Trends New Zealand Trends Volume 31 No 13 New Zealand | Page 124

When a grand colonial home is ready for
a kitchen update, it can be an opportunity
to celebrate both the past and the present.
For this project, the owners wanted a
lot – improved connections to the dining
and family rooms and, aesthetically, a contemporary kitchen with a traditional twist,
an industrial influence and some bling.
In terms of flow, designer Kira Gray
retained the kitchen’s central positioning,
removing walls and archways to lengthen
and open up the space. New joinery and a
timber floor were installed, says Gray.

“We moved the cooktop to the rear
wall, mounted in the granite benchtop,
and created a stand-out stainless steel tile
splashback – a perfect nod to the request
for an industrial touch and some bling.”
This element continues up to form
the back of the glass-front upper display
cabinets, making more of the feature. The
drinks station at the other end of the space,
near the dining area, has the same look.
“At one end, the stained ash pantry
wall contrasts the crisp white cabinets and
has ample storage for food and crockery.”

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To bring in a more traditional element,
all the cabinetry has a classic bevelled
frame door and drawer style.
The main servery, with the bar at one
end, provides plenty of bench space. The
breakfast bar’s stained panels, skirtings,
and posts link with the pantry wall opposite, defining the entry to the kitchen.
“Chromed-glass pendants ‘pop’ in
front of the tilework,” says Gray.
A window from the sink bench opens
out to the pool area, as do doors from the
dining area and also the breakfast bar.