"I had gone over to look at the home with no intention to buy at all," recalls the owner of this stunning alpine villa in the Cardrona Valley. "It was just an excuse to spend some time with a friend. But when we looked through the house, I fell in love with it immediately." Four years on, and Trish still loves her home. "It's surrounded by beautiful rural and mountainous scenery, and has a lovely earthy feel," she enthuses. "I have always wanted to have a home near a ski field, and this is on the doorstep of several. It is away from everything but close enough to so many things to do, if we feel like it. It would be a lovely home to live in full-time, but it's too far away from my son's school in Queenstown, so we have to be content with having it as a holiday home."

The entire front of the house is glass windows, but the interior is warm and cosy thanks to an abundance of sunlight and a large stone open fireplace. Trish laughs as she confesses that she is not responsible for much of the home's decor; she was so enamoured with the furniture already in the house that she had to have it! "They had done such a great job creating the feel I wanted, that I arranged to purchase the furniture with the home. The solid furniture suits the alpine atmosphere of the home. I added a comfortable, chocolate brown leather couch, and my own personal touches."

What do you like most about your home? I love the way the way that everything in the interior works together to give an incredibly relaxing, and calming, feel to the home. If I stay there for a couple of days, it feels like I've been away for a week long break.

Which space in the house do you get your greatest satisfaction from? One of my favourite areas is the living room, which is painted with Resene Tuna and Resene Half Dutch White. The room has huge windows through which you see expansive sky, mountains and rural scenery. A lot of light comes in, and in winter the open fire completes the relaxing alpine feel. The other room I love is the single room upstairs. It has massive triangular windows, incredible views and is sun-drenched even in winter.

Why did you make these colour choices? I love the earthy, grounding feel that they have. They also balance well with the stone work and wooden furniture.

What are you planning to change in your home interior next? I recently added a ski drying room, which is a real treat to have. I don't feel there's much I would like to change or update, except to change the cream sofa for another chocolate brown leather one. I definitely want to keep the wall colours as they are.

Situated in the small settlement of Cardrona, between Wanaka and Queenstown, Trish's alpine villa enjoys a picturesque setting. The exterior of the house has been stained with Resene Totem Pole and painted with Resene Almond Frost.

Large sections of glass maximise the house's beautiful views.

In the master bedroom, a Resene Tuna feature wall creates a sense of drama and sophistication.

The cosy living room, Trish's favourite area in the house.

A feature wall of Resene Half Perfect Taupe complements the stunning view from this bedroom.