This kitchen won "Supreme Kitchen Design Runner-up" 2018 award at the NKBA excellence in design awards. It also won us two other awards: the Certified Designers Society (CDS) Best Kitchen Design Runner-up and Auckland Chapter Recognition Kitchen Runner-up. And at the Trends International Design Awards 2019 this kitchen won "Runner-up Tida New Zealand Designer Kitchen of the Year"
Consideration of the home's architecture materiality is always high on our list of priorities approaching any kitchen design. Here, we drew inspiration from the semi-industrial and natural cedar surfaces present in our clients' stunning new home.
The long concrete block spine wall with its charcoal defined grout lines, was to be celebrated as a feature in the kitchen space yet be practical to maintain. Keeping cabinetry shy of the ceiling celebrates the cedar-to-concrete junction; further enhanced with up-lighting for a warm ambience.
The generous island features a rugged granite bench, chosen for its tactile feel and natural character. It provides an abundance of set-down space for dishes without interrupting the workflow of the home-chef’s areas, socially connecting with both sea and poolside outlooks.
We hand-crafted a blackened steel frame to create a bold foundation to the island’s structure. To express the raw ‘honesty’ of its fabrication we wished to expose the welded junctions, however, the thick welds conflicted with the crisp square edges of the teak panels. Toni resolved this with deep negatives tucked back to behind the posts and by secret-welding certain junctions ensuring the suspended back cabinets fit snugly.
To protect the concrete block surface long-term, a retractable thin sheet steel splash back was conceived. Remote controlled, it is a complex configuration despite looking simple. A stainless-steel ledge provides ease of cleaning and opportunity for personalisation.
Pocket doors to the dedicated Baking Pantry keep spaces flowing and accessible. Practical storage systems with specific functionalities fill the drawers. Zones have been created throughout the kitchen to keep the flow and ergonomics at its prime, while the front of the island conveniently houses drinks and homework resources.
