In Two Sheds by RTA Studio, winner of the 2026 Readers’ Choice Home of the Year, material choices play a crucial role in shaping the home’s quiet, tactile atmosphere. Set against the vast alpine landscape just outside Queenstown, the project balances robust rural form with interiors that feel calm, sculptural, and deeply crafted.
Among these finishes is ROCKCOTE Marrakesh, a traditional lime plaster that brings a refined softness to contemporary spaces. Drawing on the centuries-old Moroccan technique of tadelakt, Marrakesh produces a smooth, luminous surface that feels subtle but luxurious.
Fine-grained and mineral-based, it is applied by skilled artisan plasterers using a range of tools and techniques to achieve subtly varied finishes — from the classic flat lime plaster look to marble-like surfaces, or even a softly polished, concrete-like aesthetic.
Marrakesh can be used throughout the home, including in bathrooms and other high-humidity environments, allowing surfaces to flow continuously across walls, columns, and architectural details. This seamless quality makes it particularly suited to sculptural elements such as fireplace surrounds, curved walls, and architectural features.
Supplied as an off-white dry powder, the plaster can be tinted across a wide spectrum of Resene colours, with bespoke options also available.
In this home, the use of Marrakesh demonstrates how traditional craft techniques can bring warmth and depth to contemporary architecture, creating interiors that feel both timeless and distinctly of their place
Find out more at reseneconstruction.co.nz
