Luxury Escapes/@deborahhutton
There are beautiful hotels, and then there are the rare places so memorable that you return home wanting to recreate a little of their magic. For Deborah Hutton, that place was Huka Lodge New Zealand.
Speaking on The Edit podcast, the television presenter, former model and design devotee revealed that the legendary luxury retreat near Taupō became an important source of inspiration when she began planning her own spectacular home on the NSW South Coast.
Surrounded by established gardens and sitting on the banks of the Waikato River, Huka Lodge has welcomed guests seeking privacy and understated luxury for almost a century. For Deborah, however, it was the lodge’s distinctive design aesthetic that left a lasting impression.
“I’m taking a lot of my inspiration from Huka Lodge in New Zealand,” Deborah revealed.
Now, travellers can experience the spectacular retreat that helped inspire her dream home for themselves.
How Huka Lodge New Zealand inspired Deborah Hutton’s home
When Deborah began designing her new coastal home, she knew exactly what she didn’t want. After previously creating a light and bright Hamptons-style home in Bronte, she was ready to embrace an entirely different aesthetic.
“The whole feeling of the house is very much along the lines of British colonial, Raffles Singapore, plantation style, a little bit of Bermuda,” she said. “There’s no white. There’s no white on the coast. Isn’t that crazy?”
Instead, Deborah looked to the memorable hotels and destinations she had experienced during her travels, including Huka Lodge. But it wasn’t about replicating the New Zealand property room for room. Rather, she drew inspiration from the lodge’s use of colour, texture and atmosphere to create a home that feels warm, layered and connected to its surroundings.
The Huka Lodge design detail Deborah brought home
One of the most significant influences Huka Lodge had on Deborah’s home can be seen in its colour palette. Despite describing herself as “such a navy person”, Deborah has embraced an unexpected spectrum of green throughout her new home.
“I love blues of all [kinds]. I’ve had different ranges that are based on blue. Blue is my go-to colour,” she said. Yet when it came to designing her South Coast property, the home took her in an entirely different direction.
“This entire house is so many variations of the green tones, even so much that I even changed the outside colour to be, I think it’s a Dulux forest green.”
DEBORAH HUTTON
Rather than beginning the build with a rigid decorating plan, Deborah allowed the home and its surroundings to guide her choices. “It’s just taken me on that journey because I haven’t been, ‘Well, it needs to be this and it needs to be that’. It’s just going with the house.”
Perhaps it’s one of the most useful design lessons to emerge from Deborah’s build. The best travel inspiration isn’t necessarily about copying a particular sofa, paint colour or floorplan. Sometimes, it’s about identifying how a space makes you feel, and finding ways to recreate that feeling at home.
Inside Huka Lodge New Zealand
Set within 17 acres of established grounds beside the Waikato River, Huka Lodge began life as a simple fishing camp in the 1920s before evolving into one of New Zealand’s most famous luxury retreats. Its secluded location, manicured grounds and proximity to Huka Falls have made it a bucket-list destination for travellers from around the world.
For design lovers, however, much of its appeal lies in the way the interiors interact with the surrounding landscape. Natural materials, rich colours, comfortable furniture and beautifully framed views create an atmosphere that feels luxurious without being overly polished.
It’s a design philosophy that has clear parallels with Deborah’s approach to her own coastal home.
Speaking about architect Walter Barda, who designed the property, Deborah said one of the things she most admired was his “really beautiful feel of how a house sits in the land”.
The entire home was ultimately redesigned around a north-facing terrace, with Deborah explaining that she wanted to create a property that worked with its coastal environment.
What Huka Lodge New Zealand taught Deborah about atmosphere
Colour wasn’t the only lesson Deborah took from the luxury stays and interiors she admired. Atmosphere has played an equally important role in the design of her home.
“I’m candle obsessed,” Deborah admitted. “I mean, I love scented candles, but I love candlelight.”
That love of softer, more intimate lighting has dramatically influenced the design of her South Coast property.
“The interesting thing about this particular house is there’s hardly an overhead [light]. Most of it is wall sconces and lamps.”
After spending much of her career in front of cameras, Deborah knows more than most about the impact lighting can have on a space — and the people inside it. “Spending half of my life in front of lighting, you get to understand that you never want to stand or sit under a light that’s above your head.”
Instead, she has used wall sconces extensively throughout the home, including in the bathrooms. “I think that’s going to be something that just, again, feels that warmth when you walk in.”
It’s another example of why drawing inspiration from a memorable hotel can be so valuable. A beautiful stay isn’t simply a collection of furniture and finishes. Lighting, texture, colour and the relationship between indoors and out all contribute to how a space makes us feel.
Deborah Hutton unveils new details of South Coast build
A home inspired by travel and designed for people
While Huka Lodge helped inspire the aesthetic of Deborah’s home, the purpose behind the build is deeply personal. The house has been designed around bringing the people she loves together.
“I love cooking. I love to entertain,” Deborah said. Guest bedrooms have been designed with the flexibility of a hotel, while the home’s living and entertaining spaces will host Deborah’s famously long lunches. “When I do lunch, it’s a 12-hour thing,” she joked.
More importantly, the home will give friends and family a place to escape the city, stay overnight and spend time together. “One of the things, my great joy, is bringing people together,” Deborah said.
“The fact that they can jump on a train and come down and spend a night and have lunch and hang and go for a swim the next day — that’s just joyful for me. It’s kind of why I’m building it. I’m building it for my loved ones.”
Want to experience Deborah Hutton’s design inspiration for yourself?
The good news is you don’t have to embark on your own dream build to experience the atmosphere that inspired Deborah.
Travellers can book a stay at Huka Lodge New Zealand and experience the iconic retreat’s interiors, landscape and understated approach to luxury firsthand.
And while returning home and building an entirely new house is optional, coming back with a camera roll full of decorating ideas seems almost inevitable.
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