Inside Lahood's Installation at the Double Courtyard House
Nestled in the coastal dunes of Te Arai, northeast of Auckland, the Double Courtyard House by Roberts Gray Architects is a study in quiet luxury. Designed to age gracefully alongside the regenerated dune landscape, every material was chosen with care and intention. The automated blinds and custom curtains supplied by Lahood®Window Furnishings were no exception.
Early Planning for Seamless Results
The brief was beautifully simple: barefoot luxury, lock-up-and-leave practicality, and a material palette that Roberts Gray Architects Director Jimmy Gray describes as "luxurious but honest, soft, texturally rich and warm."
Lahood joined the project during the planning stage to ensure the window furnishings carried that same quiet refinement through to completion. As Clayton Sceats, Lahood Director, explains, "It was always about restraint and precision - recessed blinds, flush ceiling tracks, and integrated automation, all considered from the outset so the detailing could sit naturally within the architecture."
Blinds Made to Disappear
Throughout the home, Lahood roller blinds with Somfy automation manage the considerable solar demands of this exposed coastal site while preserving uninterrupted views. Each blind sits within a fully recessed ceiling pocket, leaving no visible interruptions when retracted. When lowered, a sunscreen fabric in Jersey, a warm muted tone, filters UV glare while maintaining the connection to the surrounding dunes.
Curtains Adding Softness
In the lounge, custom curtains by Lahood in James Dunlop's Drift in Tussock, a durable, textured polyester-linen blend, are hung with an inverted pleat to sit discreetly on flush recessed powder-coated tracks. Left unlined, the fabric gently filters light, creating a soft ambience while helping protect furniture and flooring during the months the home sits empty. In the bedrooms, a second track carrying James Dunlop Quantum FR lining allows the rooms to transition from softly filtered daylight to restful blackout.
The Outcome
"The invisible finish of the automated blinds means the house can be fully opened to the views," says Jimmy Gray. "And the curtains bring an extra level of softness to the space."
The result is a home where the window furnishings quietly complement the architecture, demonstrating what becomes possible when they are considered an integral part of the design vision rather than simply a finishing touch.
To discuss your next residential or commercial project, visit the Lahood showroom at 104 Mount Eden Road, call 0800 LAHOOD, or visit lahood.co.nz.
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