These 10 spectacular homes made the Home of the Year 2020 shortlist

Call it the year of the retreat. HOME magazine has just released the 10 homes that made the 2020 Home of the Year shortlist, and this year they all have something in common…

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Every Home of the Year is different, and this year, to our surprise, the majority of the 10 houses on the HOTY shortlist are on spectacular sites in coastal areas. This means a lovely, scenic trip for our Australian judges, Patrick Kennedy and Rachel Nolan of Melbourne’s Kennedy Nolan, along with me and local judge Jack McKinney. From the cliffs of Tutukaka to Wanaka, via Kuaotunu and Waiheke Island, the judges will see some very nice spots.

It’s not all beach, though: there are city houses and multi-unit projects, too – including offerings from Studio2 and Cheshire Architects in Auckland and Bull O’Sullivan in Christchurch. However, for the first time in a while, there are no small houses on the list – we sincerely hope this is not a sign of things to come.

And, without pre-judging the result, cudos already goes to Cheshire for having no fewer than three projects on the shortlist. (We suspect this is some kind of record.) We can’t wait to visit the houses and choose our final six – be sure to follow us via @homenewzealand on Instagram and #homeoftheyear2020.

And if you’re in Auckland on 11 February, join us at The Northern Club for a chat and drinks with our international judges.

Check out the video above to see the 10 incredible homes on the Home of the Year shortlist for 2020

Words by: Simon Farrell-Green


With very special thanks to our sponsor Altherm Window Systems. 

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