From City Lights to Rural Bliss: Inside Ash Owens' Bespoke Mid-Century Countryside Oasis

Set on the backdrop of the stunning Auckland, New Zealand countryside, digital content creator Ash Owens has swapped city life for the rural oasis. The breathtaking custom mid-century-inspired home has been designed and built specifically to frame the surrounding landscape like a painting in every room.

After more than three years of planning and building the bespoke home, the Auckland native reflects on the process from land purchase to move-in.

“Deciding to build a bespoke home not off the plan with absolutely zero experience has made it a very long process and it’s been a fight like hell to get to the finish line but we wouldn’t change anything for the world. Curating our home from every door hinge to light fixture and colour palette has been a dream come true,” Ash says.

The home is an ode to mid-century elegance with a touch of modern sophistication. In the heart of the home—the kitchen—classic sophistication meets contemporary flair with forest green cabinetry throughout accented with touches of brass and Taj Mahal Quartzite marble benchtops. Completing the ensemble are appliances from Electrolux, marrying style with functionality.

See more of the transformation here.

“Every detail in our kitchen has been meticulously curated resulting in a space that is as beautiful as it is functional. From our tiled, built-in range hood to handmade Japanese splashback tiles and our coffee station that opens onto the deck. Aesthetics are of course integral, but the function of the kitchen is what truly matters most.

“I knew from day one I wanted to do a green kitchen. To complement the earthy tones, we chose to use Electrolux appliances because the dark stainless steel is not only a beautiful fit in our kitchen, but they’re hard-working, efficient and designed with sustainability at the forefront. It’s truly a match made in heaven,” Ash comments.

Discover Ash’s favourite features of the Electrolux dark stainless steel range:

• The 90cm UltimateTaste 900 Pyrolytic Oven (EVEP916DSE) was the clear choice to join my cooktop. My dream was to have a wide oven so I can cook for guests without the hassle of limited space. It has so many amazing functions but my favourite is ‘SteamBake’ taking my baking to the next level with fresher and more flavoursome food.
• For our fridge we selected the 491L UltimateTaste 700 French Door Fridge (EHE5267BC). It’s beautiful and you can’t beat the TasteLock crispers that keep our food fresher for longer and the easy access to filtered water and ice.

• We chose the 90cm UltimateTaste 900 5 Burner Gas Cooktop (EHG955BE) for the ultimate cooking power and control. The 24 MJ wok burner creates an intense heat that helps lock in flavours and textures that you just cannot beat.
• I’m so happy with how the 86cm UltimateTaste 700 Integrated Rangehood (ERI955DSE)* has come to life. It is so aesthetically pleasing and also unbelievably quiet!
• The 60cm Built Under Dishwasher (ESF97400RKX)* fits perfectly in our island. It has a really great ‘ComfortLift’ feature where the bottom draw pulls up to benchtop height making it easy to stack dishes without breaking your back!