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For all those ‘black walls’ naysayers; here’s a house that nails it

A bold black interior and clever design make this compact Cashmere home feel bright, warm and spacious.

Last updated: 16 July 2026 | 2 min read

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This compact Cashmere home by architect Braden Harford proves dark interiors can feel spacious and bright. The bold design uses Dulux Rawene walls to frame large windows and expansive views, enhancing the connection to the outdoors.

Contrasting textures, including raw wood panel ceilings and solid oak floors, add warmth and character to the efficient 81m² space. The exterior features durable ColorSteel cladding, creating a modern aesthetic that complements its award-winning neighbouring house, also designed by Harford.

“When I first wanted to do a dark interior, everyone at the time thought it wasn’t going to work - it was just going to make a small house look small. But it has the opposite effect, because there are quite large windows and a view across the valley.”

Architect Braden Harford knows from experience just how effective a black interior can be, having designed his own award-winning house (next door to this one) on the exact same lines.

“The dark walls frame that view, making it more apparent. So the house doesn’t feel so small, because you feel much more connected to what’s going on outside - to the light, the views and the greenery, which is unobstructed. Yet you still feel cosy and protected inside.

Originally, there were two ‘70s townhouses on the two adjacent sites - they were both destroyed in the Christchurch earthquakes and later demolished. Harford’s own home is to the right of this new one. Photo: Cowdy

“It worked really well in our own first house [which won an NZIA Small Project Award], and we looked at different colours for the second one, but we thought, no. This works too well.”

And the colour chosen for the interiors? It is Dulux Rawene, also called Dulux Domino internationally.

‘Glass walls were a cop-out’

Harford says the size of the windows was also significant in “making the house work”: “I remember at architecture school, we were told glass walls were a cop-out - that’s what you do when you don’t know what to do.

An Open-Plan Living Space Framed by the View

Floor-to-ceiling windows flood the open-plan living area with natural light, framing sweeping valley views and making the compact home feel bright and spacious.

“That’s a real strong architectural theory. I distinctly remember getting criticised for it in, I think, my second year at university having too much glass along one wall. It was ‘no, you shouldn’t do that, unless you have a very good reason. Windows should be framing the view.” Harford says it was always the plan to build a second house after he bought the two adjoining sections that were once home to two ‘70s townhouses on separate titles. Those houses were destroyed in the Christchurch earthquakes and demolished, and Harford has taken the opportunity to ensure the new houses have a strong visual connection. He and his partner Amy have extended the first home, which has a concrete block exterior and a black interior, very like this house. The roof lines of both houses are also continuous, and there is a strong yin and yang feel to the “compound” (one house light on the outside, one dark), although the houses remain on separate titles.

But the second house is not completely dark - there are contrasting materials in the ceilings and floors.

The ceilings feature an unusual textural raw wood panel. “The wood looks like it’s been through a cheese grater - it looks made of strands that have been pushed together. It’s not unlike the acoustic panels you may have seen in old school halls - there is a lot of texture, which is so much nicer than having flat Gib.”

All the windows are carefully positioned to maximise the best “slices” of the view. Photo: Cowdy

The galley kitchen features white cabinet doors and drawers to create a bold contrast to the black. Photo: Cowdy

The floorboard are solid oak, and the front of the kitchen cabinetry is white. “We wanted to make a contrast there, but it’s all black behind.” At 81m², the new house is not large, but Harford says, like the first, nothing is superfluous. The design is simple, and the space is maximised, so the house doesn’t feel small. There is also built-in storage on the lower level, and space for more.

The lower level also accommodates the second bedroom. Here there are exposed timber ceiling rafters added a strong textural element, along with an insulated concrete block base that forms part of the structure of the house.

Warmth and Texture in Every Detail

An exposed timber ceiling, textured wood panels and oak flooring bring visual warmth to the lower level, where the staircase leads to a cosy second bedroom and generous storage space.

The exterior of the house features ColorSteel cladding in Greyfriars, with the exterior joinery in the slightly darker colour Slate.

Harford says his own house was partly inspired by a townhouse project that Warren & Mahoney undertook in the 1970s - the Mid-century builds from that time remain sought after in a city traditionally known for its conservatism.

Harford has listed the house at 86B Landsdown Terrace, Cashmere, Christchrch for sale, having originally thought they might rent it out. It is listed with Nick Cowdy of Cowdy Real Estate, and has a deadline sale date of July 23, 2026.

The second bedroom has plenty of visual warmth, with an exposed truss ceiling and concrete block walls. Photo: Cowdy

There is a single bathroom in the small house, and it’s also low maintenance. Photo: Cowdy

Property market update: Responding to last week’s OCR rate rise of 0.20%, to 2.50%, Cotality chief property economist Kelvin Davidson says for the housing market, it’s really just (subdued) business as usual.

“On one hand, the US-Iran peace deal has already seen lower fuel prices and a boost to consumer confidence, as well as falls in mortgage rates (although these may not run any further). A continued economic recovery in the coming months, even if/when the OCR rises again, would tend to bolster sales volumes and property values too.

“But a fresh boom seems very unlikely. Indeed, listings remain elevated, giving buyers the balance of power on pricing. The election – and potential tax changes – appears to be dampening investors’ moods too.”

This article was originally posted by stuff.co.nz

Carports on both townhouses follow the same line - there is a great similarity in the two houses, although the first house (not pictured) is clad in concrete block. Photo: Cowdy

Author

Colleen Hawkes

Stuff

Journalist specialising in property, housing, architecture and design stories.