: They have small footprints but stick out jarringly from the landscape. They’re basic plywood buildings, but with luxurious details inside. And one is black, the other light.

The light cabin’s interior is plain builder’s plywood.

The entryway of each cabin looks inward toward the land.

Photo by Jeremy Toth

The designer and owners liked the idea of adding luxurious details inside and wanted each interior to be distinct, one bright, the other moody.

Photo by Jeremy Toth

Each kitchen has a small sink, refrigerator, gas stove, and dishwasher drawer. In the light cabin, the kitchen nook is lined in oiled jarrah eucalyptus wood.

Photo by Darryl Ward

The black cabin’s view of the mangrove inlet. 

The black cabin is lined in form ply–low-cost panels covered in polished black coating–which creates a deep, inky space.

The black cabin’s kitchen has the same appliances as the light cabin but is lined in glamorous brass paneling.

Photo by Darryl Ward

The dark cabin’s sleeping loft, with a skylight overhead for viewing stars.

Photo by Darryl Ward

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Photo by Darryl Ward