13 March 2025

Lightly Weighted

Architect Oli Booth and his partner, interior designer Libby Elmore, have achieved something remarkable with their home–an exquisite fusion of design and nature that challenges conventional notions of urban living.

Images by Sam Hartnett

Grey Lynn is known for its vibrant streetscapes and proximity to the heart of the city, but it’s also an area where homes sit in close quarters. The pressure of density is often at odds with the desire for privacy, yet Oli and Libby have managed to reimagine how space can be used to its fullest potential, creating an oasis of retreat despite the home’s compact footprint.

Seated high in the Auckland suburb of Grey Lynn, their modest two-bedroom home feels a world away from the bustling city below, offering a private sanctuary that exemplifies thoughtful design, material sensitivity, and a sense of calm. 

Architect, Oli Booth

The site itself is small, just 280 square metres, but this is where Booth’s talent for spatial design comes to the fore. Rather than stretching to the site’s edges, Lightly Weighted the name given to the project– embraces modesty, with an 85 square-metre structure that feels far more generous than its dimensions would suggest. 

The name Lightly Weighted hints at the home’s delicate balance. It feels rooted in its environment, yet somehow floats above it, an effect heightened by its clever engagement with natural light and the surrounding greenery. Oli describes the project as a response to the increasingly dense nature of urban living, a way to show how smaller homes can still evoke feelings of expansiveness and serenity. 

 

“This project is special to us because it gave us an opportunity to explore how density could be done well in our cities through an understanding of scale and being willing to sort of tighten up the spaces that we create. We can, therefore, create higher qualities through the use of materiality, openness, texture and light”.

At the core of the project is an emphasis on natural materials. Timber plays a key role in the home’s interiors, with wooden panelling bringing warmth and an organic texture to the otherwise contemporary space. But perhaps the most tactile expression of materiality comes through the choice of wool carpets and rugs, which Oli and Libby incorporated into the design to bring softness and comfort. 

“Given this is quite a small space, we felt that a rug offered that opportunity just to have some softness and calm in the living areas, so we have large sort of flat surfaces being dark and recessive so that rug gives it a bit of lift and softness in the space”.

 The living area is anchored by a Bremworth Untouched rug, chosen in the colour Restful, crafted from 100% New Zealand wool in a plush 65oz weight. Its soft, tactile texture brings both warmth and contrast to the darker tones of the flooring and surrounding materials, adding lightness and balance to the space. Chosen for more than its aesthetic appeal, the rug creates a sense of elegance and exceptionality, offering a gentle lift to the room’s harder, darker surfaces. 

“Given this is quite a small space, we felt that a rug offered the opportunity to add some softness and calm to the living areas,” says Oli. “The darker surfaces are quite recessive, and the rug really gives the space a lift.” The result is a home that feels tactile and soothing, a place where the interplay of materials enhances the overall experience of calm and retreat. 

Bremworth UNTOUCHED RUG in colour Restful

Lightly Weighted also plays with the idea of transparency and seclusion. While the home’s form is compact, it’s a sculptural piece of architecture that engages with its environment in thoughtful ways. The orientation of the house maximises sunlight while ensuring privacy from neighbours. This allows the interior spaces to open up to the natural surroundings, with views that make the house feel more expansive than its footprint might suggest. 

The clever use of fluted concrete and large glazed surfaces reinforces the home’s sense of permanence and solidity, yet allows light to pour into the spaces, softening the boundary between indoors and out.

The outdoor area, though modest in size, has been treated with the same care and attention as the interiors. The interplay between the robust architecture and the softness of the landscape creates a unique rhythm, one that underscores the concept of retreat that defines Lightly Weighted. 

Oli and Libby’s personal connection to the project is evident in every detail. As both the designers and occupants, they were able to push boundaries and experiment with ideas that might not have been possible in a traditional client-architect relationship. The couple’s dedication to quality and craftsmanship is evident in every detail, from the thoughtfully chosen materials to the meticulous selection of the furniture and fixtures. 

The dining table and chairs, for example, sourced from Simon James, mirror the silhouette of the exterior cladding and window frames, creating a cohesive, harmonious aesthetic throughout. It’s this combination of restraint and creativity that makes the home such a compelling project. 

The slender lines of the Offset stools by Resident from Simon James complement the seamless indoor-outdoor flow, effortlessly connecting you with nature as you transition through the space.

Above Oli and Libby chose the playful and irregular Offset stools from Simon James–designed by Philippe Malouin for Resident–that double as side tables. Each Offset leg attaches to the top by way of an off-centre threaded connector ensuring that each leg finally rests in an individualistic position.

In a city where space is at a premium, Oli and Libby have shown that it’s possible to create a home that feels both expansive and private, without compromising on quality or comfort. By embracing the constraints of the site and working with natural materials, they’ve crafted a sanctuary that offers a sense of escape while remaining firmly connected to its urban context.

The Odin chair, designed by Jamie McLellan for Resident, features a sleek blackstained ash finish, complemented by the black-stained oak Offset stool— both sourced from Simon James.

The natural warmth of the timber panelling contrasts beautifully with the softness of the wool carpet, creating a harmonious blend of textures in the bedroom. Oli and Libby selected Bremworth’s Samurai 100% wool carpet in the colour Pyua, a skillfully crafted chunky loop of unique structure that provides luxurious layering and protection as an armour.

As Oli reflects, Lightly Weighted is not just an architectural experiment but a home that embodies a philosophy of living lightly on the land, with materials and spaces that enhance rather than detract from the natural environment. It’s a vision of what modern urban living can be, a delicate balance between density and openness, between privacy and connection, and between simplicity and luxury.

Through their thoughtful design choices and careful attention to detail, Oli and Libby have created a home that is not only beautiful but also deeply personal—a true reflection of their values and their vision for the future of urban living.

Discover more of Oli Booth’s projects online.