Not too long ago, Kenny and Heidi Smith started talking about investing their money. The outdoor-loving, Queensland–based couple thought they might like to buy a property with some of their savings.

"But we couldn’t get inspired with the idea of buying something we didn’t care about, renting it out, then flipping it for profit," says Kenny.

"We have two children who were coming into early adulthood, and as it became apparent that they would start becoming more independent and move out of the family home, I felt drawn to the idea of having a sort of temple that would call all of us to this place to reconnect with the outdoors."

That "temple" would end up being a charming 535-square-foot cabin on 10 acres in New Zealand, just fifteen minutes from the town of Twizel.

For the cabin's design, the Smiths were inspired by the back-country huts and hiking shelters found in the Southern Alps of New Zealand, as well as Jens Risom's prefab vacation cabin on Block Island.

"I tried to study what I liked about [Risom's] design and I identified that I was drawn to the feature windows on one of the gable ends, as well as the scale of the pitch of the roof in relation to the size of the structure," he continues.

Interested in staying at the High Country Cabin? Book your getaway here.

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Jess Paterson

Builder: Templeton Construction

Structural Engineer: Batchelar McDougall Consulting

Cabinetry: Jayden Moore Construction

Sofa Cushions: Karen Ward

Interior Staining: Ace Painters

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