Renovation Innovation
From old to new
They wanted to design a completely new layout and look, in a modern industrial style that would welcome guests into an inviting space as soon as they stepped through the front door.
The client wanted clean square lines throughout their kitchen, with lots of space. Some structural adjustments had to be made to the home to achieve the new look – renovation innovation was required!
The pantry with a hidden secret
Squaring off an angled corner wall enabled the corner to be cleverly hidden by the fridge, and in doing so also created a floor-to-ceiling storage area with a work bench.
Richard Hull, a renovation specialist in the Waikato, was instrumental in designing a cavity slider and bulkhead with extra attention paid to the negative detailing and coordination when it came time to install this kitchen.
The walk-in pantry was installed separately at a later date so that a template could be taken and the cabinetry custom-made to fit in this tricky space. The result is a beautifully squared off functional space that hides the angles beyond.
Clever window solution
The view through the original kitchen window was uninspiring. In her new kitchen, the client didn’t want to lose the natural light provided by the window, but also didn’t want to look over the fence to the neighbouring property.
The solution was to set the window low enough to be below the fence while being extra-long to invite plenty of light. This provided a lot of overhead storage, and negated the need for a splashback.
The impressively deep Dekton island bench gives ample space for family and friends to sit at the bar stools, while food and drinks are being prepared.
Keep an eye on the kids while cooking
A cleverly thought-out study corner on the left side of the back bench is busy-family genius. It’s an area created for a child to complete their homework and projects while being with their parents (supervised) without getting in the way of meal preparation. Together, with separate spaces.
A large window with a windowseat is yet another space for the kids and guests to relax near, but not exactly in, the kitchen.
Extremely livable
All the services in this kitchen are well placed, making the kitchen a joy to be in, and the flow is smooth throughout. Lighting features complete the inviting ambience of this room, with pendants above the large bench, along with hand sensors and coloured LED strips under the island overhang.
There is ample valuable storage in this kitchen, including cupboards around the corner on the outside of the pantry wall, and of course the long bank of overhead cabinets.
The client expressed surprise at the amount of storage achieved through this renovation, and is happy that their finished kitchen is exactly what they visualised from the outset.
This kitchen was designed, manufactured and installed by Mastercraft Kitchens Waikato.
Class Act
There is a subtle mystery to this kitchen with hidden drawer-in-drawer technology and mirrored glass cupboard fronts. The kitchen invitingly wraps around a wall to keep the ‘secrets of the kitchen’ out of view, and bifold doors that open to reveal an artful range of storage options.
Interchanging mirrored and matt-black surfaces provides tonal changes that give this black kitchen it’s extra pizzazz.
Further, selecting white splashbacks and benchtops in a mix of engineered stone and granite provides visual contrast, and grounds the black.
Orienting the island bench to allow those doing the hard work to enjoy the sumptuous view means being in the kitchen is never a chore.
A wine fridge at the end of the bench and away from the action is a win for guests.
Kitchen Specifications
Island Benchtop & Splashback: Granite Heaven – Trendstone Stat Venato, Polished
Other Benchtops: Granite Heaven – Granite Absolute Black, Honed
Cabinetry: Laminex – Melteca Soft Touch Acrylic, Pitch Black
Hardware: Blum – Bifold Soft Touch Push to Close, Adventos HF Horizontal Bifold
Acknowledgements: Architect – Arcline, Builder: Pearse Construction
By Mastercraft Kitchens Whangarei
Designed by Jillian Kake
From Old-Fashioned To Party Central: A Kitchen Renovation Tale
The old kitchen, right next to the exit to the deck was hardly ‘heart of the home’ material. With a focus on creating more space and a central socialising area, this family set about a major renovation of their kitchen.
Congratulations on your new kitchen, it looks amazing! As it was a renovation, what were the main drivers to transform the space?
It was an old-fashioned kitchen that doubled as a thoroughfare to the outside. We were looking to modernise and makeover the whole kitchen and dining space to create an efficient kitchen area as well as opening up the outdoor flow and make the most of light and sunshine. So…not a lot really!
What were the main features you wanted in your new kitchen?
Definitely a large island for dining and entertaining. Also a butler’s pantry and efficient spaces/zones were on the must-haves. It had to be modern, yet timeless, so it wouldn’t date.
We love the coffee and bar zone! How does this change the kitchen dynamic?
We love it too! It has created a specific use zone that doesn’t interrupt the remainder of the kitchen function, so it adds a great cooperation value! It is also a genuine feel-good feature that our guests love!
Tell us about a moment
Or maybe he’s saying, “Another coffee Dad?!”
Basically, if you stand still in the kitchen for long enough, Monty is there expecting a treat!
Were there any stand-out moments of the design and build process?
The first real standout was receiving a photorealistic render of what our new kitchen would look like. Suddenly we were mentally living in the new space and couldn’t wait to get started! Following that it was walking into the Mastercraft showroom and seeing a ‘walk-through’ video of our kitchen playing on the TV. We were hooked!
Then the installation process blew us away. Our installer was a perfectionist and whilst I thought he was slow at first, I soon realised it was because he wanted us to see a perfect result. This was when the true value of having a bespoke kitchen designed and installed came shining through. Onsite fixes were easily taken care of and the kitchen fit the construction like a glove! Things like scribing all the filler panels and toe kicks to the ceilings and the floor is something I could never achieve, even though I am a keen DIY’er.
What has made the biggest impact for your family?
Just the sheer liveability of the space. Whilst we’re virtually empty nesters, when the family is around we are now congregating and dining together like we never have before. We’re very grateful for what this renovation has achieved.
How about reactions from friends and family?
Everyone loves it! The first time they see the space as a whole reminds us about the changes we now take for granted. The most positive comments are about the splashbacks, island and access to outside. We like to entertain and it is setting a new benchmark as the go-to party house!
What could you now not live without?
- Drawers instead of cupboards! What a difference it makes to have easy access to the entire space of the cabinetry. Suddenly everything is much more accessible.
- Also the island, extra bench space, storage and a family/friends dining/gathering hub.
- Oh, and rubbish bin drawers! Who knew?!
What has having a new kitchen meant to you personally?
We are just grateful every day to have such an awesome space to live in. We didn’t renovate for show or ‘re-sell’, we renovated to make our living better, and this has achieved that in spades.
Renovating a kitchen is a big project, do you have any nuggets of wisdom for others wanting to do the same?
- Plan, plan and plan again!
- Lengthen your expectation of how long everything takes. In a whole lot of ways, the longer the better. Why rush something to gain a few weeks, when you’re living in it for years?
- Be ready to live amongst a kitchen renovation. By that I mean ensure you have arranged cooking, washing up and dining in a way that you can cope for weeks on end. Better still – move out!
- I barbecued every night through a few weeks of winter and we were able to plug the dishwasher in undercover, outside, connected to the hose tap. Essentials like the fridge, toaster and microwave went in another room.
- Make your wish list long (you can rationalise it later) and be sure to think of the things you do not have now such as LED feature strip lighting, smart features like data cabling, power points everywhere you might need them (I forgot about the island and now need to retro fit an outlet).
Acknowledgements:
- Kitchen designed by Kristen Reid and Jes Gordon
- Manufactured and Installed by Mastercraft Kitchens Tauranga
Black Beauty
The wide ranges of colours, materials and off-the-shelf products that are available these days allow for myriad design options without breaking the bank. All it takes to come up with a truly personal space is time and a little imagination – and the help of a good designer.
As part of the major renovation of his Auckland home, Matson Broederlow decided to push the boat out when it came to the kitchen. And to help, he took on the services of Emma and Leon Matthews from Mastercraft Kitchens Kaitaia.
A team effort
“It was great working with Matson,” says Leon. “He pretty much had the layout worked out before we came on board. We just had to tweak it and to show him all the latest products and materials, to ensure he got the very best out of his new space.”
Being a very practical and hands-on kind of guy, Matson was keen to be involved in all aspects of the project. “We wanted clean lines, with a modern look, but it also had to be a very practical and functional space,” he says. “Because I’d done a lot of the work on the house myself I had a pretty good idea of the layout we needed.”
At first, Matson wanted an island, but he couldn’t make it work, so the natural solution was to configure the new kitchen as a u-shape, with benchtops on three sides, including an extra-wide ‘peninsula’ – 1200mm deep – that can be used as a servery-cum-seating area.
Special features of this kitchen
“We ended up going with Blum Servo-Drive (electrically operated hardware) throughout, which worked out great,” says Matson. “Blum also provided a service, whereby you show them your plans and they lay out your kitchen with life-size modular cabinetry, so you can see exactly what your new kitchen will look like.”
The striking colour palette is a combination of Matson and his wife’s favourite colours. “I’ve always loved black,” says Matson. “Always had black cars – I’m a Ford man, so have gone along with the Henry Ford when he said, ‘you can have any colour you want as long as it’s black’. My wife decided on the gold colour for the glass splashback, to go with the other gold accessories we have around the house. It’s a perfect match, really, he says.
“As it turned the timing was perfect, because as we were coming to the end of the project, Smeg released a new range of ovens and fridges that had a gloss black finish, so that worked out well. We got the first shipment that arrived in the country,” says Matson.
To further enhance the look, three ‘layers’ of LED strip lights were specified – the mid-level acting as task lighting above the resilient Silestone Lyra benchtops. The lower set of lights, along with the mirrored toekicks, has the added effect of making the whole kitchen feel like it’s floating above the floor.
“I really enjoy being in it – I’m in there a lot, so I may as well enjoy it,” says Matson. “It’s a very efficient, functional space that’s low maintenance, as a kitchen should be. At the end of the day I don’t think I’d change a hell of a lot.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8S9KPOYF3g
This kitchen was designed, manufactured and installed locally by Mastercraft Kitchens Kaitaia