Kitchen Renovation

This article has been republished to include further content on kitchen renovation trends and top 6 key features that a good kitchen design must include. This recommendation has been made by our in house kitchen designers .

Hey Aucklanders, if you’re dreaming of a kitchen reno that nails modern functionality while feeling warm and inviting for family gatherings or summer barbies, these 26 top trends (with roots in solid ideas that have evolved into 2025) are pure inspiration. From smart tech and eco picks to bold colours and seamless outdoor links, it’s about creating spaces that handle our humid climate, maximise tight sections, and blend practicality with that effortless Kiwi style.

What’s Hot in Kitchen Trends for Auckland Homes Heading into Late 2025?

A lot of these classics are still going strong, updated with fresher twists like more biophilic greens and smarter sustainability. Standouts include:

• Smart tech integration → App-controlled lights, motion faucets, and energy-monitoring appliances—perfect for busy whānau cutting bills in spots like Massey or Parnell.
• Eco-friendly materials → Recycled composites, induction hobs, and water-saving taps, tying into grants for greener renos.
• Dark and bold cabinets → Black or deep tones for drama, with pops of blue or green islands adding personality without overwhelming small spaces.
• Streamlined textures → Clean lines, 3D tiles, or rough wood for depth—think Spanish-inspired backsplashes in Stanmore Bay vibes.
• Open or broken-plan layouts → Knocking walls for family flow, or zoned areas in Bucklands Beach-style homes.

Which Features Give the Biggest Wins for Functionality and Style?

Quartz benches remain king for durability against our steamy cooking, paired with clever storage like magic corners, tall larders, and multipurpose islands (single or double for big entertainers). Open shelves work wonders in compact units, hardwood or wood-look ceramics hold up well, and vibrant backsplashes or outdoor connections via bi-folds turn your kitchen into the ultimate hub—especially linking to decks for that proper Kiwi barbecue life.

Kitchen renovation trends usually change slightly from year to year with no big changes seen in the coming years. It is easy to change certain elements within your existing kitchen to keep up with the new trends. For example if you have a traditional white kitchen and want a change then you can easily add a pop of colour by adding a vibrant textured backsplash. If you are lacking in storage, then you could easily replace your existing island with a multi-functional kitchen island which could be used as a breakfast bar, storage unit as well as a cooking area.

What a kitchen means today for a family is very different from what they meant in the past. Traditionally kitchens have always been a place for cooking and cleaning only. Kitchens today are a place where most of the family congregates. It is a place that brings the family together whether it is in the form of a breakfast island bar or an open plan kitchen which opens into your living space.

In this article we will discuss the following:

1. the top 20 newest kitchen renovation trends for 2023
2. 10 trends that you should stay away from in the coming years.
3. 6 Key Features that every good kitchen design must include – Recommended by our Kitchen designers

Here’s what we concluded as the top kitchen renovation trends for 2023

1. Smart Kitchens
2. Eco-Friendly Kitchens
3. Cabinet Colours: Dark Colours Are Finally Here & White Is On Its Way Out!
4. Streamlined Designs, Materials and Textures
5. Open plan Kitchens and Broken plan kitchens
6. Quartz is Still King
7. Effective Storage Solutions
8. Open Shelves for Small Kitchens
9. Kitchens with a bar island for entertainment
10. Hardwood Flooring is Still the Shining Star but Ceramic Tile is on its Heels
11. Single Level Multipurpose Kitchen Islands
12. Double Islands
13. Ceiling high larders
14. Backsplash Trends
15. Connecting With The Great Outdoors
16. Adding a Pop of Colour
17. Mix and Match Metals
18. Steel Hoods
19. Statement Accessories
20. Hanging cups, Colourful pans and Colourful Appliances
21. Welcome with a Sociable Kitchen
22. Embrace a Wood Resurgence
23. Layered Lighting
24. Handle less Designs
25. Create a Space for a Pantry

Technology advances and changing social dynamics have contributed greatly to the rise of the newest kitchen renovation trends. There is a far bigger focus on open concept homes that revolve around the kitchen so everyone can be together.

As with any modern design trend, clean and simple styles have become favourites for homeowners with natural light becoming an essential aspect of the overall look and function of the kitchen space. There are 3 fundamental things that make a great kitchen design and it doesn’t often change, the three things are:

Trend #1. Smart Kitchen Design

Technology has entered the kitchen in full force and not just in the form of fancy gadgets and appliances. Today, you can have a kitchen with technology integrated into every function and appliance–from the faucets to the fridge to lighting. This is what we call a smart kitchen.

Smart kitchens are an evolving aspect of design. In fact, a lot of kitchens today are built smart from the ground up. For older kitchens, sensors, smart gadgets and other devices can be added to add convenience.

Kitchen renovation trends in Massey: These ‘pop out power outlets’ were installed on the counter top which can be pulled up when needed and pushed back down when not in need

Read more…

Guru and Neeta’s Luxury kitchen renovation in Massey – Pictured above

Townhouse Luxury Urban renovation in Parnell

Easy add-ons are motion sense-equipped kitchen faucets that can sense the presence of hands underneath and will come on automatically or try a one-touch feature. Refrigerators that can alert you when your groceries items are running low or a coffee maker programmed to have your coffee ready when you wake up.

There is also a gadget that monitors your eggs, telling you which ones are almost going bad. Do not forget to update your lighting system–allowing you to control all the lights from your smartphone or tablet. Technology integrated kitchens are becoming more popular as homeowners experiment with novel technologies. This is one of the biggest trends going into 2023.

Trend #2. Eco-Friendly Kitchen Design

A growing kitchen renovation trends has been being eco-friendly. As the awareness around sustainability grows, people are getting more conscious about using materials that are environmentally friendly. Taking steps towards sustainability could include having built in recycling bins in the kitchen, installing an induction cook top to reduce energy waste, and installing a 3 in 1 hot water tap.

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Kitchen renovation in Parnell – the hot water tap is installed on the left side of the main tap fixture

Hot water tap is a great way of reducing water and energy waste. When boiling water we often boil too much water or use a kettle. When you install an instant hot water tap, you are using just the amount of water you need and less electric energy is being used to get the water to boil. This is also an added convenience to having access to instant boiling water for coffee or food preparation.

Trend #3. Cabinet Colours: Dark Colours Are Finally Here & White Is On Its Way Out!

Although white cabinets are a classic look that can be used in almost any kind of kitchen style, we are slowly starting to see them on the way out! We expect white to start declining in popularity throughout 2023 . To break up the monotony of all-white kitchens, expect to see islands in a variety of different paint colours or wood stain colours. The mixing of finishes creates a needed accent piece and additional pops-of-colour for the brave of heart.

Blue and green will be the most popular shades to add colour to your kitchen. Apart from natural and neutral shades green, emerald, and other earthy tones will also be popular this year.

Kitchen renovation trends in Massey: Our client in Massey wanted black cabinets against white to give a luxurious feel to his kitchen. LED lights were also installed under the cabinet handles to add to the glamour of the kitchen.

Dark kitchen cabinets portray elegance and a deep rich luxurious atmosphere. You must however be careful that the dark accents or cabinets you use does not overpower the room as it could make the room feel perpetually dark or dingy. But more homeowners are getting bolder and opting for a kitchen with dark cabinet colours in 2020. Expect to see tons of black and darker colour shades in the trendiest home of 2020.

Trend #4. Streamlined Designs, Materials and Textures

• Cabinets

While styles like farmhouse and mid-century modern are still popular, homeowners are getting more streamlined in their overall aesthetics, designs and alternative materials for kitchens. Simple looks are all about modern clean lines. They will continue to be a huge hit throughout 2023.

Removing upper wall cabinets has become a growing trend in the last few years since it opens up the visual space making the kitchen appear much larger and brighter. It allows you to utilise the countertop space more productively as most people cannot reach the top shelves anyway.

• Textures and Materials

A streamlined design does not equate to boring. It simply means that a design which is less cumbersome and more tasteful. Consider using materials with different textures. For example when using open shelving, consider rough cut wood as your material for a natural look or metal tubing for a more industrial look.

Kitchen renovation trends in Mangere Bridge: American Ashwood was used as the benchtop to add texture and a natural element to the kitchen.

• Tiles as a focal point

Floor tiles in a natural stone or backsplash tiles that are sculpted, beveled, or stacked make for the perfect focal point. These interesting textures are very different compared to the usual polished or glossy finishes we see everywhere. You may even want to consider a ceiling treatment to add another dynamic to your kitchen.

Kitchen renovation in Stanmore Bay: The Spanish tiles installed in this kitchen are a great design element that can be used to enliven a space.

Kitchen renovation in Parnell: We added textured 3D tiles as a backsplash for this client to add character and interest in the kitchen wall

For further ideas on using Tiles as a focal point in a Kitchen

Urban Luxury Kitchen in Parnell with 3d textured tiles

Spanish mosaic tiles as a feature in the kitchen in Stanmore Bay

Henry and Lynette’s kitchen in Bucklands Beach with dark hexagonal textured tiles

Trend #5. Open plan concept and Broken plan concepts

The open plan concept for kitchens has been a growing trend for many years now. Today’s homes are mostly made of 2 working parents where evenings are the only times that families get together to spend quality time. Open concept kitchens allow families to spend time even if one person is in the kitchen whereas the others in the living. Open plan kitchens are easily achievable by tearing down a few walls that separate the kitchen from the rest of the living space.

An open plan Kitchen: The above picture is an open plan concept as the room is very clearly divided from the living room by a wall and from the dining room with some counters. There are still some breaks in the room which divide the room into specific areas. The above kitchen was renovated by us in Bucklands Beach.

Broken plan kitchens are a trend of the next decade, taking the open plan concept to another level. Imagine a large room which has different zones for living, dining and cooking. These zones are not divided by any half or full walls. This makes an area look more spacious as there is little that is ‘breaking’ the large space or room.

Broken Plan Concept: The above is a good example of a broken plan kitchen. The room is a large space where there are allocated zones for different purposes. However, there are no walls making a specific ‘break’ between the different zones.

Trend #6. Quartz is Still King

For high-end kitchen countertops, quartz still reigns supreme. The material is extremely hardy, can last virtually forever, is a breeze to maintain and is anti-microbial. Granite, the main competitor in the high-end bracket, requires slightly more maintenance.

When quartz countertops first came into the market, the main worry was lack of variety in terms of colours and finishes. But through technological advances, manufacturers can now provide a range of colours and patterns. You can even get quartz finished with elaborate swirls and large veining to imitate other materials like natural stone. These unique styles have become immensely popular.

Kitchen renovation in Bucklands Beach: We engineered stone to look like black marble which was then infused with shiny specs to add a touch of luxury for this kitchen renovation

But there is a notable trend toward softer and more neutral colours. More and more homeowners are opting for colours like grey, taupe, creamy or white finishes. This follows the trend towards cleaner styles seen in most home spaces.

Kitchen renovation in Stanmore Bay: Engineered stone used to look like pattered granite. The pattern chosen by our client was Autumn Leaf.

While we are still on the topic of countertops, it is important to mention the rising popularity of composite sinks. These are sinks made from the same material as the countertop. This creates a cleaner uniform look and makes cleaning and maintenance much easier. However, it is going to be a tough battle against the still very popular stainless steel, ceramin and Silgranit sinks.

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Trend #7. Effective Storage Solutions

One of the biggest drawbacks with kitchen cabinetry is the unnecessary waste of space. The way the basic shelves and drawers are structured leaves a lot of wasted space. Worst of all, available space is often too small for some of your larger things or the opposite: it’s too wide and does not give you a way to properly and efficiently organize the space.

One of the foundations to a functional kitchen is kitchen storage. If it is inadequate or ineffective, you will be faced with endless frustrations and challenges.

To counter these storage challenges, homeowners are starting to look for better storage solutions within the cabinetry. These can include:

• drawer dividers for cutlery & utensils
• pull-outs for spices
• tray dividers
• roll-out trays
• magic corners for pots & pans
• wastebasket cabinets for garbage and recyclables
• deep drawers.

Pull out Rubbish and recycling bins

Custom built Pantry drawers to add convenience and maximise storage

Magic corners to utilise the space in corner cabinets

A different variation of a magic corner to effectively utilise corner space for cabinets

Custom built storage solution for cabinets to store condiments

The most popular storage solutions we have seen with our clients are the ‘magic corners’ as they effectively utilise the wasted space in the corners of the kitchen. The other popular storage solutions have been custom built cabinets with pull out drawers.

For more storage solution ideas…

• Lynette and Henry’s kitchen in Bucklands Beach
• Home and Kitchen renovation in Avondale
• Kitchen renovation for a young family in Papatoetoe
• Amber and Craig’s kitchen transformation in Hillsborough

Trend #8. Open Shelves for Small Kitchens

While Hidden storage solutions will always remain popular, they are not always feasible in a small kitchen. Small kitchens do not have the space for bulky cabinetry with storage drawers and hence need a different storage solution.

Open shelves for small spaces can provide effective storage solution and can also add a great design element. Following are some of the ways you can maximise storage in an open shelf for a small kitchen:

• Use magnetic holders for knives. These can be screwed on to the wall so you do not have a bulky knife holder on your counter top
• Laddle hangers and wall spice racks. Small hooks can be installed to hang all your spoons and laddles used for cooking. You can also find smart hangers where you can place your spice bootles.
• You can also create a wine glass hanger which would reduce the need for shelves.

Floating open shelves were added to increase storage and add a design element to the kitchen

A great tip is also to buy colourful pots, pans, bowls etc which can be placed in the open shelves. This would create interest and also add a pop of colour to your kitchen.

Trend #9. Hardwood Flooring is Still the Shining Star but Ceramic Tile is on its Heels

Hardwood flooring is still very popular when it comes to kitchen flooring. But the second most popular option, ceramic flooring. Thanks to technology, ceramic flooring now comes in a wide variety of designs, styles and sizes.

For example, you can get ceramic tiles that look exactly like hardwood flooring. So if you want to retain the hardwood look but want a material that is easier to maintain, consider using ceramic tiles. In addition to wood, ceramic tiles can be designed to resemble a range of other materials including natural stone. Even the surface texture is changed to mimic these materials.

Kitchen renovation in Bucklands Beach: Ceramic tiles which mimic hardwood were installed for easy maintenance and as a cost effective option

In terms of size, you do not have to go for traditional sizing any longer. It seems like the sky is the limit with variety and larger format tiles. You can get single plank tiles that resemble actual wide planks of hardwood once laid down on the floor. Or you can get custom cut tiles to create a uniquely patterned kitchen. Larger tiles make an are look bigger in space as compared to smaller sizes. This is because there are lesser grout lines and the area hence looks less ‘busy’.

Trend #10. Single Level Multipurpose Kitchen Islands

Kitchen islands are no longer an afterthought or something small to squeeze into the space. They have become the point and the hub of the kitchen. One of the changes emerging is the single level larger sizing, serving multiple uses. Large islands now also have ample shelving below to maximise storage.

Kitchen renovation in Blockhouse Bay: Custom built large island which doubles as a storage solution with cabinets and as a breakfast and prep bar

Kitchen renovation in Stanmore Bay: An island bar which doubles as a dining table and cooking bench

In the year 2023 large kitchen islands will become the jack-of-all-trades. They will have storage solutions and would be fitted with various under-counter appliances while also providing seating–serving as a casual dining and/or drinking bar. To accommodate the increased size, we are seeing a tendency for the kitchen island to extend into living room spaces in homes with open plan designs. This ensures the kitchen island can be multi-functional without cluttering up space in the kitchen.

Kitchen renovation in Massey: Kitchen island extending into the living room space to double as a bar that can be used for entertaining

Trend #11. Double Islands

If you have the space, then we would advice you to get two smaller island in your kitchen rather than 1 large island. Having 2 smaller islands improves the flow of the kitchen as well as the ease of movement. Having two separate islands also means that you could use of as a breakfast bar and the other as a counter top for preparation as well as installing a cook top.

Double islands have become a growing trend in the last year and are seen to be on the rise for large kitchen spaces as well as open plan living.

Trend #12. Ceiling high larders

Kitchen is not just a functional space these days. With the rise in open plan kitchens, it has become important to make kitchens aesthetically pleasing along with good functionality. Many people now prefer to have open shelves in their kitchen rather than bulky cabinetry as it makes kitchens look more spacious. Buy some colourful pots and pans and you have a beautiful focal point full of colours and textures.

The same logic applies to larders. The trend in 2023 is seeing a rise in larders that are open and built up to the ceiling. This gives you more storage and will also add a beautiful design aspect to your kitchen. To access the higher shelves on your larder, consider buying a trendy movable ladder that you can rest against your larder.

The above is a great way to built an open larder with trendy storage containers and a larder to access the higher shelves. Add some light within the larder and you have a great focal point for your kitchen.

Trend #13. Backsplash Trends

First things first, subway tiles are out! Okay maybe not completely out, but they are no longer popular in the ‘white brick’ size. People are moving on to larger slabs of tiles with various textures and patterns. Adding a bright and vibrant backsplash will add the much needed character in a neutral kitchen. Neutral patterns with natural texture is another option for those looking for a classic look.

Kitchen renovation in Bucklands Beach: Hexagon shaped black and grey textured tiles were added as a backplash to add interest, drama and texture to the kitchen

Another big change we’re seeing in tile backsplashes are their size and the portion of wall they cover. More people now opt for larger tiles to make the area look less ‘busy’. These slabs can be made to look like marble, quartz, wood, copper, stainless steel, glass…. the list goes on forever!

Trend #14. Connecting With The Great Outdoors

As discussed above, open plan living and kitchen has been a popular trend for a while now. In New Zealand we love Bbqs and entertaining our guests outdoors. This way of living in NZ has given rise to the trend of connecting the kitchen/dining area with the deck or outdoor area. Some of our previous clients have also used their outdoors as an extended kitchen area.

This is mostly done by building a covered outdoor area equipped with grills and cooking equipment which can be accessed from the kitchen through french doors.

Trend #15. Adding a Pop of Colour

As mentioned above, white will always be a popular colour for kitchens as it is a versatile colour to work with. In past people have always gone for a traditional look for kitchens with either white surfaces and cabinets or dark wood. The trend has now been changing towards adding colour to otherwise white kitchens.

A sky blue backplash was added to add some colour into a neutral themed kitchen in Papatoetoe

People are now looking at ways to add colour to their kitchens. We spend most of our time in this area of the house, entertaining our friends and family, so why not put our favourite colour in the space? We have and will be seeing this on cabinets, islands, hutches, and feature walls.

The colours predicted for these spaces are inspired by the elements with blues, earthy tones of green and red.

Trend #16. Mix and Match Metals

We get this question a lot: is it okay to mix metals in the kitchen? The answer is YES! Mixing metals adds character in the space, especially if it is done correctly. We will be seeing more of an eclectic style in 2023. Overly matched and coordinated spaces is a trend that is slowly fading. If you love gold fixtures, but don’t want it all over your kitchen, add a soft gold faucet with black or nickel hardware.

Light fixtures can be a completely different metal altogether, while having hints of the same metal you are using elsewhere. These pieces are the finishing touch to the space. Make them stand out! Another way to mix in metals, would be in your furniture selections for kitchen tables chairs or island stools. These can be easily interchangeable when you want to change things up a bit!

Kitchen renovation in Stanmore Bay: Textured Brass sink and tap fixtures added metal elements to this kitchen in Orewa

Textured metals that are the same colour as other pieces in the kitchen are a nice way of adding a different element, while not getting too crazy.

Trend #17. Steel Hoods

In 2023, we will be seeing homeowners focus on their hood designs. This piece can be a major focal point in the space, especially depending on the layout of the kitchen. Most of the time, we design the space with the range and hood on a wall that is seen from other rooms in the house. Why not make this piece a statement?

The Steel hood above adds a certain drama to the kitchen

Custom steel hoods are a way to add in a breaking point to a long row of wood cabinetry. These are a nice feature, but they do come with a cost. Custom steel hoods can range anywhere from $5-7k, but they sure do make a beautiful addition to your new kitchen, so make sure you budget for this correctly. Let’s get rid of those boring matching stainless hoods and be creative with your space! This is also your chance to add metal as a component to your kitchen.

Trend #18. Natural Wood Tones in Kitchen Design

Stained, treated or imitation wood has been used in kitchens for more than a decade. Natural wood is making a come back in the next year as natural forms of wood brings warmth into a kitchen and gives it a nice rustic feel.

Kitchen renovation in Mangere Bridge: Natural wooden counter tops treated with Epoxy Urethin Vinyl to increase durability.

If you have a white toned kitchen then adding either a wooden island, drawers or counter-top will add a vintage charm to your kitchen. In order to increase durability of your natural wood elements in the kitchen simply apply Epoxy Urethin Vinyl Coating on your counter tops. Natural wood however can be used in its true form as a nice rugged looking breakfast bar.

Trend #19. Statement Bronze Accessories for your Kitchen design

Installing statement is a great way to liven your kitchen up and give it a unique design element. Use statement taps and fixtures like brass to give your kitchen a rustic look or industrial look.

Brass sink and tap-ware added for our client to create a rustic look for this kitchen we renovated in Orewa

If you have a kitchen which is mostly designed in neutral and white colours then use black for all your taps, fixtures and cabinet handles to instantly make it a classic black and white kitchen without making any drastic changes.

Rustic looking bronze hanging lights also added to the rustic feature of this kitchen in Orewa

Trend #20 Plate racks, Hanging cups and colourful appliances

As mentioned above, a great way to spruce up you kitchen aesthetics is to bring some colour into the kitchen. If you are not looking for a big change then putting colourful crockery on display is a great idea to add some colour.

The above kitchen looks dramatic and bold due to simple red utensils and black cabinets. The red utensils create a lot of interest to an otherwise monochromatic kitchen.

All you have to do is add some hooks for colourful cups or add a wall mounted plate rack complete with pattered plates to create interest into a drab kitchen.

Another example of adding colour to a white toned kitchen.

If you are not afraid of colour, then add colourful appliances like a SMEG fridges or accessories can add some fun elements to your kitchen without having to renovate.

Trend #21 Welcome With a Sociable Kitchen

One of the kitchen renovation trends 2023 is the use of curved design elements to enhance the ergonomic benefits and functionality of the space. Rounded kitchen islands are becoming popular as they facilitate socialising and movement in open-plan kitchens with multiple entry and exit points. This kitchen renovation trend encourages smooth transition between spaces and is perfect for entertaining guests.

Open Plan Kitchen, Easier to Socialise

Modern full home renovation in Greenlane

Trend #22 Embrace a Wood Resurgence

Wood kitchen cabinets are becoming popular and may be part of kitchen renovation trends 2023. Using wood cabinets like walnut or oak kitchen cabinet ideas provides your kitchen with a timeless or classic look. A popular option amongst homeowners.

Trend #23 Layered Lighting

A major kitchen renovation trend 2023 is layered lighting to create a well-designed and functional kitchen. Instead of relying solely on task lighting in specific preparations area, layered lighting will create a more balanced and visually appealing look. This kitchen renovation trend of layering lighting is a key aspect of designing a successful kitchen.

Task Lighting Above Sink

Trend #24 Handle Less Design

The modern kitchen renovation trend 2023 is focusing on multi-functional, open-concept spaces with a minimalistic aesthetic. With the advancement of push-open and close doors, handle less kitchen cabinets are becoming increasingly popular as it provides a sleek and streamlined look. This trend emphasises simplicity, placing emphasis on the detail of cabinetry for a clean, uncluttered look.

Handle Less Design for Cabinets and Drawers

Read – Contemporary Kitchen Renovation with Rustic Features

Trend #25 Create a Space for a Pantry

Pantry cupboards are becoming increasingly popular in modern homes as they provide a convenient and organised solution for food items. This kitchen renovation trend 2023 emphasises the importance of having all food goods in one central location, instead of scattered around various wall cupboards. This not only makes it easier to keep track of groceries, but also creates a more orgnaised and functional kitchen space.

10 Kitchen Trends to avoid in 2023

It is always a great idea to not renovate your kitchen wholly after one trend. This is because some trends start becoming an eye sore after a time. We mostly recommend our clients to go for classic designs and use elements of upcoming trend to complement the kitchen as opposed to wholly changing the kitchen to suit a ‘current fad’.

We have compiled a list of trends that do not work well anymore and that you should avoid.

Trend #1 Themed Kitchen design

Kitchens that are fully renovated to emulate a certain time period or style can quickly run out of style, leaving you with a kitchen that you no longer like. An example of this would be a kitchen would be a retro themed kitchen. If you like retro styled kitchens then think about perhaps using a few elements from that era in an otherwise classic or modern kitchen.

Trend # 2 Kitchen desks and workstations within a kitchen design

Kitchen desks were very popular a few decades ago. The birth of kitchen desks came from an era where there was no internet or online accessibility of recipes. People used these desks to work on their menu and store recipe books. However, kitchens is a space which is prone to getting messy and you do not want your desk to bear the brunt of it. Re-locate your kitchen desk to another area of the house and instead add an extra pantry in the kitchen area.

Trend # 3 Dark wooden cabinets

Unless you have a large kitchen, dark cabinets can make your kitchen look bulky and cumbersome. It will close the space up and make your kitchen look dated. Opt for a lighter wood to open your space up and add a modern clean touch to your kitchen.

Trend # 4 Over the range microwave

Older kitchens mostly feature a space above the counters for microwaves. Not only is this cumbersome but it is also inaccessible sometimes with food being split or dropped ever so often. Instead, make a space for your microwave which is below eye.

Trend # 5 Tile Counter-tops

Tiled counter-tops may be cheaper compared to other materials but they are not easy to maintain. They are prone to chips and grouting stains which can become unsightly very soon. If marble or granite is not an option for you then try using engineered stone which can be made to look and feel like marble. They are a whole lot easier to clean and maintain.

Trend #6 White Subway tiles

Subway tiles have been used over and over again in the last decade or so. It is almost an overkill to use them when renovating a kitchen. Try glass, acrylic, stone or tile instead. If you do however like the ‘subway’ look then try colourful subway tiles instead so they add pop of colour to your kitchen.

Trend #7 Closed kitchens

As discussed above, closed off kitchens just do not suit our contemporary tastes anymore. Sure there is a pressure to keep your kitchen tidy in an open plan concept however, no one parent or two want to cook the evening away in a closed off kitchen while kids are hanging in the living room.

Trend #8 DIY backsplashes and cabinets

Doing a DIY job of either painting your cabinets or installing them will never give it the finish that you desire. If you are not a professional then stay away from doing a DIY job as it will only give you problems in the future.

Trend #9 Ornate Styles

If you prefer a rustic, classic or traditional kitchen then that is completely okay! Modern kitchens with sleek lines is not everybody’s style. Even if you are after a traditional kitchen, do not go for ornate decorations on cabinets, doors or oddly shaped islands. Ornate designs on wood etc make a kitchen look dates and unappealing. Instead, make the use of colours, wood and other accessories to bring out the traditional style.

Trend #10 Mismatched styles

When you think about renovating your kitchen it is always a good idea to see what the overall feel of your home is. If your home reflects a more classic traditional style then renovating your kitchen to a sleep modern kitchen would make it look like an eye sore. Instead you could have a traditional kitchen with modern elements to still maintain the theme of the rest of your house.

Trend #11 All White Kitchen

Minimalistic kitchen designs are trending, but to avoid a barren look, it’s important to incorporate neutral colours in addition to white. Incorporating colours such as tan, grey and black into a white kitchen can add depth and interest while maintaining a minimalistic aesthetic. This kitchen renovation trend 2023 focuses on simplicity and clean lines, so be sure to avoid having an all white kitchen.

Read – 10 Mistakes to avoid in your kitchen by our kitchen designers

6 Key features to incorporate within your Kitchen Design

There are several features that you can incorporate within your kitchen design when renovating a kitchen for comfort, functionality and aesthetics. A well planned kitchen design includes key features that maximise the space for the lifestyle of the homeowners. The good news is that there are several innovative solutions available today that work within small as well as large spaces. We spoke to our Kitchen designer and she listed the top 5 features that a good kitchen design should include.

#1 Layout is important for a Kitchen design

Deciding a layout of your kitchen will depend on the space available and how much your family uses the kitchen. If your kitchen is a high traffic area with various family members cooking together then your kitchen design should include a substantial amount of bench space. We have listed the most common layouts below:

One walled kitchens

These kitchens are best suited for smaller units or apartments in Auckland where space is limited. Units and apartments mostly feature open plan living. With one walled kitchens you can make a small area look less cumbersome and you get the flexibility of having a small dining area and a nice living room space.

Galley Kitchens

This layout works good for small spaces as well as it is a lean layout which is ideal for 1-2 person households. The galley kitchen layout features two walls or countertops running parallel to each other with a walkway in between. If you do have a small unit and a one wall kitchen does not provide ample space then a galley kitchen is the right type of layout for you. You can also use one of the countertop area as an island with bar stools and skip on a dining table. This will give you extra counterspace as well as an area to eat your meals.

L-Shaped Kitchens

U-shaped Kitchens

Islands in a Kitchen

As discussed above, it is possible to include islands within most layouts when designing a kitchen. The size of the island should however be in proportion to the space that you are working with. If you do have a one walled kitchens then you are probably working with a small space which means that the island that you install should be sleek and no overcrowd the space.

Peninsular Islands

Peninsular islands can be seen as an extension of an L-shaped kitchen. They are attached to a part of the L shaped kitchen to form a U-shaped kitchen. Below is a great example of an Peninsular island that we designed in a full kitchen renovation in Bucklands Beach.

Peninsular island in Bucklands Beach which provides our client with extra counter space as well as a breakfast nook.

Read – Our complete 2021 guide on Planning the right Kitchen Layout for your kitchen

# 2 Storage

Storage is one of the most important aspects of achieving a functional kitchen. The first thing that we recommend all our clients is to draw up an inventory of all their large utensils and kitchen appliances. If there is anything that you do not use regularly then this would be a great time to get rid of them.

Next think about your pantry and how much groceries do you store on a regular basis. Do you need a larger pantry or are you satisfied with the current one? These questions are important before a renovation so your kitchen can be custom built according to your family’s functionality.

When working within tight spaces we incorporate space saving designs such as ‘magic corners’ for corner cabinets, pull out cabinets, pull out rubbish bins and pull out pantries. Such designs help save space, and maximise storage when not a lot of it is available.

# 3 Durable Benchtop

Benchtops need to be durable in any kitchen whether it is used often or now. Most times benchtops cannot just be changed without changing the carcass of your cabinets as well. This means that it is vital that your benchtops survives atleast 25 years. Most older homes in Auckland have durable benchtop made of laminate which are not prone to cracking or breaking but they are prone to staining. Laminate benchtops get stained very easily and hence start making your kitchen look shabby.

Stainless steel is a very durable benchtop as it will not stain and has a long life. Stainless steel is not for everyone though as it can make a kitchen look cold and more like a commercial kitchen. Stainless steel is not the best option if you are going for a traditional or classic kitchen. Stainless steel can work well with industrial, modern and contemporary styles.

Quartz is another material that works great for countertops as it comes in various designs and is very durable. Due to its versatile option in design, it can be used in all types of kitchen styles. It is however an expensive choice for benchtops which might not be right for everyone’s budget.

Engineered stone has become one of the most popular choices for our clients as it is durable as well as cost effective compared to quartz. Engineered stone is exactly as it sounds, it is engineered in the factory. It can be made to look like marble or any other material which makes it a versatile design choice. It is also not as expensive as marble or quartz and does fit into most budgets. Engineered stone does not stain like laminate and is a very easy to clean material.

# 4 Good durable Flooring

The floor of the kitchen can easily get dirty and messy. Most people live busy lives and cannot spend a long time cleaning and maintaining the floors. Tiled or Acrylic floors are the easiest to maintain when it comes to kitchens. Tiled and Acrylic floors now come in various textures, designs and patters and can be made to look like wooden floors or any other type of flooring. This means that you do not have to compromise on style and aesthetics. They are also very easy to maintain and do not get damaged with any water spillage.

Carpets and Real hardwood floors are easily the hardest to maintain. Carpets are easily stained and can be a nightmare to maintain in a kitchen even with a kitchen mat. Real hardwood floors can begin to rot overtime if there is constant water spillage which is often not avoidable in a kitchen. If you have real hardwood floors then a good idea will be to protect them in order to avoid them getting damaged.

We have renovated old bungalows in Auckland where our clients chose to keep their timber floors and we preserved them by taking the following steps:

• All the floors were cleaned thoroughly and then sanded
• All the rows of nail holes were fixed
• 3 coats of commercial grade water Born Polyurethane was applied on the floors
• After 5 days we then applied a satin finish of moisture cured and water based polyurethane.

# 5 Good Quality Fittings

If you’re considering which items to spend more on in your kitchen, it’s worth paying attention to the fittings. A standard cabinet can be lifted by a beautiful handle, while a basic sink can look high-end with the addition of a well-chosen tap.

The fittings in your kitchen are going to be used a lot, so it makes sense to invest in quality to ensure they’re strong, durable and nice to touch.

It is important to use good quality fittings when renovating a kitchen whether it is a DIY project or through a renovation company. You are not going to be renovating your kitchen every 5 years or so which means that the fittings you choose should be lasting you at least 15-20 years. It is better to put off your renovation for a few more years in order to save enough to invest in good quality fittings for your kitchen renovation.

Your fittings will be used a lot and quite regularly so there is a high chance of wear and tear. The materials you choose for your cabinets, benchtop, sink and door handles should be durable and sturdy.

# 6 Easy to clean splash back

A well chosen splashback can transform your kitchen in terms of design as well as reduce the time it takes you to clean while cooking. One of the key functions of a splashback is to protect the wall from the splatters made while cooking. Hence decide on a sleek tiled splashback without many grout lines or a glass splashback.

If there are too many grout lines or if the tile used is rough or textured then cleaning the splashback will be harder. If it is a smoother tile without too many grout lines then it would be a whole lot easier to clean your splashback.

Featured Projects

Urban Luxury Kitchen renovation in Parnell

This townhouse was centrally located in Parnell but the kitchen was tiny and lacked counter space. We completely changed the layout of this kitchen by first moving it from the left side of the area to the right. We then added cabinets in the dining area as an extended storage space. This cabinet featured shelves with internal lights which could be opened when required. To see Before and After pictures and project specifications see more

Entertainer’s Dream Kitchen and Bar

Guru and Neeta from Massey had a closed off kitchen which did not let them enjoy an open plan living. They wanted to renovate to introduce a feel of luxury but also make it an open space which could double as an entertaining space. We opened up the space for them and also extended the kitchen counter towards the lounge to act like a bar. The black and white see more

Kitchen, Lounge and Dining room renovation in Massey

Cottage Style Kitchen in Mangere Bridge

This was a special kitchen as it was about incorporating natural elements into the kitchen to reflect our client’s country surroundings. The kitchen was dated and was transformed into a chic country style kitchen complete with treated real wood as bench-tops, butler’s sink, floating shelves and cabinets that were wrapped in Dezignatek Thermoform with a ‘Ronda’ pattern to give them cabinets a vintage look see more

Full kitchen renovation in Mangere Bridge, Auckland

Already have all your own trades and you’re comfortable managing them for your kitchen renovation?

Although we don’t recommend if you haven’t renovated a kitchen before and/or you don’t have trades people you can trust, most renovations if not all comes with it’s own surprises because not all homes are the same – this is where experience/project management plays an important role in minimises risks to maintain costs/delays giving you higher certainty of outcome/quality backed by associated guarantees and warranties.

However, if you do intend to manage the kitchen renovation yourself, it does work out more cost effective to contact a kitchen cabinetry manufacturer directly to get the kitchen cabinets designed, manufactured and installed – leaving you to manage the other trades such as flooring, demolition, painting, plastering, splashback/tiling, electrician, plumber, and sometimes a carpenter/builder.

Try Little Giant Interiors cost calculator below to see what you can expect to pay for cabinetry.

• New Kitchen Cabinetry Cost Calculator
• New Laundry Cost Calculator

Further Resources for your house interior design

1. Featured projects and Client stories to see specifications on some of the projects.
2. Real client stories from Auckland.

Need ideas? Check out our Kitchen Design Gallery or dive into our Bathroom Design Gallery for inspiration!

Have you been putting off getting renovations done?

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Still have questions unanswered?

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we’d love to meet you to discuss your renovation ideas!

Quick answer: Our kitchen showroom in Auckland is at 16B Link Drive, Wairau Valley, open Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm, with no appointment needed. Three complete kitchens let you open the drawers and touch the benchtops before you choose.

A kitchen is the room you touch thousands of times a week, and most people still choose one from a screen. The drawer that rattles, the benchtop that shows every water mark, the corner cupboard you have to kneel to reach: none of that shows up in a render. That’s the reason to walk into a kitchen showroom before you sign anything, and it’s why we built ours as finished rooms rather than a wall of door samples.

Imagine two kitchens that look identical in the brochure. One has a corner unit that swings out to meet you; the other is a dark cupboard you’ll be on your knees in for the next fifteen years. Five minutes with the doors open tells you which is which, provided you know what to check.

What to look at in a kitchen showroom before you renovate

Most kitchen showrooms are set up to sell cabinetry. That’s fine, as long as you know what a display can and can’t tell you. Here’s what we’d check in any showroom, ours included.

Open every drawer and cupboard

Pull each drawer out to full extension and let it close on its own. Does it glide or grind? Does the soft-close catch it, or does it bang? Then open the corner cupboard.

Corners are where kitchens lose the most usable space, and a display that has solved them properly (a magic corner, a pull-out carousel, drawers that turn the corner) will show you how. While you’re down there, look at the cabinet box itself. The front might be acrylic or painted MDF, but the carcass behind it is usually particle board, and the edges and hinge fixings tell you how it’s been put together.

💡 Quick tip: Photograph the inside of any drawer or cupboard you like, including the hinge and runner brand stamped on the hardware. It is the quickest way to compare like for like between two quotes.

Touch the surfaces under the showroom lights

Matte and gloss fronts behave differently day to day. Press a thumb on each and look along the door side-on: gloss picks up every mark, while matte hides them better.

Do the same with benchtops. A leather finish on stone has texture under your hand; a polished one is smooth and reflective. Pick the one you’ll still like after five years of wiping it down.

A showroom can show you how a material looks. What it tolerates (heat, stains, abrasive cleaners) is set by its maker, so ask for the care sheet and warranty for the exact product before you sign. If a number matters to you, that document is where it should come from.

Ask what the showroom price leaves out

This is the question that catches people out. A kitchen maker’s price usually covers the cabinetry, the benchtop and installation. A new kitchen also needs the old one stripped out, new flooring, plastering and paint, and almost always some electrical and plumbing work, plus gas if a cooktop moves. Ask every showroom which of those trades are in the price, and who organises them.

Those trades are licensed. The Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board advises homeowners to make sure anyone doing plumbing, gasfitting or drainlaying work is licensed for it, and to check their practising licence on the public register (PGDB, Advice for Consumers). For electrical work, WorkSafe’s guidance is that installation work must be tested and certified during construction and at completion (WorkSafe, low voltage electrical installations). When we renovate a kitchen, those trades sit inside one project with one project manager, and the certificates come to you at handover.

Important note: This is general information, not trade or compliance advice. Moving a sink, adding a gas cooktop, or a new circuit for an induction hob or downdraft rangehood is work for a licensed plumber, gasfitter or electrician. If the change touches walls or structure, check the consent position with a Licensed Building Practitioner or Auckland Council before you commit.

Bring your measurements, photos and a budget range

Our showroom team asks visitors to bring a rough idea of the space, any measurements or plans, and a few inspiration photos on their phone. That works for any showroom.

Add a budget range too. For context, our published Auckland kitchen price bands put a mid-range kitchen renovation at $26,000 to $35,000 + GST for a 10 to 12 m² kitchen with custom cabinets, stone benchtops and quality appliances. Basic refreshes start from $15,000, and luxury custom builds reach $138,000+. A display kitchen shows you what’s possible. Your budget tells the designer which version of it to draw.

Visiting our Wairau Valley kitchen showroom in Auckland

We opened the showroom on 28 February 2022 (the story of how the Wairau Valley showroom came together), and our designers Cici Zuo and Dorothy Li put together the layout and the material pairings. It isn’t a cabinetry showroom. It’s a renovation showroom, so the kitchens sit alongside the bathrooms, flooring, tiles and hardware that go into the same job.

What’s on display today

What’s on the floor at the showroom right now: six full bathroom displays, three complete kitchens, an outdoor display area for decking, cladding and pergola finishes, and a materials library with tile swatches, benchtop samples, hardware and colour chips you can use to build a mood board. The products come from more than 50 brand partners.

Opening hours, parking and design sessions

We’re open Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm, and closed on Sundays and public holidays. You don’t need to book to browse, and there’s parking right out front.

If you want a designer’s undivided time, book a design session. Our kitchen, bathroom and laundry design packages start at $695 + GST per room, and there’s a free 30-minute remote consultation if you’d rather start from home. The showroom phone is 0800 199 888, extension 2.

Coming from the Hibiscus Coast or further afield

Wairau Valley is on the North Shore, the side of Auckland closest to Orewa, Silverdale and Whangaparāoa. We work Auckland-wide, and our consultation coverage includes the Stanmore Bay region, so the designer comes to you for the in-home visit. One of our Hibiscus Coast jobs is Mary’s timber-look rustic kitchen in Stanmore Bay: custom timber-look cabinetry, brass fittings and bright Spanish-style tiling, carried through her bathroom and laundry. Closer in, here’s how we run kitchen renovations across the North Shore.

💡 Quick tip: Coming from the coast? Measure each wall of your kitchen and take a photo of it before you set off, including where the sink, cooktop and power points sit. It saves a second trip.

The three kitchens below are broken down as Cici and Dorothy built them in 2022: a modern matte black kitchen, a handcrafted classic kitchen and a smaller contemporary kitchen. Appliances and finishes on a display floor do change, so ask on the day what’s current.

Table of contents:

1. Difference between our showroom and other kitchen showrooms in Auckland ⇓
2. Our lead renovation designers Cici and Dorothy – examples of their prior work ⇓
3. Highlighting our modern matte black kitchen in our kitchen showroom ⇓
   
   – Overall design highlight
   – Premium Acrylic boards for cabinets – features and benefits
   – Leather finish benchtops – Features and Benefits
   – Silgranit Sink – What exactly is Silgranit?
   – Soft close technology for cabinets
   – No handle set up + Push open cabinets
   – Maximising storage solutions in a sleek kitchen
   – Waterproof Laminate floors
   – who are these types of materials/kitchens good for?
4. Highlighting our Classic kitchen in our Kitchen showroom ⇓
   – Overall classic design explained
   – highlighting 60mm polished benchtop
   – Handcrafted cabinet fronts
   – Feature walls
   – Premium luxury materials
5. Contemporary Kitchen in our Kitchen showroom ⇓
   – How to achieve a great design which is budget friendly
   – Premium Acrylic cabinet fronts Vs Mid-range acrylic cabinets
   – Combination of different materials to create a contemporary style
   – Creating continuity with benchtop and splashback
   – Why is this kitchen more budget friendly than the other two?

Renovation showroom vs Kitchen manufacturer’s showroom – Why we are different? ⇑ (Back to the top)

Chances are that if you are renovating your kitchen, you are also changing its flooring, painting the walls, and moving electric sockets around. With kitchen manufacturing companies you will have to find the additional trades, handle supply deliveries, and manage the process.

Most showrooms that you see in Auckland are kitchen manufacturing companies that have a showroom where they display their quality of kitchens. You will mostly meet a designer that designs your kitchen which is then manufactured and installed at your home. They do not however provide other trades like electricians, builders, plumbers, painters, or a project manager. You will also have to go to flooring companies to select your flooring, choose a painting company, and organise other trades.

Need ideas? Check out our Kitchen Design Gallery or browse our Bathroom Design Gallery for inspiration!

 

Our renovation showroom and design studio at 16B Link Drive, Wairau Valley, Auckland: three kitchen displays, six bathroom displays, an outdoor display area and a materials library.

 

In our case, the kitchen is one part of a managed renovation. When renovating a kitchen with us, a designer comes to your home for a 60 to 90 minute visit, takes measurements and talks through how you actually use the room. Within 7 days you receive an Action Plan (the scope, specifications and an initial quote) and a concept you can picture in your space. The consultation is free and valued at $250, and the price is fixed before any work starts.

Before you accept, come and see the workmanship in the showroom. Once the design is approved, your cabinetry is built in Auckland through Little Giant Interiors, our in-house cabinetry brand.

While the kitchen cabinets and benchtops are being manufactured, we will take you to our flooring, lighting appliance supplier showrooms to select all your other fittings for the kitchen. We will then install your cabinets and benchtop, install your flooring, and provide all trades like electricians, flooring installers, painters, plasterers, plumbers, builders and you will have a dedicated project manager to oversee the entire renovation process.

Cici and Dorothy – Our in-house Renovation and Kitchen designers (Examples of their kitchen designs)– ⇑ (Back to the top)

Cici and Dorothy come with an extensive experience in designing renovation spaces which are functional yet beautifully designed. They both worked together to create our kitchen showroom displays as well as our bathroom showroom displays. They create initial designs on sketch up but also create 3D renderings and models using CAD for our renovation clients. They are an asset to our company not just because they are very good designers but they also have extensive knowledge about the evolving renovation materials of today. Dorothy Li now leads our Design Department as Head of Design.

A kitchen renovation in Massey – Take a look at the design phase behind this Kitchen renovation.

The kitchen renovation pictured below was designed by Dorothy and managed by our project manager Jin. It was primarily designed to renovate a closed off kitchen into an open plan kitchen with an area to entertain.

The pictures below show the transformation of a kitchen renovation that we carried out in Massey, Auckland. The kitchen was a closed off room which was demolished an open plan living which is often why many of our clients get their kitchens renovated. A bar area was also created which was extended from the kitchen. Dorothy and our client decided to use the same renovation materials as well as cabinetry for the kitchen as well as bar to maintain continuity in the overall kitchen design.

Before the kitchen renovation

Design draft 1

Design Draft 2

After the Kitchen was Renovated

 

Design drafts Vs Reality of the kitchen

Elevation 1 Kitchen design Vs Completed Kitchen

 

Elevation 2 Kitchen design Vs Completed Kitchen

Elevation 3 Kitchen design Vs Completed Kitchen

 

Other drafts initial designs

 

Read: Before, and After pictures + design specifications of a kitchen renovation in Massey designed by Dorothy

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1st Display – Modern Matte Black kitchen in our Kitchen showroom in Auckland ⇑ (Back to the top)

 

Dorothy designed this kitchen for our kitchen showroom keeping a minimalistic and sleek design in mind. This kitchen also highlights different storage solutions as well as in cabinet organisation that you can incorporate in your kitchen design to make it more functional.

It also puts some of the hardest-wearing finishes we use in one place, so you can see how they cope with fingerprints, spills and daily wiping.

 

 

The key features of this kitchen showroom display includes:

• Premium Acrylic boards on MDF boards for all kitchen cabinets and drawers
• Stone engineered benchtop with a leather finish
• Timber Veneer boards for floating shelves
• Glass Splashback
• Downdraft rangehood on the island
• Large induction stove on the island
• Hidden fridge and dishwasher
• Pull our rubbish and recycling bins
• Full length pull out pantry with drawers
• Pull out condiment cabinet
• Magic corner for corner cabinet
• Hidden drawers
• Soft close cabinet and drawers with a push open technology
• Silgranit sink with a insinkerator
• Waterproof SPC laminate floors

 

Design stages for the kitchen display done by Dorothy

You can see some of Dorothy’s preliminary designs for this display for our kitchen showroom. This is one of our most interactive kitchens in our showroom because practically all storage and appliances are hidden behind the cabinets. Our clients spend most of their time on this kitchen because there is always a surprise behind each cabinet/drawer that they open.

 

The materials and the storage are what make this display worth a close look. Kitchens no longer serve the same purpose that they did in the past. They are now a hub of entertainment and often a place that the whole whole family congregates around in the evenings or for a quick breakfast before school or work.

It is no longer a separate room but a room in the living space with an open plan setting. Children and adults often cook their meals together which makes it important that the materials used to create your kitchen are durable and easy to clean/maintain.

“I wanted to show our clients that you can achieve a sleek and minimalistic look for their kitchen design without compromising on storage or functionality. Storage solutions of older kitchens are often either bulky or inconvenient for accessibility. The materials especially are an highlight for this kitchen because they are very durable and easy to clean.” explains Dorothy when asked about her vision for this kitchen showroom display.

Most people renovate their kitchens or even homes only once or twice in their lifetime which means that there is a serious lack of knowledge about the renovation materials of today. Our aim through this article is to educate our clients about the materials that we use as a renovation company as well as the materials in our kitchen showroom displays.

Read more…

10 Mistakes to avoid when designing your kitchen by our in-house kitchen designers

How much does it cost to renovate a kitchen in NZ (2022)

Cabinets and panels for all cabinetry – What are they actually made of?

All the cabinets and drawers fronts in this matte black kitchen are made of premium acrylic pressed onto MDF. The carcass or framework of the cabinetry is made of particle board.

Premium Acrylic panels on MDF boards for all the cabinet and drawer fronts. Recessed Veneer below the stone engineered countertop gives the benchtop an appearance of floating.

What is MDF?

MDF or Medium density fibreboard is manufactured or engineered in a factory. It is made by breaking down any scrap/residual parts of hardwood which are bound with wax and resin. High pressure and temperature is applied to this to make them into panels.

Premium Acrylic panels by Laminex

We used Laminex’s premium acrylic decorative boards, pressed onto MDF. The colour has real depth, and the matte finish is smooth enough to feel almost like velvet.

This is the display to test the fingerprint question for yourself. Run a hand across the doors, then look along them under the downlights and compare them with the gloss white acrylic on the contemporary display. How a particular board resists scratches and stains, and how long its warranty runs, is set by Laminex for that product, so ask for the current product sheet rather than relying on anyone’s summary, ours included.

The colour on this display is Metallic Coal. The hidden drawer below holds samples of other colours from the same range.

When you open one of our hidden drawers, you will see all the other colours that you can use to customise your kitchen in the style that you would like.

 

Benchtop used in this kitchen display

The benchtop is also engineered stone with a concrete look. Dorothy wanted this kitchen to have an overall matte finish for all its materials and hence the benchtop also has a matte finish. This benchtop is soft to touch like the acrylic panels and has a leather finish, which means it isn’t polished: it has texture under your hand. A textured finish doesn’t throw the light back the way polished stone does, so smudges and water marks show less.

Heat, stain and impact tolerance differ between engineered stone products, so ask for the exact product’s care guide before you decide whether a hot pan can go straight onto it.
 

The top edge of the benchtops have a shark nose that gives the benchtop a floating quality. This can be seen in the picture below.

All the floating shelves are made of Veneer board with a crown cut. Veneer board is basically MDF with real timber on the surface. The floating shelves add warmth to the kitchen and cut the monotony of the matte black cabinets. It also allows clients to display ornaments, crockery or wine making the kitchen homely.

Read more…

Lynette and Henry’s modern kitchen renovation – Black Stone engineered benchtop with ingrained sparkles

No handle set up + technology used in cabinets

This kitchen does not have any knobs or handles to open the drawers or cabinets. All the lower cabinets have a shark nose at the edge, making it easier to grip and open them. There is a veneer board recessed strip between the benchtop and cabinet edge which has an LED light strip making it easier to see where you open the cabinets in the dark.

All the top cabinets use a ‘push open’ technology to open the cabinets which simply means that you push the cabinet and it opens. As the cabinets are finger print resistant, you will not find any fingerprint marks when you touch the top cabinets.

All the cabinet and drawers use a ‘soft close’ technology which reduces means that even if you slam the cupboards, they will slow down and close softly. This is great as it reduces noise in the kitchen and especially when young kids are in the kitchen.

Glass mirror splashbacks – Why a glass mirror splashback was used for this kitchen showroom display?

Tiles have always been the most popular choice for splashback for kitchens. Glass mirror splashbacks have seen a growth in popularity recently especially for modern and contemporary kitchen designs.

This glass mirror splashback in our kitchen showroom is coloured black to match the overall kitchen design. Contrary to popular belief, this splashback is resistant to heat as it is made of toughened glass and will will not break easily. Using glass mirrors is also a way of making your kitchen look more spacious. Glass splashbacks are also easy to clean compared to tiles as there are not grout lines.

Extensive Storage solutions for your kitchen design – Making organisation easy

Most of our kitchen renovations include making the kitchens into an open plan kitchen. Open plan kitchens often have the living and dining area in the same space as the kitchen. While open plan kitchens promote family interaction, they also pose a problem. The problem is that open plan kitchens need to look presentable and uncluttered at all times as they are visible from other living areas. This means that you should be able to store all your big appliances, condiments, pots and pans inside the cabinets comfortably.

Dorothy says that the ease of retrieving your appliances/condiments should also be considered when building internal storage or organisation for cabinets and drawers.

This kitchen in our kitchen showroom in Auckland is a great example of good storage with great internal organisation and everything is easy to find/retrieve.

Hideaway Dishwasher and Fridge in our kitchen showroom in Auckland

Having your dishwasher and fridge hidden behind your cabinets gives your kitchen a clean, sleek look. This is especially an advantage for open plan kitchens as there is an added emphasis on aesthetics in open plan kitchens.

So how do hideaway dishwashers and fridge work? The cabinet fronts are attached to the exterior of the dishwasher and fridge so from the exterior it looks like a cabinet.

We have created hidden dishwasher and fridge in our kitchen showroom to show our clients how they look and feel.

Hidden SMEG dishwasher with cabinet front attached to the exterior of the dishwasher in our kitchen showroom in Auckland

 

Hidden Fridge and Freezer with cabinet fronts attached to the exterior of the fridge in our Kitchen showroom in Auckland

 

Pull out panty with drawers

The older pantries in our kitchens often just feature a large cabinet with shelves. We often store all our pantry items in the shelves and no matter how much we organise it, it always ends up looking cluttered. When retrieving items from behind, we have to move the items in front out of the way. This wastes time as and is also quite inconvenient.

This kitchen display shows a pull out pantry that you can build it within your kitchen with in built compartments as seen below. The in built drawers are see through from the sides which means that you can see all your pantry items which makes retrieving them easy.

Pull out pantry with in-built shelves makes it easy for you to clearly see all the stored items and retrieve them. – This pantry can be seen in our matte black kitchen display in our Kitchen showroom in Auckland.

 

Individual drawers in the pull out pantry

 

There are several types of pull out pantries that can be incorporated in a kitchen design. We did a full kitchen renovation in Papatoetoe which included creating pull out drawers in a pantry as opposed to the entire pantry being pulled out. In this type of pantry you can pull out individual drawers with see through plastic drawers making organisation of items and retrieving of them easy (see below).

 

Kitchen renovation in Papatoetoe with individual pull out drawers built within the pantry.

 

In this pantry, instead of building an entire pull out pantry, we instead created individual drawers that can be pulled out.

 

See full kitchen renovation specifications + Before and After pictures (for renovation above)

Magic Corner for corner cabinets in our Kitchen showroom

What exactly is a magic corner? Magic corner is a storage solution for corner cabinets or L shaped corner cabinets. It is often hard to get appliances or pots from the corner part of the cabinets which is where a magic corner comes in handy. The idea of a magic corner is to build a shelf which can be pulled out completely. See below for the magic corner that we installed for our matte black kitchen in our kitchen showroom in Auckland (at Wairau Valley).

Magic corner in our kitchen showroom for our matte black modern kitchen

 

As is the case with a pantry, magic corners come in various designs depending on the preference of our clients. You can see a few examples of different magic corner styles that we have used in our clients’ kitchen renovations around Auckland.

 

Kitchen renovation in Hillsborough

Kitchen renovation in Papatoetoe

Kitchen specifications + Before and After renovation for Hillsborough Kitchen renovation (Picture above left)

Kitchen specifications + Before and After renovation for Papatoetoe Kitchen renovation (Picture above right)

 

Pull out bins + Recycling bin in our Kitchen showroom in Auckland

Pull out bins and recycling bins have become popular with clients because they are more hygienic than bins that are on the floor beside the kitchen. They also make the kitchen area look less cluttered without a bin on the floor. This kitchen showroom display has two full sized pull out bins which are installed next to the sink for easy disposal of rubbish.

 

2 Full sized bins that can be pulled out from the cabinets in our Kitchen showroom in Auckland

Some examples of pull out bins that we have incorporated in client kitchen designs. As you can see the bins in our client homes as seen below are half length bins as there is also a drawer beneath it. The size of bins depends on your preference as some of our client s prefer to empty the bins more often than others.

 

Kitchen renovation in Papatoetoe

Kitchen renovation in West Harbour

 

Pull out condiment cabinet in our kitchen showroom in Auckland

Pull out condiment cabinets may not be a necessity in a kitchen but it makes organisation easy. Condiment drawers are usually built around near the stove for easy access while cooking. Our display shows just that in the picture seen below.

Pull out condiment cabinet in our kitchen showroom in Auckland

Most of the kitchens we have renovated include a condiment cabinet like this in its kitchen design. Some examples of pull out condiment cabinets can be seen below in our kitchen renovations that we have completed in Auckland.

 

 

Hidden drawers with a drawer in our Kitchen showroom in Auckland

Dorothy’s vision for this particular kitchen display in our kitchen showroom was to create a sleek look especially from the exterior. This meant that smaller drawers like cutlery drawers would create smaller lines in the exterior which would break up the clean look. Hence, Dorothy decided to incorporate smaller drawers within the big drawers as seen below in our kitchen showroom display.

 

Smaller hidden drawers within the larger drawers to keep the outside of the cabinetry even.

 

Downdraft Range hood with a large safety induction cooktop in our kitchen showroom in Auckland

The induction stove top was designed to be installed in the kitchen island for this kitchen design. The induction cooktop is a SMEG model. Induction heats the pan rather than the glass, but the glass still takes heat back from a hot pan, so if you have young children, ask the appliance supplier how the residual-heat warning works on the model you’re considering.

Large induction stovetop from SMEG with a safety feature in our kitchen showroom in Auckland. The downdraft range hood goes back into the benchtop when not in use.

When you need to use the downdraft range hood, you simply press a button and it comes up.

 

Keeping to the clean lines, Dorothy decided that having a rangehood at the top of the stovetop might make the area look cluttered and cumbersome. Hence she decided to include a downdraft range hood which goes back into the benchtop when not in use. In order to use it, you just have to push a small button and it comes back up.

 

When in use the downdraft range hood comes up from the benchtop. This can be seen in our kitchen showroom in Auckland (Wairau Valley).

 

Electric downdraft rangehood.

 

In order build a downdraft rangehood you need to have an island that has space behind the rangehood as the electric mechanisms need to be built behind and under the cabinet of the benchtop.

In built Microwave, 2 Ovens and a Steamer Oven

 

In built 2 Ovens, Microwave, and Steamer Oven from SMEG – Can be seen in our kitchen showroom in Auckland

This kitchen really shows how sleek and functional a kitchen design can really be. In the picture above, you can see that there are 4 appliances that are built in within the cabinetry. As they are not switched on, you cannot see the light on the touch screen. There are 2 ovens, 1 microwave, and a steamer oven built within the cabinets. Originally Dorothy wanted to include an inbuilt coffee machine instead of 2 ovens but we did experience some supply issues during the creation of our showroom so we decided to forgo the in-built coffee machine.

 

Silgranit sink from Blanco in our kitchen showroom in Auckland

There are a diverse set of sinks that can be included in your kitchen depending on your preference and kitchen design. There are many types of sinks available like ceramic, stainless steel, stone sinks, and silgranit. We have used Silgranit sinks for 2 of our kitchen displays in our kitchen showroom due to its popularity with most of our client renovations as well as its many features and benefits.

What exactly is Silgranit? It’s Blanco’s name for its granite composite sink material. It feels like stone, has a matte surface, and comes in finishes that can match or contrast with the benchtop, like the concrete-look sink on the classic kitchen.

What to check on a granite composite sink

• The colour against your benchtop sample, side by side, in daylight as well as under the showroom lights.
• Undermount or inset: an undermounted sink lets you wipe straight off the benchtop into the bowl.
• The bowl size against your largest pot or oven tray. Bring the measurements.
• Heat, stain and hygiene performance from the maker’s product sheet for that exact sink, not from a showroom summary.
• The tap position, and whether a boiling-water or filtered-water tap needs a second hole.

Waterproof Neptune SPC (stone based laminate) flooring from Tile Depot for this kitchen display

In the past any kind of Acrylic or laminate flooring would not have been a good choice for kitchens or bathrooms as they are prone to warping when in contact with water. Tiles were mostly used as they are easier to maintain and are resistant to water. Tiles however, are hard on your feet when one is standing on it for too long which can make you tired easily. Tiles also get cold in winter and you often have to put mats or rugs to comfortably stand them unless of course if you have underfloor heating.

That’s where Neptune SPC comes in. So what exactly is it?

Neptune is Tile Depot’s stone-based (SPC, or rigid core) floating floor. Tile Depot describes it as 100% waterproof and limestone-based, which keeps it stable, with a sound-absorbing underlay pad attached to each plank. The planks click together over most flat, stable hard floors; Tile Depot’s FAQ lists the exceptions, including existing laminate, other floating floors and carpet.

Key points from Tile Depot’s Neptune FAQ

• 100% waterproof, though Tile Depot says not to lay it in areas prone to flooding.
• Free of ortho-phthalate plasticisers and certified GREENGUARD Gold.
• An IIC sound rating of 66 dB, so no separate underlay is needed.
• Resists staining and needs no wax (waxing voids the warranty).
• Like any similar floor, it isn’t guaranteed against scratching, and prolonged direct sun can fade it.
• Kitchen cabinets must not be installed directly on top of it, because the floor has to move freely.

💡 Quick tip: That last point changes the order of work. With a floating floor like Neptune, the cabinets go in first and the floor runs up to them, so make sure whoever quotes your kitchen and whoever lays the floor are working to the same sequence.

We used Neptune SPC in all three kitchen displays. Look at the photo below and it reads as timber. It comes in several colours.

 

Neptune SPC flooring in our Kitchen showroom in Auckland

Is this type of Kitchen design for you? – Consider the materials and design

There are 100s of materials that you can mix and match to create countless variations of any kitchen design. This means that you can use different materials and get the exact same design of any kitchen. This also means that you should consider the materials of your kitchen carefully before renovating.

Dorothy and Cici often as several questions and they try to understand the lifestyle of the family. It is important to design the kitchen based on your lifestyle instead of fitting your lifestyle around your kitchen design.

This kitchen is great for families with an open plan kitchen. Aesthetically it would be beautiful in an open plan living due to its clean, simple design. It has a sleek uncluttered look with ample storage which makes it a very functional kitchen. We built this kitchen keeping in mind the hectic lifestyles of today and chose materials that are durable and easy to clean. Most of the materials are scratch resistant, stain resistant, water proof and easy to maintain with just a wipe or a vacuum. This would also be a great kitchen for families with young children as the materials are so durable.

This kitchen however, would not be so great for rental properties as the materials used in this design are premium and hence not cost effective for rental kitchen renovations.

 

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Display 2 – Classic Kitchen in our Kitchen showroom in Auckland (Handcrafted) ⇑ (Back to the top)

 

Each kitchen display in our kitchen showroom is designed for a particular purpose. The matte black kitchen (first display) that we discussed above was designed to show hard-wearing modern materials as well as storage solutions that can be incorporated within a kitchen design. The previous kitchen was also a perfect kitchen for busy families with young children and hence the materials chosen to design the kitchen were easy to maintain and were durable.

This kitchen in our kitchen showroom is there to show the craftsmanship of our kitchens and the luxury materials that can transform a kitchen design. The skillset required to craft this kitchen is a lot harder than the other kitchens in our kitchen showroom. This is because all the cabinets are handmade and not made in a factory. This kitchen was designed by Cici who is our lead kitchen designer.

 

Classic kitchen display in our kitchen showroom in Auckland

 

Classic kitchen with luxury materials that are hand crafted – Can be experienced in our kitchen showroom in Auckland

 

Read more…

Classic kitchen renovation in a historic home in Epsom – See before and after pictures

Cottage Style kitchen renovation in Mangere – before and after pictures + project specifications

 

Design Phase for our classic kitchen display

Cici wanted to design a kitchen in a classic and timeless style which would be suited for clients that lived in Villas or homes with a classic overall style. As mentioned above, this kitchen was renovated to show the premium and luxury materials available today. It is also a handcrafted kitchen which means that the cabinets were handmade instead of manufactured in a machine. This requires considerable skill from our cabinet maker but the result of that is a beautiful and timeless kitchen design.

 

 

We asked Cici what inspired her to create this particular kitchen design and she said “Classic kitchens are quite popular with some of my clients, especially the heritage homes and Villas found in Epsom. A very modern kitchen design does not really suit these homes. Classic Kitchens have a timeless feel and can be customised in many ways to still incorporate modern storage solutions. This particular kitchen is very similar to one of the kitchens I designed for my client in Epsom. It has many fine details and is completely hand crafted by our cabinetry maker so it makes it even more special. In order to see the details you should definitely visit the showroom in Wairau”.

 

Handcrafted cabinet fronts in our kitchen showroom in Auckland

Why are these cabinet fronts so special compared to the others in our kitchen showroom? The actual cabinet fronts are made from MDF which are then cut by hand to make the paneling around the cabinet fronts. This requires quite a high skill set compared to manufacturing the cabinet fronts in a machine.

Handmade cabinet fronts in our classic kitchen display in our kitchen showroom in Auckland

 

White handcrafted drawer fronts with soft close drawers

 

All the cabinet fronts in the kitchen are spray painted using ‘half black white’ matte finish lacquer paint expect the cabinets on the island which are spray painting using ‘Madison blue’ with a matte finish lacquer paint.

 

Resene lacquer paint with a matte finish was used on the cabinets.

 

All cabinet fronts in the classic kitchen were painted with ‘Madison blue’ to create a beautiful contrast with the white cabinets.

Creating contrast with colour for this kitchen design

Most classic kitchens have a neutral palette when it comes to cabinets as neutrals never go out of style or trend. Such kitchens usually incorporate colour in their kitchen design by using colourful tiles or brass tapware. Cici however went with this blue for the island to give it a more cottage style classic kitchen. Blues have always been very popular in classic country kitchens and she wanted to create a contrast that would really make the kitchen a showstopper. The fact that most kitchens are open plan, it becomes even more important to to pay careful attention to the aesthetics of your kitchen design. Cici believes that kitchens need to add to the beauty of your living space instead of just being a functional space to cook.

Cabinet door handles – Why Cici did not choose a no-handle set up for this kitchen design?

As most of our clients choose a no-handle set up for their cabinets, we were curious why Cici chose to incorporate door handles and knobs for this kitchen design. When asked this question Cici explained as follows:

 

“While I would use a no handle set up for contemporary and modern kitchen designs, I generally do not recommend that for more classic or traditional kitchens. Of course if a client wants a classic kitchen with a no-handle set up then I would design it for them in the way they like, after all it is their kitchen and they should have it designed the way they like it. However, classic and tradition design styles have something that are vital to their design and I try to stick with the basics for such kitchen designs. I incorporated simple matte black handles and knobs for this kitchen keeping with the classic theme. If I was designing a more traditional kitchen then I would have chosen more ornate handles. Classic kitchens however, have a simple and timeless feel to it and is often made with more solid quality materials.

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Handcrafted Rangehood cover with classic detailing in our Kitchen showroom in Auckland

While we used SMEG’s stainless steel rangehood, Cici wanted to make it look like a vintage hooded chimney. She did not want to make it too ornate as that would be too traditional but decided to add some detailing like the cabinets. The hooded rangehood is also hand-made like the cabinet fronts with MDF that has matte lacquer painted on it.

Handcrafted detailing in our hooded rangehood in our kitchen showroom in Auckland

 

Handcrafted hood on top of a range hood to give it an appearance of a chimney

 

Handcrafted detailing in the hooded chimney in our kitchen showroom for our classic kitchen display

 

The hooded chimney is made above the SMEG over head rangehood

 

Soft close cabinets with BLUM hinges

We mostly use BLUM for hinges and drawer hardware, and Hafele for hinges and storage fittings such as magic corners. When the showroom was built in early 2022, BLUM supply in New Zealand was tight, so some jobs from that period used Hafele instead.

This classic kitchen uses BLUM hinges and soft close technology. Soft close technology in cabinets makes such a difference when cooking in the kitchen with your family. When cooking we are often prone to closing the cabinets with force as its not always easy to carefully close the cabinets. This makes BLUM’s soft close technology very helpful when cooking in a chaotic kitchen.

 

Soft close drawers with BLUM technology in our Kitchen showroom in Auckland

 

BLUM hinges used in all cabinets in this classic kitchen

 

” I wanted to add simple black handles and knobs to all the cabinets and doors to keep the overall design classic and I also wanted the focus to be on the detailing of the handmade cabinet fronts. Black was an easy choice as it complements the white cabinet fronts as well as the blue cabinet fronts” said Cici about her choice for choosing matte black handles for the cabinets.

 

60mm Polished Stone engineered Benchtop – Why is it unique?

 

You may wonder why a 60mm benchtop would be anything special for this kitchen design. This is because this benchtop is not just one slab of engineered stone. In fact, this benchtop comprises of two separate sheets of engineered benchtops that are joined at 45 degrees which is called the mitre joint to create a 60mm benchtop. 60 mm benchtops

You need a high set of skill level to join two separate benchtops and this technique can only be carried out by a very experienced professional. Keeping with the classic theme, the benchtop chosen by Cici was a marble looking matte benchtop with a polished look. A polished look mere means that the benchtop is smooth to touch instead of having a texture like our matte black kitchen that we discussed above.

 

60mm engineered stone benchtop which combines to separate pieces of the benchtop to form a single benchtop.

60mm benchtop are not very common as mostly common types of benchtops are 30mm. The engineered stone benchtop also have veined lines to mimic the natural lines found in marble.

Read more…

60mm polished engineered benchtop – Before and After pictures of a Luxury kitchen renovation in Parnell

Guide on designing Classic, Contemporary, Modern, Traditional, Cottage style, and Industrial kitchens – all elements explained

Feature walls in our Classic kitchen display in our Kitchen showroom

Feature walls are great to add a designer element in any kitchen. There are two feature walls in this kitchen with each serving a very different purpose.

The first feature wall that you can see below is to add depth to the kitchen and to give it a luxurious look. The tiles used on this feature wall are 3 dimensional and are sheets which are of a size 256 X 297X 8mm. They combine a stunning combination of marble and gold metal mosaic. We used these tile sheets from Tile Depot and these tiles are specifically called ‘Mosaix Lux Gold Herringbone White 275 x 303.

The beautiful tile sheets from Tile depot were used to add a touch of luxury to this feature wall. They are installed in a Herringbone style and are a combination of stone engineered to look like marble as well as gold metal. This can be seen in our kitchen showroom in Auckland (Wairau Valley).

 

A close up look the feature wall. You may not be able to see the 3d effect in this picture but it can be seen in our kitchen showroom.

 

LED lights installed below the cabinets light up the feature wall which draws your eye to the wall.

We often put LED lights below the cabinets if we want to light up a feature wall. This feature wall needs to be maintained well if you do not want to damage it. It should not be cleaned with abrasive liquids, harsh acid or abrasive scrubs as they will scratch the gold surface of the metal. Hence this type of feature walls with groves should be used as a splashback in areas where you do not cook and where much cleaning is not required.

This brings us to the splashback that we have used in the cooking area of this classic kitchen display in our kitchen showroom. We have used simple white gloss subway tiles for the cooktop area which we got from Tile Depot. White subway tiles are a key feature of classic kitchen designs and we wanted to find a way to integrate them in this kitchen design. The glossy finish of these tiles also make them easy to clean and are perfect as a cooking splashback. Using two different sets of tiles as splashbacks in the kitchen also create interest and provide depth to this kitchen design.

Vintage Appliances to match this classic kitchen design

Cici did not want to include very sleek or modern appliances as they would be an eyesore for a classic kitchen design. She chose a freestanding SMEG cooker with a vintage design, sourced through Kitchen Things. SMEG is known for its range of appliances in all kinds of styles like traditional, contemporary, vintage, classic and modern.

SMEG standalone cooktop with 6 gas burners, 1 warming tray, bread oven and roast oven – this can be seen in our Kitchen showroom in Auckland

 

This cooking range has similar detailing in its front like the cabinet fronts and elevates this elegant classic kitchen design.

 

Small warmer oven

 

This beautiful vintage SMEG cooking range has gorgeous old style knobs and gas burners which combine elegance and modern functionality

 

This SMEG cooking range is a piece of art with beautiful vintage detailing in its oven fronts, old style dial knobs, big handle and 6 gas burners that are reminiscent of a timeless classic era.

Silgranit Sink with a marble texture and matte look from Blanco

The sink here is the same Blanco Silgranit granite composite as the matte black kitchen, this time in a concrete look that sits well against the marble-look benchtop. The checklist above applies: compare the colour against your own benchtop sample and read the product sheet for the exact sink.

 

Concrete finish Silgranit sink from Blanco – It can be seen in our kitchen showroom in Auckland

 

Subline 700-U level sink. It is an undermounted sink with a large U shape tap. The end of the sink can be extended out to wash vegetables with ease.

 

Silgranit sinks from Blanco

 

This classic kitchen display in our Kitchen showroom has a Silgranit sink with a concrete look and finish.

Hideaway Dishwasher and Hidden Rubbish Bins can be seen in our Kitchen showroom in Auckland

Hideaway dishwashers and fridge have become quite popular with our clients especially for open plan kitchens. This is so all the big appliances can be tucked away in cabinetry to give it a uniform look.

Cici decided to incorporate the dishwasher within the cabinetry for this classic kitchen. The cabinet front is attached on top of the door of the dishwasher as can be seen in the picture below.

 

Built in dishwasher in our classic kitchen display – In our Kitchen Showroom in Auckland

Pull out bin and recycling bin in our kitchen showroom in Auckland

Pull out bins have become quite a common feature with all our kitchen renovations. They are practical, hygienic and give your client an uncluttered look in their kitchen area. This is a full sized bin and recycling bin with a hidden drawer inside for any rubbish bags.

Waterproof Neptune stone based floors for kitchen floors

We used waterproof Neptune flooring from Tile Depot just as we have for all our kitchen displays in our Kitchen showroom in Auckland. As covered above, it’s a stone-based floating floor that looks like timber. The points that matter most in this kitchen:

1. 100% waterproof, per Tile Depot
2. Resists staining
3. Quieter underfoot than tiles, with an IIC sound rating of 66 dB
4. A timber look without timber maintenance

We used a darker and more rustic looking colour for the classic kitchen to imitate real oak flooring that is usually found in classic kitchen designs.

Neptune Stone based floors in our classic kitchen design in our kitchen showroom in Auckland

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Display 3 – Contemporary Kitchen in our Kitchen showroom in Auckland (Small Kitchen design) – ⇑ (Back to the top)

This kitchen display is truly unique in the fact that it combines a wide variety of textures, colours and materials to form a contemporary kitchen design. This kitchen was designed by Dorothy to show our clients that it is possible to create a beautiful yet functional kitchen when you have a small space available. This kitchen boasts materials that are designed to show our clients that it is possible to renovate a beautiful kitchen and be budget friendly.

Our contemporary kitchen design can be seen in our kitchen showroom in Auckland

 

This kitchen is renovated using a diverse set of materials to create contrasts as well as adding some creative elements to form a contemporary design.

 

Some of the key highlights in the kitchen are:

• Waterfall stone engineered benchtop
• Stone engineered splash back that continues till the ceiling
• Mid-Range which acrylic panels on MDF cabinets
• Melteca black board used for black cabinets
• Soft close drawers with Hefele hinges and runners
• Wood Benchtop using Plywood extends out of the kitchen island
• Gold stainless steel frame with glass shelves doubles
• Black floating shelves
• Undermounted Stainless steel sink with gold brass tapware
• Induction cooktop and rangehood from SMEG
• Waterproof Neptune flooring

Read more…

Top 16 Design ideas for small kitchen designs in Auckland

Kitchen Layout guide – Which layout is best for your kitchen space?

Overall design concept for this kitchen design

Dorothy wanted to design a contemporary kitchen for a small space which could show off a variety of contrasting materials and textures to suit most budgets. So what is a contemporary kitchen design? Contemporary should not be confused with modern. A modern kitchen design focuses on sleek and simplistic design like our matte black kitchen design we previously discussed.

Contemporary designs focus on using renovation materials that are popular at a current period of time. You can say that contemporary materials are a mix of various styles and its design elements change as the current trends or materials change in popularity.

“I used all the materials for this kitchen design that are cost effective but also quite popular in the current renovation market. Just like the matte black kitchen, I used Acrylic boards for half the cabinets, however to make it more budget friendly I used the Acrylic panels that are from the mid range as opposed to their premium range. To contrast these white acrylic cabinets I used MDF Melteca black boards for other cabinets as this is also quite a popular material in the renovation industry too. I also used engineered stone for all benchtops as well as the wall which acts like splashback. It is quite common to use the same material for benchtops and the walls because it creates continuity which makes a small space appear larger. Other popular trends of today include floating shelves and hence I tried to incorporate that within this kitchen design. Some of the key designer features of this kitchen include the stainless steel open shelf, floating breakfast bar and a wine fridge” explains Dorothy about the over design of this kitchen.

Elevation 1

First initial draft of the kitchen design done by Dorothy. Here you can see all the different elements that she talks about above.

 

Kitchen display in our kitchen showroom in Auckland – Reality of elevation 1

This kitchen display shows how colour is used to create contrast and interest in this kitchen design. – This can be seen in our kitchen showroom in Auckland.

 

Initial drafts of this kitchen design show the floating cabinets, black cabinets, white acrylic cabinets, and the floating breakfast bar on the right.

 

Elevation 2

This kitchen elevation shows the stainless steel rack for drinks with stainless steel frames and glass shelves. This shelf adds to the overall aesthetic to the overall kitchen design. You can also see the floating breakfast nook on the bottom left of the picture. You can also see a feature wall partition on the left side of the kitchen. This is great if you want an open plan kitchen but do not want your kitchen to be wholly visible from the living areas.

 

Kitchen display in our Kitchen showroom in Auckland – Reality of Elevation 2

The kitchen display designed based on the elevation about – This kitchen can be seen in our kitchen showroom in Auckland.

 

Other elevations of this kitchen in our kitchen showroom in Auckland

A different elevation of the same kitchen design

 

 

This elevation shows that Dorothy used the same engineered stone for the benchtop as well as the entire wall to promote continuity.

 

 

This kitchen elevation shows the island with a floating benchtop attached on benchtop

 

A combination of Acrylic panel cabinets (White cabinets) and MDF Melteca board cabinets (Black cabinets) – Can be seen in our Kitchen showroom in Auckland

The materials chosen for this kitchen design were chosen not just because of their current popularity but also to make it affordable for an average Aucklander. In the end the cost of your kitchen renovation will greatly depend on whether you have chosen mid-range materials or ones that are more on the side of luxury.

White cabinets – what are they actually made of?

The white cabinets are made of MDF and then the acrylic panels are attached to the surface. The panels are from the brand ULTRAglaze with the actual product being high gloss white Alabaster. They’re a mid-range gloss board, which keeps the cost down compared with the premium matte acrylic on the matte black kitchen. Gloss shows fingerprints and food splashes more readily, so plan on wiping these fronts down more often. These panels come in various different colours which gives you much room for customisation.

A range of colours available for our clients to choose from for their Acrylic panels.

 

The material for the black cabinets is not Acrylic panels but it is MDF with a layer of black paper sheet. This is Melteca by Laminex. The range is wide, and the sample wall in our design studio (below) is the easiest way to see it. If you’re weighing the two board types on this display, Little Giant Interiors’ comparison of acrylic and laminate kitchen cabinets covers how each one wears.

 

High glass white acrylic panels are used for all white cabinets in this kitchen in our kitchen showroom in Auckland.

The finish of the white cabinets is glossy which means that it reflects light and is very smooth to touch. The black Melteca cabinets on the other hand have a ‘pearl’ finish which means that they are matte and have a textured feel to it when you run your hands over it. This shows that different textures and sheens can be combined together to form a great overall kitchen design.

 

 

 

Below, you can see the range of colours available from Melteca and the number of customisation options you have when renovating your kitchen. Bestwood boards, which are similar to Melteca, sit alongside them in the design studio.

 

A sample range of Melteca colours that can be seen in our design studio in our kitchen showroom in Auckland

 

Samples of the Bestwood range in our design studio in our kitchen showroom in Auckland

 

All of the hinges used in our cabinetry is from Hafele and have a soft close set up.

 

Engineered stone benchtop and splashback in our kitchen showroom in Auckland

Creating continuity

One of the aims to create this kitchen display in our showroom was to show how it is in fact possible to create an aesthetically beautiful kitchen within a small space. Some of the ways to create an illusion of space in a small kitchen design is to create continuity. This was done in this kitchen by using a lighter shade in engineered stone for the splashback as well as benchtop above the already white cabinets.

Benchtop with a waterfall edge on one side

The benchtop and splashback are made of engineered stone with a polished finish. A polished finish just means that it is smooth to touch and it has a matte finish. It has a look of marble and have natural vein lines that you see naturally occurring in marble. in It is also 20mm in width and this width has started becoming popular in the last few years. The edge of one of the sides of the island has a waterfall edge which basically means that the engineered stone extends to the floor of the kitchen, hence the waterfall. This benchtop is from the mid range of engineered stone and not from the premium range that is used in our classic kitchen display discussed above. Using the mid-range engineered stone makes this kitchen more budget friendly as compared to our classic kitchen display.

 

Waterfall edge for one side of the island can be seen in our kitchen showroom in Auckland

Floating shelves, feature divider/wall and stainless steel open shelves – in our kitchen showroom in Auckland

 

Dorothy and Cici usually try and incorporate floating shelves in small kitchen spaces as it opens up the space and also adds to the aesthetics of the kitchen. If you had full top cabinetry in a small kitchen design then it will close the space up and make your kitchen look cumbersome. Hence, Dorothy decided to create one full length storage cabinetry in black and for part of the kitchen she decided to add black floating shelves to contrast with the white stone on the walls.

 

Black floating shelves with LED lights against a white stone wall adds interest to this small kitchen design

Drinks cabinet – Stainless steel frame with glass shelves

Dorothy also wanted to add another colour to the kitchen instead of just white and black to make it more appealing and to add a designer element to the kitchen. This drinks cabinet is made of brushed gold stainless steel frame and glass shelves and is a perfect way to display your glassware as well as drinks. This brushed gold colour also matches the tapware and chandelier found in this kitchen display in our kitchen showroom.

This drinks cabinet has a stainless steel frame in brushed gold/brass with glass shelves. This makes it a perfect display cabinet for drinks. This brushed gold also matches with the tapware as well as the chandelier in this kitchen – This can be seen in our kitchen showroom in Auckland

Feature wall – can be seen in our kitchen showroom in Auckland

Feature walls can be anything that is added on a wall for design purpose. It can be a wall that has designer tiles on it, wall paper or you can built an entirely separate walls that act as a divider.

The reason we built this feature wall is to show our clients that they can create dividers with their homes. It is also great for clients who have an open plan kitchen but do not want their kitchen to be fully visible from their living areas.

The feature wall of 4 vertical wooden beams can be seen next to the drinks cabinet in this design created by Dorothy

 

The kitchen display in our kitchen showroom shows the 4 vertical wooden beams next to the open drinks cabinet

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Floating breakfast nook – extends out from the stone benchtop

Any kind of wooden element in any design brings some warmth in the kitchen to make it look cozy. This breakfast nook extends out of the benchtop and is attached on top of the benchtop. It creates a separate area for people to eat meals or even do for kids to do their homework.

The fact that it is a completely different material that is attached on to the benchtop also creates depth in kitchen and adds to its design.

The wooden looking breakfast nook that extends out from the benchtop. You can also see a wine fridge at the bottom left of the breakfast nook.

 

Elevation 2 of the breakfast nook – This can be seen in our Kitchen showroom in Auckland

Floating breakfast nook – what is this material made of?

The wooden benchtop is made of two different pieces of plywood that is joined together at 45 degree in a mitre joint to form a 50mm box. It is hollow inside so it is relatively light and can be easily attached to the benchtop without any strain on the stone.

We do not have bar stools for this kitchen display but we do plan to get them in the future. A sleek set of bar stools can be fit under the floating breakfast nook.

Brushed gold for the tap, stainless steel frame and feature chandelier

As Dorothy wanted to add some colour to this kitchen design, she decided to add 3 components with brushed gold. The feature chandelier, brass gold tapware and stainless steel frame are brass gold and even though they are not big components, they do add a great contrast.

Chandelier with brushed gold trimmings that match the U-shaped tap and frame of the open shelf

 

Brushed gold u-shaped tap matches the stainless steel frame of the drinks shelves and trimmings of chandelier. The nozzle at the end of the tap can be pulled out and stretches till the stainless sink.

 

Stainless steel frame with glass shelves of the drinks cabinet matches the tap as well as the chandelier

Neptune Waterproof Flooring from Tile Depot

All three kitchen displays use Neptune. It’s a stone-based floor with a limestone core, and Tile Depot rates it 100% waterproof, which is the quality that matters most next to a sink and dishwasher.

It also resists staining and is quieter underfoot than tiles. Dorothy chose a slightly lighter shade than the matte black kitchen for this kitchen design and it can be seen in the picture below.

The flooring in this kitchen looks like real timber but is Neptune stone-based SPC. This flooring can be seen in our kitchen showroom in Auckland.

Appliances in this kitchen

Dorothy used a standard SMEG induction cooktop and built-in rangehood here, from the mid-range rather than the premium range on the matte black kitchen. The matte black kitchen was built to show what the top end can do; this one was built to fit most budgets. Whichever cooktop you choose, check how its residual-heat indicator works if there are young children in the house.

Who is this type of kitchen design good for?

This kitchen is suitable for most families or even rental properties as it budget friendly and easy to maintain. Some of the materials are however, not stain resistant which means that it is advisable for you to wipe away and spills once you are finished cooking. Most spills will not stain the benchtop or cabinet fronts even if you do not wipe them straightaway.

However, spills like red wine, beetroot juice and turmeric should be wiped off sooner rather than later to avoid staining. This however may not be a great kitchen design for people who prefer more classic and traditional kitchen designs.

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Seeing a kitchen in person beats any render

Open the drawers, put your hand on the benchtop and ask what the price leaves out. Ten minutes in a showroom with your own measurements in your pocket will tell you more about the kitchen you want than a month of scrolling. Ours is at 16B Link Drive, Wairau Valley, Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm, and the team is on 0800 199 888 (extension 2 for the showroom).

➡ Book your free in-home consultation with Superior Renovations using the form at the bottom of this page
➡ put a price range on the kitchen you liked in the showroom
➡ Request a free feasibility report for your project

Related guides

• which kitchen jobs need a licensed electrician, plumber or gasfitter
• how long an Auckland kitchen renovation takes, start to finish
• what to compare when you shortlist renovation companies

Further Resources

1. Featured projects and Client stories to see specifications on some of the projects.
2. Real client stories from Auckland

Need more information?

Take advantage of our FREE Complete Home Renovation Guide (48 pages), whether you’re already renovating or in the process of deciding to renovate, it’s not an easy process, this guide will help you avoid costly mistakes.

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References

1. Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board, Advice for Consumers: check your plumber, gasfitter or drainlayer is licensed
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4. Tile Depot, Neptune Frequently Asked Questions

It can often be stated that the kitchen is the heart of the home as it’s where meals are created, and where friends and family gather to enjoy a wonderful home-cooked meal. When thinking about kitchen design NZ, always consider an entertainment factor as it is where everyone gathers. Designing kitchens for entertaining comes from an open kitchen layout as it makes the space feel more inviting.

Designing or upgrading your kitchen to your needs is important to make it perfect. Especially if you’re the type to host events at your house, the kitchen needs to accommodate for everything. An entertainment kitchen is the perfect type of kitchen for you if you love hosting events. This type of kitchen represents a space to welcome guests, cooking, eating and working from home. A kitchen has many uses so when making your kitchen design, consider all those factors.

In this article:

• Design a kitchen for entertaining
• Family kitchen design ideas
• Top 8 Lighting Ideas
• 5 Tips to Design a Kitchen Layout

How to design a kitchen layout suited for an entertainment kitchen? If you’re considering an entertainment kitchen, consider the shape and size of a kitchen island or a breakfast bar. What kind of dining space you’d like to integrate and how much fridge and freezer space you’d need. As well as ensuring that there’s enough space for a general family/relaxing area. If you’re unsure of these factors, don’t worry! Our amazing in-house designer NZ can help guide you through the process.

Below, are some elements that we think you need when designing entertainment kitchen. To see finished examples of these choices in Auckland homes, browse our kitchen design gallery.

1. Make Space For a Drink’s Fridge

Making space in your kitchen design idea for a drink fridge can be essential for an entertainment kitchen. It’s incredibly useful to have a mini fridge for drinks, as it’d be easier and more comfortable for guests to grab a drink instead of looking through your fridge. Some people consider installing a wine fridge. While that can be quite an investment purchase, wine fridges aren’t for everybody so we suggest installing a mini fridge that can fit up to a variety of drinks ranging from water, soda drinks or alcohol.

If you have a walk in pantry, try including a fridge to utilise the space better. Of course, this doesn’t mean have a second big fridge in there as that’d take up unnecessary space. But opt for fridge drawers if you can to keep your fridge more organised. Having all these options for your kitchen design idea as it allows you to have enough space in your kitchen for catering options. As well as being able to accomodate your guests by having a drink station to keep guests comfortable when they grab their own drinks.

2. Make a Kitchen Island Central to Your Design

Having a kitchen island in your kitchen is essential and possibly the best decision you could make for your kitchen design. A kitchen island has many uses and is highly functional in kitchen design NZ. The island is where you can relax, catch up on newspapers, do homework, or even work from home sitting at your kitchen island. This is a feature for kitchen design NZ.

Not only that, but when friends and family come over it provides a space for everyone to catch up or play some card games. The island itself becomes the epicentre of the party as they can all gather around the island to have some party snacks.

Now, if the island is going to be constantly used for entertainment purposes. It’d be wise to consider purchasing extra bar stools for special occasions and you can keep them in storage. This would help ensure that your friends and family all have a seat and feel included during gatherings. For decorative purposes, consider some seasonal flower display, some candles or even some fairy lights will create a warm atmosphere.

Island in the Kitchen

Check out our kitchen renovation in Blockhouse Bay

3. Get Kitchen Lighting Right

One kitchen design NZ concept that is important to think about is kitchen lighting. Whilst you can design the perfect kitchen with our kitchen designer NZ, if your kitchen lighting is left as a last thought then it can ruin the look for your kitchen design idea. The perfect kitchen lighting for an entertainment kitchen is atmospheric mood lighting. An example of this would be a collection of candles and lanterns around the kitchen and also consider built in lighting in your kitchen design ideas.

When thinking of kitchen lighting, there are three different styles you need to consider. Task lighting, ambient lighting and accent lighting. Task lighting can help get rid of any dark corners on your countertop. Ambient lighting is there to help illuminate the room and create a modern kitchen look. When thinking of creating a modern kitchen design, consider recessed lighting. Accent lighting is purely decorative lighting like wall or pendant lights.

Example of kitchen lighting being used right to get rid of any dark corners

See more information and pictures on this kitchen renovation

4. Ensure Kitchen Extraction is Efficient

The key to any great kitchen, whether its open space or closed space kitchen is great air circulation/ventilation. Nobody wants last night’s food aroma to loiter around in the kitchen the next day. Which is why thinking about having good ventilation in the kitchen or around the house is important.

To improve ventilation in your kitchen, definitely consider using a range hood above the stovetop. You could also consider a ceiling-mounted extractor that you could put in the middle above your kitchen island. However if that is not within your budget cost, there are alternatives. Some of these alternatives are opening windows and doors when cooking to let some fresh air in or simply investing in an air purifier. Air purifiers help remove bad odours and is portable, so you can move it to any room you want whenever you want.

Range Hood To Help With Kitchen Extraction

See more pictures from this kitchen renovation in Avondale

5. Think Seating

Seating is an important factor to consider in your entertainer kitchen design NZ. If you plan on throwing dinner parties and guests will be seated at the dining table for a long time. Comfort is important! Upholstered dining chairs should be considered as they can provide support that’s required for several courses.

To make use of your kitchen space, you could also consider a built-in seating for the dining table or consider a banquette seating idea. This can create the same effect and support as upholstered dining chairs and can be positioned alone a walk or linked to kitchen cabinetry. This could be a kitchen design idea to consider and make your kitchen feel more cozy.

With these seating kitchen design ideas, it presents and opportunity to bring in colour or patterns to your kitchen design scheme and could possibly enhance the decorative detail of your kitchen design NZ. Or provide an element to make give your kitchen a modern look for your modern kitchen design.

Example of seating in dining area | Photo Credit – Unsplash

6. Take Acoustics into Account

As kitchens mainly have hard surfaces, they could affect the acoustics of the room. When you’re entertaining and having guests over, there will most likely be music playing in the background or people talking to one another.

To solve this issue, consider soft surfaces and furnishing in your kitchen design ideas for your entertainment kitchen. This could be in the form of upholstered chairs, window treatments, or even rugs. Although, rugs would be best suited away from cooking and preparation areas. If you’re looking for kitchen flooring ideas, consider a timber floor instead of a tile as that will be softer underfoot.

How Do You Build A Kitchen Design For Entertaining?

Building a kitchen for entertaining is important to focus on the kitchen layout. You’d want to make sure that there is enough space for guests to sit comfortably, without getting in the way of anyone cooking. This could make you consider your kitchen layout by dividing the cooking and dining zones that include a kitchen island so that whoever is cooking can still socialise with their guests and not feel excluded.

When thinking about designing a kitchen for entertainment, making sure that seating is comfortable is another important factor to consider. Having seats that are comfortable will ensure that everyone can linger around the kitchen for longer.

One of the most popular kitchen design NZ style is a modern kitchen design. A modern kitchen is all about space. A space to cook, space to entertain and a space for family gatherings. The modern kitchen has many uses and would be great for hosting parties as they’re spacious. Creating a new kitchen design, is more than new appliances and cabinetry as nowadays there are many other factors to consider.

The biggest appeal for a kitchen is to be able to cook and be apart of the action when entertaining as everyone is included. For normal days, it’s a great setting for busy families to cook and help their kids with homework and be able to keep an out for their kids while preparing a meal.

Down below we have 11 kitchen design ideas that helps blend form and function

11 Kitchen Design That Blend Form and Function

1. Boost Storage In A Family Kitchen With A Beautiful Banquette

When designing your kitchen, you’d always want to make sure there is enough storage space for your kitchen appliances and utensils and other things you may need to store. This is where you might consider banquette seating. Combining function and form, banquette seating offers built-in seating for a dining nook in an open plan kitchen.

The banquette seating offers an opportunity for extra storage space. The storage space doesn’t just have to be for kitchen gadgets but it can be used for any storage needs. Like containers, toys, or even a little secret snack area.

2. Create A True Social Hub For Family Time

Open plan kitchen layouts are becoming trendy nowadays especially with a modern kitchen design style. Ditching the formal dining room, home office and sitting room. An open plan kitchen provides a large, multifunction space. The kitchen layout would be suitable and designed for everyone that can use it and make it the heart of your home.

Creating an open plan kitchen, helps make your family be more sociable. As parents are able to prepare meals while still being able to see and interact with their kids. Having this kitchen design ideas allows the host to interact with guests while preparing food and drinks when they have guests over. Having an open plan kitchen removes the walls which can make the room look bigger and provide additional space for people and furnishings.

When having an open plan kitchen, kitchen layout is important. Having a big space to decorate can be exciting yet stressful as you want to decorate it so the room doesn’t look empty. There is a general rule you may want to follow which is that the dining table shouldn’t be too far from the kitchen. Also ensure that there is a direct route from the table to the dishwasher to make is easier for cleaning.

Open plan kitchen, perfect for entertaining and being sociable while cooking

Read more about this open plan entertainment kitchen.

3. Enhance Your Kitchen Layout

To achieve your perfect kitchen layout that avoids any obstructions and can provide the best access to frequently used ares like the fridge or the stove. It’s important to work with a kitchen designer NZ as they’re able to help bring your visions into a reality. Our kitchen designer NZ can help accommodate to your needs and give you the kitchen you’d want.

Focusing on distinct areas of your kitchen like cooking, dining and relaxing, will help you maintain order in an open plan kitchen or a multi-use family room. You can use different flooring, decorative light fittings or different kitchen colour schemes to help show the different rooms in one setting. This can be effective and won’t lose sight of the overall design cohesion.

To help visually tie the room together and keep it simple and uncluttered, consider coordinating the dining table top with the worktops. If you need more help our kitchen designers NZ will gladly help you out and guide you through it.

Want more information? Check out our blog on open plan vs closed kitchen.

Here is a blog to guide you through kitchen layouts.

4. Include A Kitchen Island Into Your Plans

A kitchen island is always a great addition to kitchen design NZ and you should always consider having a kitchen island in your kitchen design. The island itself has many uses, from extra prep surface, a place for the sink, a place for friends and family to gather around. Put some bar stools, then it becomes a space when kids can do their homework and even where you could work. The island can also be used as another storage space area.

A suitable size for a kitchen island ranges from around 2m to 3m long and around 1.1m to 1.4m wide. Any wider can create wasted space in the centre. Although the sizing may depend on how much space your kitchen has. You should always allow at least 1m of space around the island. Remember that not all barstools tuck right in, so measure correctly.

Kitchen Island Tying The Room Together

Check out the before and after pictures of this kitchen renovation in Epsom!

5. Opt For Smart Storage Solutions

At some point, we always end up running out of storage, which is why in your kitchen design you should always think about ways you can add drawers and be able to utilise space. Consider open shelving on your kitchen walls as not only can it create space but it can also be visually appealing. You can add decorations onto the open shelving which can add a theme to your kitchen.

Example of creating a smart storage solution in kitchen pantry

Read more about organising your kitchen drawers.

Read more about this kitchen renovation in Papatoetoe

6. Make Space For Working From Home

Ever since the pandemic hit and we’ve all be stuck at home and having to work remotely. We’ve had to find a place for us to work. Most times if we don’t have a home office, it would be working at the dining table or somewhere near the kitchen if not in the kitchen. Which is why it’s important to make your kitchen feel welcoming while also having them to be sleek, smart and functional.

When thinking about your kitchen design, consider the aspect of having to work from home to make your kitchen suitable for you to do that. This could be where a kitchen island might come in handy with bar stools as it could be a place where you work. It’s also a good place for household admin, and become a work station that is designed to complement your kitchen.

7. Put Functionality At The Heart Of Your Kitchen

A kitchen has many uses. It’s an ample space for entertaining, generous storage and room for family gatherings. It’s the heart of your home. Making your kitchen function is the number one priority when thinking about your kitchen design and kitchen layout. Having a big kitchen can create layout issues. Large kitchens can be overwhelming to design and if your kitchen layout isn’t planned properly, it can result in a lot of unnecessary travel.

The best way to create a kitchen layout in a large kitchen is to add a kitchen island. This is a popular solution and can perform a variety of functions therefore making your kitchen functional. In a large room, or an open plan kitchen it acts as a bridge between furniture. Improving the work triangle and allowing more than one cook in the kitchen to work comfortable side-by-side. So if you enjoy teaching your kids how to cook or cooking with your significant other without getting in each others way. This would be perfect.

Open plan kitchen that serves multiple purposes

Check out our blog on creating a functional kitchen!

Want more examples? Here is our blog showcasing our top 16 renovations in Auckland.

8. Put The Focus On Functional Flooring

Kitchen flooring is also another priority when thinking about your kitchen design. You’d want flooring that last long and not ones that would chip or break easily. Kitchen flooring have to be incredibly tough to stand up to dirt and knocks in a family kitchen.

Natural stone flooring can be something you could consider for your kitchen design as they are the most forgiving floor coverings if the right stone and finish are chosen. Some stones can be denser than others and all flooring will be subject to a little wear and tear over the years.

However, if you have children, porcelain tile may be another flooring style you might consider for your kitchen design. Porcelain tile is non-porous and can provide a strain proof option which is wise if you have children that are creative and often make a mess. Easy to clean up and leave no stain behind.

9. Light The Way

Kitchen lighting is a vital part of any successful kitchen design scheme and is important when it comes to designing an entertainment kitchen or a family kitchen or kitchens in general. Using task lighting above your kitchen island can help create a characterful lighting serve. It helps light up the whole island and provide as a decorative function when combined with materials like marble tops and metallic accents.

10. Go For A Dark Colour On Cabinetry

To bring some colour into your kitchen design, opt for using dark colours on your cabinetry as it can create a bold and interesting family kitchen space. For a kitchen design ideas it’s often tempting to use an all-dark paint scheme. But for sociable spaces like the kitchen, a balanced approach can be more suited.

A benefit of having dark cabinetry, is that it can help hide any fingerprints, stains, or scuff marks that may occur over time. Having good natural sunlight in your kitchen design can also help bring out the colour in a dark shade.

Example of dark cabinets in kitchen

See more photos and information on this kitchen renovation in Stanmore Bay.

11. Plan Your Kitchen Around Family Life

Banquette seatings beats dining chairs when you consider your kitchen seating idea. Banquette seatings help save space and can also seat large number of people when you have guests over or host family events.

Usually, with dining chairs the rule is to leave around 90cm between a chair and the next piece of furniture or wall. But with banquette seating you can reduce that down to 30cm, especially if the seat fits onto the wall. Not only do they save space, but they can also accommodate more people. It’s perfect for birthday parties and family gatherings and make photos look better as there are no chairs in the picture. Consider banquette seating in your kitchen design if possible.

How Do You Design A Family Kitchen?

There are many needs and uses when it comes to a family kitchen. In your kitchen design, you’d have to think about the kitchen layout, where you cook, eat, and to entertain. Even if you have a large kitchen, the meal prep, cook and cleaning areas will always be close together for better efficiency.

The amount of work surface area you need, depends on you and your family needs. It’s important to have enough worktop for meal prep as well as when you’re cooking with others. A family kitchen can be designed for entertainment use as everyone is willing to help cook. It’s become the new normal to be sociable while cooking and entertaining guests at the same time. It’s also a great space to multitask and catch up with one another while preparing food.

Our Top 8 Lighting Ideas for your Kitchen Design

Kitchen lighting can often be left as a last thought and that is a mistake many people make. Lighting brings the room together and can help transform your kitchen. For example, a contemporary kitchen requires a layered and responsive lighting scheme that can keep up with the changing demands throughout the day.

Having an expansive glass door and skylight in a large kitchen will flood the space with natural light, making the room look bigger. Task lighting can be used for prep areas and ambient lighting for social spaces.

For a modern kitchen design, the lighting helps create depth, marking out different zones and help create a clear and safe passage though the space. The different types of lighting that can be used is general, task, ambient and decorative lighting in your modern kitchen design. Since some kitchens may require lots of light switches it would be easier if you brought smart lights which can be controlled though your phone, making it easier for you to turn the lights on and off. When it comes to lighting, consider the warmth of the bulb as the cooler end gives brilliant task lighting. While warmer whites can make a seating area feel more inviting.

Down below is our top 8 lighting ideas to include in your kitchen design.

1. Install An Eye-Catching Modern Lighting Centrepiece

Installing an eye catching modern lighting centrepiece is designed to create ambient lighting and the the purpose of a lighting centrepiece is to draw attention to the kitchen island. The centrepiece helps give the kitchen a living rom appeal, rather than to provide practical task lighting.

Example of task lighting to draw attention to island | Photo Credit – Unsplash

2. Make The Best Use Of Down-lights

Ceiling down-lights are a popular solution for general lighting for your modern kitchen design. You’re able to turn them up for when you want to clean the room. Or dim them down to create a softer mood. With down-lights, you’d want to create an even spread of light. You might have to accommodate if you have a skylight, or TV screen that could affect the lighting. You’d also want to avoid putting down-lights right next to a pendant or hard up against a wall cabinet.

3. Layer Light

A complex room, like a living-kitchen open floor-plan requires different light levels for a range of activities. Nobody likes a dimly lit work area. Which is why when you think about your modern kitchen design. Make sure to position spotlights or pendants directly above key areas in your living-kitchen room. This will ensure that light isn’t blocked when you stand or work around your kitchen.

Example of task, ambient and accent lighting in a kitchen | Photo Credit – Unsplash

4. Tackle Task Lighting

Task lighting is an important feature to add to your kitchen. As they can be discreet and hidden under wall cupboards or shelving. But you can also create a nice centrepiece feature that can be angled to direct brightness where it’s needed.

5. Consider Low Light Sources

LED strips can help provide a soft low light that can be useful to direct traffic through the kitchen space. Some LED strips can be controlled with a remote and can change colours creating a different atmosphere in the kitchen. You could also wow your guests with different colours. It’s like a party! Putting a subtle glow beneath your counter will encourage your guest to pull up a seat or gather around.

6. Light The Inside Of Cabinetry

Having light inside of your cabinet can be a key component for your modern kitchen design as they provide soft, ambient lighting. It helps bring display back into the kitchen and create an opportunity of soft diffused light. Which can help create a focal point in your modern kitchen design and help brighten up darker corners of the room.

Lighting in shelves/pantry | Photo Credit – Unsplash

7. ‘Wash’ Cabinetry With Lighting

Another kitchen lighting to consider is to use track lighting and up-lights to wash surfaces with a soft reflective light. This can be linked back to using down-lights as you should only place them where light is required as part of your kitchen lighting scheme. Consider using a low glare directional downlight to direct light to wash the front of your kitchen. Added bonus is that when you open your cupboards, it will also light the inside of it up.

8. Ask An Expert In Modern Kitchen Lighting Design

If you’re confused and wondering how to plan your kitchen lighting that fits your kitchen design. Consider asking a kitchen designer or the kitchen designer you’re working with to help you. They’ll be able to help you balance a range of sources into a cohesive scheme to enhance your space. You can’t go wrong with asking for help as designers are there to help you bring your visions into a reality.

4 Modern Kitchen Lighting Tips For Your Modern Kitchen Design

1. Create Light Reflections

In your modern kitchen design, opt for pale countertops in a darker kitchen as that will help create light reflection in your kitchen. Pale colours and reflective surfaces will amplify the glow, while dark shades absorb light. Having dark shades that absorb light can be advantageous as it can help create mood or create a different atmosphere.

Example of light reflection in the kitchen | Photo Credit – Unsplash

2. Light Beyond Your Modern Kitchen

As you know, having skylights or walls of glass can provide plenty of natural sunlight into your kitchen during the day. But can turn into black holes at night. Consider running strip LEDs in a skylight recesses as well as great outdoor lighting ideas. This will help create a light show in the garden beyond the glass. And help get rid of the black hole.

3. Choose Discreet Modern Kitchen Lighting Ideas

There are many lighting options that you could consider in your kitchen design that can be discreet. Spotlights aren’t the only solution for directional light. There is an exhaust light, which has a smart tubular design that comes in two colours for a powder-coated casing and four metallic options or the trim. Lighting options that go with your kitchen design aesthetics.

Example of modern kitchen lighting ideas | Photo Credit – Unsplash

4. Use Modern Kitchen Lighting To Play With Room Proportions

If you have a large kitchen or a kitchen with high ceilings. Don’t just leave that ceiling space empty. Complete the kitchen look by choosing a modern kitchen light fitting that helps tie your kitchen together. Choosing a modern molecular lighting with multiple bulbs, that shine their light in all directions may be a suitable option for your modern kitchen design. This is best suited to be installed over an island or dining table to create a focal point.

5 Tips For A Kitchen Design Layout

As a first time homeowner there are many questions that you have in mind before starting to renovate your kitchen. How to design a kitchen? How to design a kitchen layout? Which kitchen layout is best suited for you? There are many questions and research involved before you start. There are many kitchen design NZ and kitchen designers NZ that are able to help answer your questions and help guide you through the process.

But, to further your research more. We have come up with 7 tips that you should consider in designing your kitchen layout. These tips would help answer you question on how to design a kitchen layout and how to design a kitchen as well.

1. Create a Wishlist

To begin, start by creating a wishlist and writing down all the features you’d like in your dream kitchen. It’s a chance to create a brand new room that is fitted more towards your needs and build a new space that you love. There are many kitchen layout NZ ideas that you might have in mind for your kitchen. Also reflect on what isn’t working in your current kitchen to avoid having it in your new kitchen.

You can also include intangible ideas on your wishlist which our kitchen designers NZ can help with and give suggestions when needed. These intangible ideas could be mixed materials cabinetry, different countertop finishes, etc. To gather more inspiration you can look on Pinterest on look at our case studies and see how previous clients have designed their kitchen layout NZ. The more you see other kitchen design NZ, the more you’ll know what kind of kitchen style you’re after.

2. Set a Kitchen Design Budget

It’s important to set up a kitchen design budget as kitchen costs need to be clearly defined at the start of your project. How much are you willing to spend? You’d also want to set aside some money just incase there are any unforeseen costs or any problems that may occur during the process. At Superior Renovations, you don’t need to worry about paying separately for plumbing, wiring, or labour as that is included in our renovation process.

Find out what your kitchen style is here!

3. Consider How You Will Use Your Space

How to design a kitchen layout isn’t just about working a layout that fits the space but more-so on how you can use the room as well. How to design a kitchen layout that you can use the space? Carefully think about how you wish to use the space and your requirement. Nowadays our kitchen is the heart of our homes as it’s a place where we cook, eat, and entertain. Also a place to sit and work. Our kitchen designers NZ say that kitchen layout NZ should have the prep, cook, and wash areas close together in a kitchen to make the space more efficient. This will help avoid any run ins and save time especially in a large kitchen.

Example of how to utilise space for an entertainment kitchen | Photo Credit – Unsplash

4. Measure Up

Kitchen nowadays perform a variety of roles like family dining, relaxing, working, and entertaining. It’s important to have a good kitchen layout that have adequate storage as having enough storage space in your kitchen is important. You’d want to ensure that you can fit everything you want in your kitchen. But that all depends on accurate measuring which our kitchen designers NZ would be able to do during their consult with you.

If you’re thinking about having a kitchen island in your kitchen design, make sure to precisely measure the floor so that the island can fit comfortably within your space. When placed, it should leave enough floor space for you to maneuver around the entire space.

5. Consider the Perfect Layout

Choosing the perfect layout for your kitchen begs the questions as to how to design a kitchen layout. Looking at kitchen layout NZ ideas would be a starting point to start the journey of designing your kitchen. Making your kitchen efficient and maximising the space can make time spent in the kitchen more enjoyable. In your layout try to put your sink, refrigerator, and oven within easy reach of one another. In your kitchen layout, consider natural light and seating areas are best placed near windows.

Read more about this design case study

Check out our guide on designing different kitchen styles

Kitchen design ideas can be overwhelming as there are many different ideas that fit into your aesthetic. Creating your dream kitchen can be exhausting as you’d want it to be perfect and practical for you and your family. Designing an entertainment kitchen requires a lot of thinking and can be quite an investment to make. But it’s an investment that’s going to do wonders for your home.

Having a read through this blog would have given you more information and more insight on designing an entertainment kitchen and creating a family kitchen. With wonderful advice from our designer NZ and tips to create better lighting in your kitchen design idea as lighting is an important factor to consider. Our kitchen design NZ will be sure to help give you an idea and provide inspiration for you. Have a read, have a browse and start designing!

Already have all your own trades and you’re comfortable managing them for your kitchen renovation?

Although we don’t recommend if you haven’t renovated a kitchen before and/or you don’t have trades people you can trust, most renovations if not all comes with it’s own surprises because not all homes are the same – this is where experience/project management plays an important role in minimises risks to maintain costs/delays giving you higher certainty of outcome/quality backed by associated guarantees and warranties.

However, if you do intend to manage the kitchen renovation yourself, it does work out more cost effective to contact a kitchen cabinetry manufacturer directly to get the kitchen cabinets designed, manufactured and installed – leaving you to manage the other trades such as flooring, demolition, painting, plastering, splashback/tiling, electrician, plumber, and sometimes a carpenter/builder.

Try Little Giant Interiors cost calculator below to see what you can expect to pay for cabinetry.

• New Kitchen Cabinetry Cost Calculator
• New Laundry Cost Calculator

Further Resources

1. Ideas for Bathroom renovations in our bathroom renovation gallery of bathrooms we have renovated in Auckland
2. Ideas for Kitchen renovations in our kitchen renovation gallery for kitchens we have renovated in Auckland
3. Featured projects and Client stories to see specifications on some of the projects.
4. Real client stories from Auckland

Read more

When thinking about your kitchen design, you often think that it will mean a lot of fun and creativity. Kitchen renovations are not cheap so if you are looking at renovating or designing your kitchen then you would have thought long and hard about it. It’s a change that you’re willing to invest in to create a better space and environment that is best suited towards your aesthetic and liking. Not every kitchen design works for every family. An open plan kitchen design could work for some family dynamics while an separate kitchen might work for others.

Getting the kitchen design is vital for a fully functioning kitchen that works for your family and a space that you can enjoy in as a family.

Although the second we get into the process of designing and changing up our space it can become overwhelming. What colour goes best? What style is better? There are a hundred questions popping through your mind to ensure that you’re not spending thousands to end up making a mistake. Kitchen designers however are trained to put your vision into a working and fully functioning reality which is why they are often an integral part of a kitchen renovation process.

It is also easily possible to make mistakes when designing your kitchen so we created the top 10 mistakes that our designers have outlined that you should avoid during a kitchen renovation. We have also outlined the top design trend in kitchen design as well as bathroom design to find out what most Aucklanders prefer in terms of style.

In this Article:

• Mistakes to avoid in your kitchen design
• Design process at Superior Renovations
• Elements of a contemporary bathroom
• Elements of a modern kitchen

Need ideas? Check out our Kitchen Design Gallery or dive into our Bathroom Design Gallery for inspiration!

10 Mistakes to Avoid in Your Kitchen Design

There are many mistakes that are bound to happen when you’re designing your own kitchen for the first time. Kitchen designs require more thought as they are many factors, elements, and materials to consider which can make you unintentionally make these mistakes.

Here are 10 mistakes that you should avoid in your kitchen design.

1. Not Planning your Kitchen Design Properly

Planning and creating a new kitchen suited towards your needs or changing it to make it more modern is always exciting. You finally get to create a new space that you know you’ll love and enjoy spending time in. But it can be overwhelming as you’re looking on Pinterest for kitchen ideas and whilst they look good, they might not be the most functional for you. Not planning your kitchen design properly is a common mistake that people make as there’s so many factors to consider.

When thinking about your kitchen design, consider these 3 things.

1. Convenience and Practically

When designing your kitchen, always have in consideration of making your kitchen convenience and practical for you and your family. Consider separating each section of the kitchen into 5 zones for consumables, non-consumables, cleaning, preparation, and cooking. Doing this will ensure that your new kitchen will be organised and easy for you to use and within reach.

2. Optimise your Kitchen Capacity

Storage plays a huge factor when designing your kitchen as there are many things we need to store in the kitchen. You want to create a kitchen that has heaps of storage space for your kitchenware and appliances. Consider including overhead cabinets and shelves to help reduce clutter in your kitchen.

Read: Kitchen Layout guide to building a functional kitchen in 2021

3. How to Design your Kitchen Layout (Dos and Don’ts).

Knowing the right layout for your kitchen is an important step to consider when designing your kitchen as you’d need to decide where your main kitchen components go like kitchen sink, countertop, fridge, etc. Picking the right layout for your kitchen will help eliminate any future clutter and help ensure the functionality and efficiency of your kitchen construction.

Do put ceiling lights along countertops

Having good lighting in your kitchen is important as it can create mood lighting and create a nice atmosphere in the room. Putting ceiling lights along the countertops will create more light for the work area. Using recessed lights will be perfect for installing lights along the countertops and help open up the kitchen space. This can also eliminate any dark corners on your kitchen counter.

Don’t position your fridge near a wall

In your kitchen design layout, the biggest mistake you can make is putting your fridge right next to a wall. This can be a problem as you might not measure enough space between the wall and your fridge. Which can result in not being able to open your fridge door all the way, which can be a bit annoying. Try to keep your fridge away from the wall so that the fridge door can open all the way.

Do get an island if space allows

A kitchen island provides more counter space in your kitchen as well as a place where everyone gathers. The kitchen can be the heart of your home and having an island tend to be where everybody goes. Whether that be to eat, work, or simply have conversations. Having a kitchen island incorporated in your kitchen would be highly recommended.

Don’t put your waste basket too far from the sink

It’s always a good idea to put your waste basket close to the sink as it makes it easier for you to dispose of any rubbish. The most popular idea to put your kitchen waste basket is inside a cabinet. One of those pull out rubbish bins, that way you’re able to hid the bin and mask any odours that might occur.

Pull out waste basket near sink

Unsure about kitchen layouts? Check out one of our blogs discussing kitchen layouts and find the one best suited for you!

2. Not Considering the Kitchen Work Triangle

Ever heard of the kitchen work triangle? The kitchen work triangle is a theory that states a kitchen’s three main work areas should form a triangle. The triangle makes it easier for you to reach between your cooking, cleaning, and food storage area with ease, while also providing enough space between them to avoid crowding and for other people to walk through.

Although the kitchen work triangle might not be suited towards you needs, it comes as suggestion from our designers as following the kitchen work triangle will make your kitchen more efficient and we’ve achieved the kitchen work triangle in our past renovations.

3. Not Allowing for Storage Needs

Having adequate storage in a kitchen is crucial as we can often run out of space. Sometimes we may be renovating our kitchen to create more storage space to make our kitchen more organised and less cluttered. Kitchen storage is not limited to being confined to a wall or base cabinets. There are heaps of different ways you can make the most out of your storage space. For a modern design kitchen, consider using open shelving or wall cabinets with glass doors.

4 Ideas to Utilise Storage Space in Your Kitchen

1. Make Use of Cabinet Doors

Cabinet doors are often left empty as putting stuff there can cause them to be in our way when trying to find what we need in our kitchen drawers. Thought the inside of your cabinet doors is filled with storage possibilities and this is something you should consider utilising your storage space in your kitchen. You could install hooks to store pans or add a slim rack to stash your pot lids and keep all your pots and pans in one place.

2. Hanging Rack for Pots and Pans

Constantly tired of digging in your kitchen cabinet trying to find the right pan/pot to use? Installing a hanging rack in your kitchen for pots and pans can help eliminate clutter in your cabinet and provide more space for other kitchenware or appliances. That way you can see all your pots and pans in one setting and be able to easily take it out and use it.

Example of a hanging pot rack to utilise space

Read more about the Kitchen and Bathroom Renovation in Stanmore Bay

3. Utilise Wall Space

Make the most out of your wall space by installing a knife magnet which displays all your knives in a row. But if that seems too dangerous with kids running around, consider putting in open shelves in your wall space in your kitchen. Having open shelving can be used as extra storage space and it will also become part of the kitchen décor which you could add small plants or succulents.

4. Give Your Island Drawers

Considering going for an island kitchen layout? To get more storage space, always choose to have drawers in your island. That way you have more storage space for your kitchenware and island handles are often hidden so at first sight, people won’t even notice that your island has drawers.

Kitchen Island with drawers

Read more about this full house renovation in Avondale

Read more…

Kitchen renovation in Massey (pictured above and below)

4. Not Having Enough Bench Space

Ensuring that you have enough storage space is as important as creating enough bench space in your kitchen. Most household nowadays have appliances like a toaster, coffee machine or an air fryer, and if you’re someone that loves purchasing small kitchen appliances or decorations then making sure you have enough counter space is important

3 Tips to Utilise your Bench Space

1. Incorporate a Kitchen Island

Having a kitchen island provides another space for food preparation or you could add some barstools and create an eating, working or entertaining space to. Not only does a kitchen island create more storage, it’s also a nice space to entertain people and if you like creating a charcuterie board, the kitchen island makes a great space to take photos and gather friends and family around.

Finished kitchen renovation in Epsom

3D Design of Kitchen

See more 3D design photos of this kitchen!

2. Ditch the Double Sink

How often do you end up using 2 sinks? If you answer rarely, only consider sticking with one sink. Having one sink leaves you with more bench space for food preparation, decorations, or appliance placement. Having 2 sinks are always nice but if bench space is more important to you then having one sink is ideal. Especially if you have a small kitchen. Having one sink provides you with more bench space.\

3. Induction Cooktop

Not only are the induction cooktop used as a stove but when they’re turned off then can even be used as another space for food preparation. Can be a place to put your groceries, ingredients, or a mixing bowl without worrying about it spilling or falling. The best thing about having an induction cooktop is that they’re discrete, so depending on the angle it can be invisible. Another bonus is that the cooktops heat up and cool down quickly.

Induction Cooktop in Kitchen

Notice how the induction cooktop blends in with the counter. At first glance you don’t notice the cooktop unless you look at it closely.

See more photos from this kitchen renovation

5. Hindering Ventilation

When thinking about your kitchen design, always consider ventilation. Ventilation plays a huge part in your kitchen as cooking produces lots of smoke, steam, and odours which can irritate eyes and skin. Having good ventilation in your kitchen can create more comfort as kitchen hoods can provide ventilation to control the air temperature.

Read more…

Project details + before and after pictures (for the kitchen renovation pictured above and below)

How to Improve Ventilation in Your Kitchen

1. Use a Range Hood

Kitchen hoods are one of the best ways to improve ventilation in your kitchen. Not only do they help remove steam when cooking but they also filter out grease as well. Using your kitchen hood properly means to turn it on when you start cooking and not during the middle or at the end. Be sure to clean your filters regularly to maintain good ventilation.

2. Open Windows

As we all know, opening windows helps let in fresh air which can help get rid of any odours in our house. It’s something that we do whenever it’s sunny. Opening windows during food preparation and when you’re cooking can help improve ventilation in your kitchen. The open window doesn’t have to be in the kitchen, it can be in another room. Whatever works for you as opening any window can help circulation in your house and improve ventilation.

Window in the kitchen, letting natural light in

See more of this kitchen renovation

3. Use a Splatter Guard

Using a splatter guard is another way to improve ventilation in your house as they can help prevent any grease and grim from flying around. The splatter guard can also help protect your cabinets and splashback. The splatter guard is a more affordable option and won’t take up any valuable space and is easy to wash.

4. Invest In an Air Purifier

An air purifier is another useful way to improve ventilation in your kitchen as well as your entire house. This option may not be everyone due to how expensive air purifiers can be, but they do come with great benefits and it’s something to consider. Air purifiers helps remove bad odours and is portable so you can move it to whichever room you want.

6. Forgetting about power points

Power points is the last thing that comes to mind when designing your kitchen as they’re a small item that you need. Whilst power points are essential to have in your household and kitchen, the main problem with power points is placement. Where should power points go in your kitchen? You can’t put them near sinks, and they also need to be well placed so that you can access them easily and prevent overload.

Power outlets that can be pushed back into the counter

This is a great example of installing power outlets into your island or countertop as they can be pushed back into the counter or island and won’t be in the way. Makes it more convenient and less of a tangled mess of wires when using kitchen appliances.

Check out this kitchen renovation in West Auckland

7. Not being creative enough with the design

Picking the right colour for your kitchen can be challenging. Having the right colour scheme can change the aesthetic of your kitchen. It’s almost tempting to have an all-white kitchen as white can go with anything. Use colours to add contrast to your kitchen and try refrain from having an all-white kitchen, unless that is what you’re after. Installing a nice splashback with a pattern or design can make a huge difference in your kitchen.

Check our our blog discussing kitchen colour schemes

8. Poor Lighting

Having good lighting is important as lighting can change the room and adds functionality and it a key component to a great kitchen design. Unfortunately lighting comes as a last thought just like power outlets which is why we need to avoid this mistake. This is an important step to consider as nobody likes having a dark kitchen or uneven lighting.

Best Lighting for Your Kitchen Design and Where to Put Them

1. What is Task Lighting?

Task lighting focuses on a specific area to provide targeted illumination for accomplishing tasks. This is useful lighting to have in your kitchen as it can be put under your cabinet for extra lighting. Having a well-placed task light can define and highlight the areas of your kitchen where you’re chopping, washing, or serving food. Having task lighting will get rid of any dark countertop corners and remove any shadows. LED strips are perfect for this.

Example of task lighting in kitchen

See more about this kitchen design

2. What is Ambient Lighting?

Ambient lighting is used to create a modern and illuminate the room. While there are many different options to choose from when deciding on what lighting you want. The most popular is recessed lighting. These lighting fit right into your ceiling and makes your kitchen look sleeker, while giving ample light to your space. The key thing to remember when using recessed lights is the placement as you want them to look appealing on your ceiling.

When choosing recessed lights, always go for white light bulbs.

3. What is Accent Lighting?

Accent lighting is purely used as decorative lights that adds to the existing lighting in your kitchen. There are many different lights you can use for accent lighting like a wall lights or pendent lights. Accent lights creates a soft focus on certain key elements in your kitchen based off where you put them. This is one of the versatile kitchen lighting ideas as you can put them wherever you like and there are no limitations.

9. Not asking for professional advice

We love sticking to a budget and creating our own little project that we can do ourselves. There are many different ways that you’re able to change up your kitchen without having to rip everything apart or take things out. But it’s always wise to ask for professional help as it can help you save thousands of dollars and prevent you from making any expensive mistake.

10. Choose the wrong tapware.

When picking finishing touches for your kitchen, there are many different styles and design that you may like. Be careful to always pick finishing touches that are the same style as your kitchen design. You don’t want to have your new kitchen looking odd with different finishing touches. If you’re after a contemporary kitchen, stick with brass tapware.

What is our Design Process?

Design processes can be tricky and confusing if it’s not explained to you properly. Especially if it’s your first time choosing the right company to make your design come true. To ensure that you understand what happens, here is our design process.

1. Site visit

Once you’ve had your first consultation with our designers, the next step will be to arrange a time that works for everyone so that our designer can have a site visit. This is a required step as our designers are about to take measurements and have a more in depth discussion with you about what you want and what’d you like.

2. Designing the layout

Based on the measurements taken from the site visit, our designers are then able to starting researching and designing the best layout or style that is bested suited for you. While they’re designing the perfect layout, they’ll also give suggestion based on the structure. We try our best to design a bathroom or kitchen that is based off your requirements but our designers do make suggestions here and there.

3. Colour Design and material choosing

Once we’ve finished designing the layout, we add some colour and materials that you have picked out for your kitchen or bathroom. During this process, our designers Cici and Dorothy are able to go with you to pick out colours and fittings and be able to give suggestions along the way.

4. Finalise all the fittings and appliances

Lastly, we finalise all your fittings and appliances in the design and from then on, they’ll email you the finished 3D design that they have created for you. From then you can discuss with our designers about any changes you’d like to make. Once you’ve approved of the design, then we’re able to start renovating and making you one step closer to having your dream room!

One of our 3D kitchen designs

Want more information about the process? Here is how we work with you!

Key Mistake to Avoid Making in the Design Process

The main mistake that you should avoid making in the design process is not communicating with our designers properly. Communication is an important step when renovating as miscommunication can create problems and end up having you wasting thousands on something you don’t like.

Advice From Our Designer

When trying to design your own kitchen or bathroom by yourself, our designers advice is to make sure that your design makes the space highly functionally and aesthetically pleasing but making your space aesthetically pleasing is a personal choice. Some more advice for you when you’re designing your own kitchen or bathroom, you should always question why you want to redesign the space. But most importantly, our designers have advised that you should always seek out professional help.

Before starting on your design, you need to first consider what kind of style would suit you best and go well with the rest of the house. To provide you with the best information possible, we’ve asked Cici and Dorothy our in house designers on what they think is the most popular style and trend for a kitchen or bathroom design. Our in house designers Cici and Dorothy both said that the most popular style for bathroom or kitchen is contemporary and modern.

Our in house designer Dorothy said, ‘that most clients prefer modern or contemporary design as they both has simple elements to boost the room size and tend to be naturally brighter.”

Down below, we have listed some elements that you need to make your bathroom or kitchen style look contemporary or modern.

Elements of a Contemporary Bathroom Design

Contemporary bathrooms just so happens to be the most popular bathroom style. We’ve also asked our designers on what style is popular when it comes to bathrooms and they both said contemporary. This style is most popular as you’re able to incorporate some modern features here and there.

Here are 6 elements that you need for your contemporary style bathroom.

1. Neutral Foundation

When thinking about having a contemporary style bathroom, neutral hues is the way to go when thinking about colour choices. Contemporary bathrooms mainly use white, black or a neutral colour for the overall look of the bathroom. Pure white or black foundations work best, and it allows you more freedom to decorate your bathroom to your liking. Later on in your bathroom decorations, you can also be able to accentuate the setting with a vibrant greenery and natural earthy materials. You can always use some vibrate colours as well to frame the room and give it a unique vibe.

2. Introducing Natural Elements Throughout

Designing a contemporary bathroom can be challenging as there are only certain elements you can choose that is within your style. Introducing natural elements throughout your bathroom can play a vital role to create a perfect symbiosis between modern sleek and timeless traditional. Opt for using natural materials like choosing natural instead of man-made materials. Look for hardwood, bamboo, cork, or stone to bring a bit of outdoors into your bathroom.

Natural Elements you can Add to your Bathroom

1. Widen Windows

Consider having bigger windows in your bathroom instead of small one. This can add a sense of tranquillity in your bathroom. Having a wider window also helps let in fresh air which is good for ventilation and getting rid of any damp bathroom smell. Having wider windows also helps let in more natural sunlight which provides your bathroom with a more natural look.

Wider windows in bathroom

2. Natural Light

Allowing as much natural light into your bathroom will provide a natural element and make the bathroom feel more open. Try to avoid covering your windows during the daytime as you’ll block the natural light. If you’re concerned for your privacy, consider incorporating plants outside your bathroom window. So you’ll be able to enjoy the outdoor view from your bathroom while still maintaining your privacy.

Natural sunlight in bathroom

Check out this bathroom renovation in Redvale

3. Add Greenery

Adding some succulents or plants to your bathroom decoration can help add vibrancy and natural focal points to your bathroom. Some plants can decrease levels of certain pollutants, reduce airborne dust, increase humidity and lower stress levels for people who see them.

3. Clean Lines

Clean horizontal lines are a main element of a contemporary bathroom as this can be applied to bathtubs, cabinets, and fixtures. Curvy, undulating planes have little relevance in a contemporary bathroom. Though the sharpness of certain elements can be softened with smooth angles as well. Think rectilinear in your cabinet choices to keep it basic.

Clean lines in this modern contemporary bathroom

Read more about this bathroom renovation in Albany

4. Less Ornamentation

Contemporary bathroom designs requires little to no ornamentation as contemporary design is all about sleek, clean lines. White tiles with solid colours or natural grain and texture are preferred over ones with ornate patterns. Instead of using ornate details and décor, contemporary spaces tend to stick more to colours with hues that are on the opposite end of the spectrum.

5. Simple Lighting

In contemporary bathrooms, simplicity is a running theme that extends towards lighting as well. Natural lighting is an important element to have in your contemporary bathroom as this can be easily achieved with the right choice of windows. Consider non ornate lighting fixtures or cone lighting on the walls, ample overhead lighting as well as top lighting for your vanity.

6. Lack of Clutter

Contemporary spaces have a minimalistic aesthetic and may not be well suited for everyone. Appliances and bathroom necessities like lotions, brushes, and appliances all how their own space hidden and tucked away so you’re not able to see it. Therefore it helps eliminate any clutter in the bathroom. Giving the bathroom a nice sleek look.

Lack of clutter on sink counter

See more photos from our Bathroom Renovation in Titirangi

Elements of a Modern Kitchen Design

Nowadays, the most popular kitchen style ranges from modern or contemporary or a mix of modern and contemporary elements. We asked our inhouse designers on which style is most popular that our clients choose and they both said modern.

Down below we have come up with 8 elements that make a modern kitchen.

1. Flat-Panel Door Style

Having a flat-panel door style helps create a sleek look in your kitchen. This can also be referred to as a slab-door style and is a signature element of a modern kitchen design. This is best used for your kitchen cabinets and is one of the most popular style. Some modern kitchens may use the shaker door style, but that leans more towards a transitional kitchen.

Flat Panel Door Style in Kitchen Design

See more of this kitchen design in Epsom

2. Frameless, fully-overlay cabinet construction

There are many names that are thrown around to describe this cabinet construction. What it means is that the door overlays the cabinet box, because when you look at the cabinets all you see are doors. Using these cabinets will allow you to have the exact same spacing between all your cabinets and drawers. This style is often use to create a more sleeker look for your modern kitchen design.

3. Sleek and Simple Hardware

Sleek and simple hardware can be integrated into cabinets as well as tubular or flat linear pulls. The sleek handles helps defines the cabinets. Modern kitchen cabinet are often pair with this type of hardware as it helps accentuates the lines of the cabinet. Full length cabinets are also a great option because it can add to the minimalist aesthetic and the horizontal lines will also be accentuated by the cabinet.

4. Lack of Ornamentation

The lack of ornamentation is where contemporary and modern kitchen stop being similar. In a modern kitchen, you won’t have or see any patterned tile shapes or colour with a modern design. The splashback is often glass to tie in with the sleek look and in a modern kitchen style, there will be no patterns or veining.

Lack of Ornamentation in Kitchen Design

Check out more photos of this kitchen renovation in Albany

5. Reliance on the beauty of natural materials

While a modern kitchen lacks ornamentation, that doesn’t mean your modern kitchen can’t be decorate. Since they don’t use any ornamentation for decorations, modern style rely on natural elements and materials. Using natural characteristics in materials, like the horizontal grain of oak or the veining of marble can often be found to add variety to the kitchen.

Tips to Bring A Natural Feel To Your Kitchen Design

1. Incorporate Large House Plants

Adding natural elements like houseplants can help add a natural feel to your kitchen. This is a great way to decorate your kitchen. If you kitchen has any free space and receives lots of natural light then adding large house plants that do well with the environment can make it look more natural and open up your kitchen a bit more.

2. Wood

Wood has always been a popular natural element to add to any design as there are many things that can be constructed out of wood. Like flooring, cabinets, furniture, etc. Using wood accents helps create a natural look that contrasts well with foliage and light and will do well to provide your kitchen with a natural feel.

3. Skylight

Being able to incorporate a skylight in your kitchen will definitely give your kitchen a natural feel. Having a skylight brightens up your kitchen with the amount of natural light coming in and can create a warm atmosphere. Although, skylights may not be for everyone or is too expensive to install, consider having large windows. Having large windows in your kitchen is also a great way to let natural light in, making the space feel more open.

6. Use of Horizontal Lines

In a modern kitchen design, they all share the same tendency to using horizontal lines. They can either be wide or long stacks of drawer cabinets lined in a row. The hardware of these cabinets are set long and horizontal so that they’re able to accentuate the lines of the drawers.

7. Consistency in style of accent pieces

In a modern kitchen style, all accent pieces like bar stools, lighting, chairs and tables should stay consistent in colour and style or else you end up having an eclectic kitchen rather than a modern kitchen. Sleek bar stools and pendant lights are consistent with a modern style and in some cases, you can add some colour to your accent pieces and you kitchen can still look modern.

Consistent accent style pieces across the kitchen design

To conclude, the design process can be tricky especially if it’s your first time. Creating your own design can be fun as you’re able to create something you know you’ll love. But there are many mistakes that you can make and hopefully with the help of this blog, you’re able to avoid these mistakes. This blog also contains elements of a contemporary bathroom and elements of a modern kitchen as those two styles are the most popular at the moment as said by our designers Cici and Dorothy

Following this guide will be sure to help you avoid any mistakes that you could make in your kitchen design and tips to ensure that you don’t make these mistakes in your kitchen design. So get out there and start designing a space that you’d love and enjoy spending time in!

Already have all your own trades and you’re comfortable managing them for your kitchen renovation?

Although we don’t recommend if you haven’t renovated a kitchen before and/or you don’t have trades people you can trust, most renovations if not all comes with it’s own surprises because not all homes are the same – this is where experience/project management plays an important role in minimises risks to maintain costs/delays giving you higher certainty of outcome/quality backed by associated guarantees and warranties.

However, if you do intend to manage the kitchen renovation yourself, it does work out more cost effective to contact a kitchen cabinetry manufacturer directly to get the kitchen cabinets designed, manufactured and installed – leaving you to manage the other trades such as flooring, demolition, painting, plastering, splashback/tiling, electrician, plumber, and sometimes a carpenter/builder.

Try Little Giant Interiors cost calculator below to see what you can expect to pay for cabinetry.

• New Kitchen Cabinetry Cost Calculator
• New Laundry Cost Calculator

Further Resources

1. Featured projects and Client stories to see specifications on some of the projects.
2. Real client stories from Auckland

Need ideas? Check out our Kitchen Design Gallery or dive into our Bathroom Design Gallery for inspiration!

Read more

While the bathroom might be the most used room in the house, a kitchen is easily the most hardworking room of a home. It is more prone to wear and tear because of high foot traffic with constantly having to withstand spills and cooking mess which means that your kitchen floor must be durable.

The evolution of our lifestyles also means that more homes in Auckland have an open planned kitchen which is connected to the living and dining room. The kitchen of today is easily visible from other living areas of the house which means that it must be uncluttered and aesthetically pleasing.

If you spend quite a bit of your time in the kitchen then you should choose a kitchen flooring that is comfortable to stand on. Today’s kitchens therefore wear several hats and need to be durable, strong, beautiful as well as comfortable on your feet.

In this article we will talk about how you to choose the right type of flooring for your kitchen with a special focus on Tiles as they have been the most popular with our clients.

Why tiles?

Tiles have been a natural choice for kitchen flooring because they are water-resistant, do not stain easily and come in various styles to create a functional yet beautiful kitchens. Using certain tiles can however be hard and cold which could be uncomfortable in winter or when you are cooking for an extended period.

So then how do you choose the right type of tiles for your flooring especially since there is such a variety in materials, patterns, and textures? We work very closely with Tile depot for your renovation projects so we thought it would be a good idea to have a chat with Ruth from Tile depot to understand more about Tiles for kitchens.

Tiles are also often used as splashbacks and as feature walls in a kitchen, so we decided to include them in the article. If you are looking at renovating your kitchen or simply planning on changing its flooring, then this article will be useful to understand how to choose the correct tiles for your family.

Need ideas? Check out our Kitchen Design Gallery or dive into our Bathroom Design Gallery for inspiration!

Table of contents

1.) Materials of tiles available today – Pros and cons for each

2.) Properties of Tiles that affect the choice of your kitchen tiles (Water resistance, Texture, Durability/PEI rating, Underlay and Natural lighting)

3.) In discussion with Ruth – 6 Questions to ask yourself before choosing the correct tiles for your kitchens- What is your budget?

– How much cooking happens in your kitchen? How much time do you spend in your kitchen?

– Is your kitchen a high traffic area?

– Is it an open planned kitchen or a separate room?

– Do you have young children?

– Do you need non-slip tiles?

4.) 5 top Tile trends for backsplash in Auckland – by Ruth

5.) 5 Top tile trends for kitchen flooring in Auckland – by Ruth

6.) 6 Top ideas for Feature walls by Ruth

Materials of Kitchen Tiles Available today – Pros and cons for each

There are many materials of tiles available today and it is always good to know as much as possible about each material. Knowing about the materials will give you a better idea of what works for your kitchen. Tiles can be broadly categorised into manufactured and natural stone tiles.

Examples of Manufactured tile materials:

• Ceramic tiles
• Porcelain ceramic tiles
• Terracotta
• Glass
• Cement

Examples of Natural stone tiles

• Marble
• Granite
• Limestone

Non porcelain Ceramic Kitchen Tiles

Ceramic tiles are one of the most cost effective type of kitchen tile available and have an extensive range of styles to choose from. Ceramic tiles are a mix of minerals and clays which are baked and then the pattern or texture is printed on them.

Ceramic tiles are however quite hard and can be very cold in winter. They also can be chipped easily and have sound reflective properties which means that they should be avoided in open plan kitchens. We would also recommend clients to use larger tiles as this means that there will be lesser grout lines to clean as grout does get stained quite easily.

Tip: We would recommend our clients to use ceramic tiles as feature walls or splashbacks but not the floors unless you have underfloor heating. Installing underfloor heating can however be expensive.

Luxury Ceramic tiles from the Vein cut series from Tile Depot (Tile Depot 2021)

Porcelain Kitchen tiles

Porcelain Kitchen tiles are more expensive than ceramic tiles but are non-porous which means that they are harder to damage. They are made of high quality clay and minerals that are compressed under high temperatures.

They are harder than ceramic tiles which means that they are harder to cut and heavy. They do however can be made to look like stone engineered marble, Cement or wood which makes them a great design option. They also make for good outdoor tiles which means that you can achieve a great indoor and outdoor floor if your kitchen is extended to the outside of your home.

Glazed Vs Non Glazed Porcelain Kitchen Tiles

All porcelain tiles are made by using natural clays and pigments which are then fired to harden them. This gives you an unglazed tile which looks more natural, has a textured look with a matte finish. Glazed tiles go through a second firing process, where a protective liquid glass coating is applied and a variety of colours or designs are printed upon this before firing them yet again. This give glazed tiles a slick look and they are often seen in more modern designs.

 

Unglazed porcelain tiles are textured and hence better for wet areas such as bathrooms, kitchen floors and laundry areas. They also feature more anti-slip properties when compared to glazed porcelain tiles. They are however harder to clean and are not ideal for kitchen splashbacks or as cabinet fronts. Glazed porcelain tiles are however more popular as they have a lot more variety in designs and colours. They are also easier to clean due to their non-porous surface and are often used as splashbacks, cabinet fronts and flooring for modern and contemporary designs.

Non-glazed tiles from the Heritage Collection (Tile depot 2021)

Pieno Perla Vernata Glazed Porcelain Tiles (Tile depot 2021)

Glass tiles

Glass tiles have traditionally been popular as splashbacks, countertops, backsplash, and feature walls. Glass tiles have always been used as a decorative tile and are mostly used in mosaics for truly beautiful look. They are non-porous so they will not let any dirt or grime get into it. They are however easy to scratch, and the surface can look dusty easily and are extremely difficult to install which means that they are not the best option as kitchen flooring.

Mosaic tiles are small bits of glass that are put together to elevate a kitchen design. We recommend clients to use mosaics as accents on the wall with details like horizontal line etc to elevate the overall design of the kitchen.

Tip: Use it as a feature wall or detailing on walls but avoid using them as a flooring or a backsplash.

Read more…

10 Mistakes to Avoid in your kitchen design – expert opinion from our Kitchen designers

How much does it cost to renovate a kitchen in 2022?

Stone Kitchen flooring Tiles

Stone tiles are made of natural stone and are not manufactured in the factory. Stone tiles are made of either limestone, granite, slate, or the more popular marble. Stone tiles are porous which means that they must be sealed every two years or so. They are usually polished so their natural design shines through, but they can be slippery when wet which can be a hazard for older people. While stone is durable, they can be a bit expensive to maintain as they must be resealed every 2-3 years. They will however last you a long time and give your kitchen a look of luxury which is hard to match with ceramic or porcelain tiles.

Marble flooring Tiles

Marble is the most common type of stone tiles used in New Zealand. They add a touch of understated elegance that will transform your kitchen into a luxurious space. As marble is a natural stone, you can expect some of your tiles to have different patterns which are natural to that marble tile. Marble tiles are however expensive so they might not suit every budget. You can however incorporate marble in smaller areas to save cost like the kitchen floor or splashback.

Granite Tiles

Granite tiles also have the naturally occurring flecks as marble, but they look a lot less luxurious as compared to marble. While marble exudes a sense of luxury, granite often does not add a sense of luxury. It is a cheaper alternative to marble tiles and choosing the right type of design is essential, so your flooring does not look dated. Granite tiles are not very popular as kitchen floor tiles in New Zealand but are often used outdoors.

Limestone Tiles

Limestone is almost never used as a kitchen flooring in New Zealand. It is often found as an outdoor tile, around the fireplace or as a feature wall.

Metal Tile and Resin Tiles

Using metal tiles is another great way to add some depth into your kitchen space as it elevates the over all kitchen design. They come in various shapes, sizes and finishes which make them a perfect addition as wall accents as well as feature walls.

Resin tiles add depth and dimension to a feature wall but they are prone to chipping so they should not be used in homes with very young children.

5 things to think about before choosing your kitchen flooring tile material

Now that you know the types of materials available in tiles, you should consider the following factors before deciding on your kitchen tiles.

1. Water resistance:

   Kitchens need a good water resistance flooring, so you are not always worrying about your flooring getting damaged. When using tiles on your kitchen floors we recommend using tiles that are unglazed with an absorption rate of 0.5% and unglazed tiles wit a maximum rate of 3%.

2. Texture:

   If you have elderly people in your household then you should go for more textured tiles as they are less slippery when wet. Textured tiles can however be quite hard to clean so they should be avoided in households that have young children as they are harder to maintain. If you have young children, then we recommend using mats in front of your sinks or wet areas.

3. Durability and measure of PEI:

   Durability refers to how well your tiles can withstand wear and tear. So how do you check the durability of a particular tile? The best way to check the durability of a tile is to check its PEI rating. The PEI rating of a tile is the measure of its resistance to abrasion. The higher the PEI rating the more it can withstand wear and tear before showing signs of deterioration. In most households, kitchens are considered a high traffic area and hence should have flooring that has a high PEI rating. We recommend our clients to use kitchen tiles that are rated at PEI 3 or PEI 4 as they are the best for high traffic areas. You can however use PEI 1 or PEI 0 rated tiles for feature walls as they do not have any foot traffic.

4. Underlay:

   Tiles should always be installed on a surface that is smooth, even and level. If your floor is not even then you might have to install a subfloor that is even, smooth and hard before you lay your tiles. It is always good to get your subfloor checked before you decide on your kitchen flooring.

5. Natural Lighting:

   People often do not think about the amount of natural lighting in their kitchen and the importance of it before purchasing their tiles. A tile in a well lit showroom or online on a website can look very different when compared to the tile within your kitchen.Glossy tiles for example are work well in smaller spaces with less natural lighting as reflect light and make the room look more lit up. This is also true with lighter coloured tiles as they reflect light and make the space appear larger.

In Discussion with Ruth from Tile Depot

As our preferred tiles supplier, we work very closely with Tile depot for flooring and tiling needs of our clients. Our project managers often seek advice from Ruth when it comes to choosing the right type of tiles for our client home renovations.

With this article our aim is to educate our clients on the type of tiles suited for their floors, backsplash, and feature walls so we decided that it was time to have a chat with Ruth. Ruth has over 16 years of experience with Tile depot, and she has extensive knowledge on the myriad of options available for tiles.

It is often very overwhelming when you walk into a tile showroom because there are so many options, and it is hard to make a choice.

When choosing kitchen tiles for our clients we believe that there are a few things that need to be considered before selecting a tile.

6 Questions to ask yourself before you choose your Kitchen tiles

1) What is your budget?

When renovating your kitchen, it is important to have an idea on what you want to be spending for tiling your kitchen. Tiles can really transform the look of your kitchen and some clients often feel that they would prefer making a statement through the clever use of tiles. For such clients we often recommend using porcelain tiles as they can be manipulated to look like wood, cement, or natural stone. They are more expensive than ceramic tiles but are more durable and of a higher quality so will last you a longer time.

Foil Porcelain tiles are installed in the Splashback as well as the floors and give a sense of Urban Luxury. A contrasting cement finish tiles are also used as the front of cupboards to add to the industrial kitchen design (Tile Depot, 2021)

If your budget allows, then we would recommend using natural stone tiles which add a sense of luxury and elegance to your kitchen. If you do however have a rental property, then you are looking for a return of your investment. For rental property renovations we recommend using tiles that are durable but also cost effective which could make ceramic tiles the best option for you.

You should always have an honest chat with your project manager about your budget so they are able to suggest the right options for your kitchen tiles. The good news is that tiles have evolved dramatically over the years and there are a lot of texture and design options no matter what your budget is.

2) How much cooking happens in your kitchen? And how much time do you spend in your kitchen?

Pro tip: Choose tiles that are easy to clean + Soft on your feet

Kitchen tiling needs for households that cook a lot is very different from the ones that do not cook as much. If you do cook a lot in your kitchen then will want to choose a backsplash which is easy to clean with a simple wipe. You might also want your flooring to be soft on your feet, so you do not tire easily when cooking for extended periods of time.

Kitchen flooring to consider

Most tiles are hard on the feet and can cause foot fatigue so no matter what tiles you chose your floors will be hard on your feet. You can remedy this situation by adding rugs on your kitchen floor or wearing comfortable shoes.

Ruth explains that there are alternatives to using tiles on kitchen floors if you do not want to add rugs and if you want a flooring that is softer on your feet. Laminate and wooden flooring care softer on your feet and will not make you as fatigues compared to tiles.

She also recommends a new hybrid flooring called SPC by Neptune which is becoming increasingly popular with Aucklanders for their kitchen floors. SPC stands for stone (limestone) polymer composite and has many benefits over tiles for your kitchen flooring. It is a mix of limestone and Vinyl and is manufactured in a way that it carries the benefits of both these materials.

Benefits of Neptune SPC

• It is 100% waterproof which means that they are perfect for kitchen floors
• It is softer on your feet as it embodies the qualities of limestone
• It does not echo the sound of footsteps and reduces the noise of any foot traffic. This is great for kitchens which are on the second storey of the house as you will not be able to hear any footsteps even if you are directly below the room.
• It is easy to clean and maintain
• It is much warmer than tiles so you will not require underfloor heating, warm rugs, or shoes while cooking.

If you do however prefer tiles for your kitchen floor, then opt for porcelain or natural stone tiles instead of ceramic. Also consider installing underfloor heating for the colder winter months.

Neptune Stone Polymer composite tiles (SPC) used in the kitchen. (Tile Depot 2021)

Read more…

See pictures of SPC Neptune flooring used in all our kitchen displays in our kitchen showroom in Wairau Valley

Kitchen Splashback tiles to consider

If you do cook a lot, then install a kitchen backsplash tile with fewer grout lines or grout lines that are sealed. If your grout lines are not sealed, then you will have to keep cleaning your grouting as they are easily stained.

It is also a good idea not to choose textured, 3D or handmade tiles as you will not be able to wipe off the stains easily. If you do however like handmade tiles, then we suggest using tiles that look man made and textured but are in fact have a smooth surface that is easy to clean.

This tiled splashback is textured and has grout lines, however the surface is smooth to touch and the grouting is sealed which makes cleaning easy. This is from the Hexa tile collection at Tile Depot (Tile depot 2021)

An example of this is the handmade looking tiles from Tribeca. These tiles look like they are handmade and have textured patterns but are in fact smooth on the surface and very easy to clean. They will also add an interesting design element to your kitchen.

Tribeca tiles are however on the more expensive side so if you are looking for a more budget friendly kitchen splashback tile then opt for either a glass splashback or white subway tiles as they are very cost effective. You can also install one large piece of ceramic or stone tile as a splashback if you do not want grout lines at all. Do not use porcelain as a splashback because they are very heavy and installation might be a problem.

See pictures of different splashbacks used in our kitchen renovations

Black glass splash back used in an Entertainer’s kitchen renovation in Massey

White subway tiles used in a Classic kitchen renovation in Epsom

Hexagonal 3D white frozen tiles used for texture and depth in this Kitchen renovation in Parnell

A combination of dark grey, white, black hexagonal tiles used to give a retro feel to this kitchen renovation in Bucklands Beach

3) Is it a high traffic area for your family?

You might not cook a lot but your kitchen could still be considered a high traffic area if several members of your family are always coming in and out of the kitchen. This could be to simply have a tea or use the island as a breakfast nook. If you have an open plan kitchen then there are higher chances that the kitchen will be a high traffic area.

If you kitchen is a high traffic area then your kitchen flooring should be easy to clean and also not echo your footsteps. For high traffic kitchens Neptune SPC flooring would be best for your kitchen as they are waterproof and do not echo sounds when people are going in and out of the kitchen.

Porcelain kitchen tiles and stone kitchen tiles will also be better compared to ceramic tiles as they are more waterproof than ceramic. You could also add rugs to the kitchen to control the noise made by footsteps. The sound of the footsteps should not be much of an issue if your kitchen is on the ground floor of your house. The noise mostly becomes an issue when the kitchen is on the 1^st floor and if there are bedrooms or living areas underneath it.

Neptune SPC used as Kitchen flooring for this open plan kitchen. This flooring is 100% water resistance, soft on your feet, durable, and warmer compared to tiles

Aspen wood Neptune SPC used as a kitchen flooring

For more budget friendly options, you could opt for luxury laminate for your kitchen flooring as they are softer on the feet, easy to clean and do not echo the sounds of footsteps. If you are installing laminate floors, then do remember to clean the floors immediately in case of any water spillage as they are not waterproof.

4) Is it an open planned kitchen or is your kitchen a separate room?

Open planned kitchens pose a unique challenge when choosing the materials for the kitchen. As your kitchen will be visible from the living and dining area, you want to make sure that your kitchen is renovated in a similar style as the rest of the living space.

Our kitchen designer Cici says that the two most important things about an open planned kitchen is to have a continuity in design with the rest of the living room area. When choosing splashbacks, flooring, feature walls, countertops, and tapware, always make sure that they complement the rest of your living space.

Before starting your renovating, ask your kitchen designer to come over to your home for a visit so they can see the overall design of your living space. Try and have a similar colour scheme for your walls or go for a contrasting style which still complements the style of the rest of the space.

The same glazed porcelain tiles are used in the kitchen as well as the dining area which makes the design more cohesive. These porcelain tiles have a matte stone look which makes gives the space an Urban contemporary look. (Tile Depot, 2021)

Choose kitchen tiles that are like the ones in your living and dining area for a seamless feel. If you are changing the flooring of the entire living area, then opt for natural stone or porcelain tiles. These tiles elevate the design of a room a lot more than ceramic tiles as ceramic tiles can look dated.

When asked Ruth what the current trend was for open planned kitchens, she said “the current trend is to get a stone matte finish tiles for your living and kitchen area”. These porcelain tiles are glazed and hence easy to clean which makes them a popular choice for open planned kitchens. They are more cost effective than natural stone tiles like marble so are more suited for most budgets.

Glazed porcelain tiles used as splashback to create a modern kitchen. These York tiles come in a matte and glossy finish depending on your preference and are easy to clean as they are glazed. These splashback tiles can also be used as a feature wall and are a great choice for open plan kitchens because of their modern look which will elevate your kitchen design. Tile Depot 2021)

5) Do you have children and hence need tiles that can be cleaned easily and are warmer?

If you have young children, then you might want a flooring that is warmer and not easily scratched. Use glazed porcelain tiles or natural stone tiles for the floors and install underfloor heating if your house does not already have it. Luxury laminate is also an option but it can sometime be scratched easily so might not be the best option if your children are too young.

6) Does your kitchen floors need non-slip tiles?

If you have elderly people living in your house then you should install tiles that have a good anti-slip rating. Tile depot carries an extensive Lifemark range of kitchen tiles that are suited for households that need anti slip tiles.

“In addition to anti-slip tiles, we also have this new range of Microgrip kicthen tiles that are great for bathrooms as well as kitchens. They basically become anti-slip when water falls on them. They also have anti-bacterial properties so these are truly a revolutionary product” says Ruth about their newest range of Microgrip kitchen tiles.

Enzo Microgrip tiles that become anti-slip when wet (Tile Depot 2021)

Ruth Shares Current trends for Kitchen Flooring, Kitchen Splashback and Kitchen Feature walls for Auckland homes

Ruth deals with clients who are renovating, building their homes from scratch, new builds, architects, and renovation companies. We wanted to know more about what Aucklanders were using for their kitchen flooring, Kitchen splashback, and tiles. She gave us some great insights to Aucklanders’ buying habits and the trends that she has seen for tiles as well as the trends that have begun to decline.

5 Kitchen Splashback/ Backsplash tile trends for Auckland kitchens

1.White subway tiles are on their way out

“The white subway look has really been overdone and does not add much to a kitchen” says Ruth about white subway tiles. White subway tiles became very popular as kitchen splashbacks as well as wall tiles for bathrooms in the last few years because they added a contemporary flair to the kitchen. More people are now looking at ways of adding colour and interest in the kitchen through splashbacks.

2. Earthy and warm kitchen backsplashes are becoming a popular choice

Ruth says that more people are now are choosing warm and earthy colours for their backsplash. Earthy colours often bring in a sense of warmth into the kitchen and make it look more homely. They are also a way of bringing some nature into the décor of your kitchen which has become a popular trend in the last few years, especially for urban homes like Auckland.

Warm yellow tiles are used in this kitchen as a splashback. These tiles are from the Tribeca collection at Tile Depot and this range comes with various warm coloured tiles. (Tile Depot 2021)

3. Handmade looking kitchen backsplash tiles

There has been a growing trend of adding artistic elements to the overall kitchen design. People often add these touches through artistic backsplashes, feature walls or accessories while choosing simpler contemporary materials for cabinets and floors.

Hexagonal tiles add a retro element to your kitchen design. The surface is still very smooth and the grouting has been sealed to make cleaning easy. (Tile Depot 2021)

Tiles which are handmade have patterns, carvings and often textured which is not suitable for backsplash as all these nooks and crannies can be hand to clean. Thanks to technology however, tiles can be made to look handmade without being handmade. The new Tribeca collection from Tile depot features handmade looking tiles which are smooth when you touch the surface which makes the, a great choice for backsplash.

4. Kitchen backsplash tiles with Patterns

Patterns are another way to incorporate an artistic touch to your kitchen design. Ruth says that the artisan tiles can also be used as accents to the walls instead of just a splashback or an entire feature wall. Adding accents or a horizontal like of artisan tiles on your kitchen wall will instantly elevate its overall style without costing you a lot.5. How you install the tiles Ruth says that there are two ways that you can dramatically change look of your kitchen. The first would be the tile and the second is the way you install the tiles. “you do not have to always install the tiles horizontally, the new trend has been to be creative in the way the tiles are installed” says Ruth.

Artisan patterned tiles from Tile depot were used as a splashback. The neutral and light colours used are versatile and can be used for most kitchen designs. The patterns on the tile give the kitchen an artistic look and elevates the overall design of the kitchen. (Tile Depot 2021)

5. How you install the tiles for your backsplash

Ruth says that there are two ways that you can dramatically change look of your kitchen. The first would be the tile and the second is the way you install the tiles. “you do not have to always install the tiles horizontally, the new trend has been to be creative in the way the tiles are installed” says Ruth.

This kitchen features simple white subway tiles but the way they are installed is what actually adds a design element to an otherwise simple kitchen design. (Tile Depot 2021)

5 kitchen flooring trends in Auckland by Ruth

1. High-end look with stone matte finishes

As most kitchens in Auckland have evolved into an open planned layout, there has been a greater emphasis on aesthetics within a kitchen design. Ruth explains that she has seen a rising trend in Aucklanders opting for a high end look by selecting tiles that look like stone and have a matte finish. Glazed porcelain tiles are great for most budgets to create this look as they are a cheaper option compared to natural stone tiles. To create continuity, install the same tiles in your dining and living areas if you have an open plan kitchen.

These glazed porcelain tiles give a high end natural stone look because of their grey matte finish. The appearance of grout lines is also minimal because the grout lines are very thin and almost match the colour of the tiles. (Porfido collection, Tile Depot 2021)

Another example of Glazed Porcelain tiles with a natural stone look. These matte tiles have been installed throughout the living area as well as the kitchen floors to give a unified look. (Tile Depot, 2021)

2. Shiny tiles are declining in popularity

Shiny tiles have been very popular in the last couple of decades and remain popular to a certain extent. However, more people are gravitating towards the matte finish because it exudes a certain kind of understated elegance. We still recommend people with small kitchens or bathrooms to install shiny tiles as they reflect natural light as well as any other light and make your spaces appear larger.

3. Large tiles 1200 by 900

Larger tiles have become increasingly popular as they have lesser grout lines and provide a cleaner look. Having lesser grout lines also means that you if you have a small room then it will make it look larger as there are ‘lesser breaks’ on the kitchen floor. The most popular size for large tiles is 600 by 900 and 1200 by 900.

4. No grout lines

As seen in the picture, this kitchen flooring features large slabs of square tiles where the grouting is matched with the colour of the tile. This give the floor a a sort of continuity as the grout lines are hardly visible. (Tile Depot 2021)

As mentioned above there is an emphasis on having lesser grout lines for kitchen flooring. You can also match the colour of your tiles with the grouting to give you an appearance of having no grout lines.

5. Woodgrain tiles have seen a decline in popularity

Woodgrain tiles have been quite popular in the last decade but have seen a decline in popularity. Woodgrain tiles look and feel like natural wood which is great for people who want wooden flooring but not the hassle of maintaining them. However, as more people are opting for contemporary styles for their homes, they prefer a natural stone look as compared to wood grain tiles.

6 ideas for feature walls for your open plan kitchen

1. Woodgrain tiles as feature walls have seen an increase in popularity

While woodgrain tiles might be declining in popularity as floors, they are seeing an increase in popularity as feature walls. There has been a growing trend of incorporating elements of nature in urban Auckland homes which makes woodgrain tiles a great option as a feature wall.

2. Designer tiles with designs of nature

A lot of people want a feature wall because they want to create a ‘wow’ factor. They often keep the rest of their colour scheme neutral and create a feature wall with floral prints. Ruth tells us a bit more about their range of glam tiles which come in 1200 by 900 size and has three different patterns which are put together to create a scene of nature.

These Glam tiles from Tile depot feature 3 large 1200 by 900 tiles that are installed together to create a pattern. These three tiles are repeated to make this feature wall. This Glam collection has various styles of flowers and leaves. (Tile Depot, 2021)

3. Textured tiles, mosaics, geometric patterns, and natural stone tiles

Textured tiles are great as feature walls because they do not need to be cleaned very often like the splashback or kitchen flooring. They also do not have to be very durable as they do not experience any wear in tear like foot traffic or spillages which makes any tile a great option for feature walls. Textured tiles create interest, depth and elevate the overall design of your kitchen.

Two different types of tiles are used to create this feature wall. The tiles are glazed ceramic with a satin finish which makes them look almost like a wall paper. This bold feature wall adds a sense of modern sophistication to the space and come from the Sospiri collection at Tile Depot (Tile Depot, 2021)

There are many options to choose from for textured tiles. You can use natural rugged stone or brick tiles around your fireplace or for a more rustic styled living area. You could also add a feature wall with geometric and 3d patterns for a more modern or contemporary look. Mosaics have always been a popular choice as they make your space look artistic and Moorish. Regardless of your budget, you will find plenty of options for feature walls.

4. Accents in feature walls

If you do not want an entire wall of tiles for your feature wall, then you can install wall accent tiles. You could install small beads or mosaics in a horizontal or vertical line on the wall of your kitchen. You could create patterns or designs on the wall without tiling your entire wall. If artistically done, this could add a certain elegance to your wall but we do recommend consulting a designer before go ahead full steam.

These tiles are a great example of mixing neutral coloured tiles with a more bold tile to create interest within a feature wall without covering the entire wall with a bold colour (Tile Depot, 2021)

5. Creating interest through installation

As mentioned earlier, the way you install your tiles can also make a huge difference on the final look of your feature wall.

As seen above, the method of installation and the combination of two different coloured tiles can create a beautiful look for your open planned kitchen. These tiles are glazed ceramic tiles from the Casablanca collection at Tile Depot (Tile Depot 2021)

The same tiles were used for the backsplash and the feature wall to create a continuous and dramatic look. The way the tiles were installed also makes a huge difference to the overall look of the kitchen. Tiles used were from the May tile collection (Tile Depot 2021).

6. Bright and Bold colours

If you have a neutral colour scheme then opt for bright or warm colours to create contrast. You could also add matte dark grey tiles as a feature wall to create a dark and stormy mood for your living space.

This splashback also acts as a feature wall with its cool aqua colour and brings a sort of serenity to the space when coupled with off white cabinet fronts. These glazed tiles have a smooth surface which are easy to clean. (Calx Aquamarina 100×300 tiles from Tile Depot, 2021)

“The biggest mistake people make when they choose tiles is that sometimes they choose tiles that clash with eachother or there are too many patterns that do not work well together. It is important that you create a story with the tiles that you choose for your kitchen flooring, Splashbacks and Feature walls” Says Ruth when asked what is the most important aspect of choosing tiles.

Already have all your own trades and you’re comfortable managing them for your kitchen renovation?

Although we don’t recommend if you haven’t renovated a kitchen before and/or you don’t have trades people you can trust, most renovations if not all comes with it’s own surprises because not all homes are the same – this is where experience/project management plays an important role in minimises risks to maintain costs/delays giving you higher certainty of outcome/quality backed by associated guarantees and warranties.

However, if you do intend to manage the kitchen renovation yourself, it does work out more cost effective to contact a kitchen cabinetry manufacturer directly to get the kitchen cabinets designed, manufactured and installed – leaving you to manage the other trades such as flooring, demolition, painting, plastering, splashback/tiling, electrician, plumber, and sometimes a carpenter/builder.

Try Little Giant Interiors cost calculator below to see what you can expect to pay for cabinetry.

• New Kitchen Cabinetry Cost Calculator
• New Laundry Cost Calculator

Further Resources

1. Featured projects and Client stories to see specifications on some of the projects.
2. Real client stories from Auckland

Need ideas? Check out our Kitchen Design Gallery or dive into our Bathroom Design Gallery for inspiration!

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Want to renovate a kitchen in your apartment, villa, condo or any other style of house?

You have landed on the right page. At Superior Renovations, we are your go-to kitchen makeover Auckland specialists. With us, you can transform your dreams to reality and get the kitchen from your dreams.

You might think as though you have few options when it comes to your kitchen makeover in Auckland. However this is far from the truth. A kitchen makeover is a possibility if your kitchen is in the hands of a skilled team . We can transform it into something more functional in terms of convenience and give it a real makeover with the help of our expert designers. – even with a limited budget or building restrictions.

Need ideas? Check out our Kitchen Design Gallery or dive into our Bathroom Design Gallery for inspiration!

Kitchen Makeover Auckland: Taking Care Of All Styles, Needs And Expectations

We can all agree that kitchens are the undisputed heart of the home. They are the place where everyone gathers, mingles and lingers during parties – and where the magic of cooking happens. They are an essential part of a home. If your kitchen lacks the space or functionalities that you expect, you should definitely consider a kitchen renovation.

Our kitchen makeover specialists can give your kitchen a new life whether you like a modern or a more traditional kitchen design.

Speaking of, our services include but are not limited to:

Modern Kitchen Makeovers:

Modern kitchen makeovers are all about sleek finishes, contemporary design and comfort! The monochromatic palette, streamlined furnishings and well-thought-out storage design that come with modern kitchen makeovers create the illusion of spaciousness. That is why the fuss-free modern kitchen aesthetic is perfect for a smaller space where every inch counts. By incorporating efficient design details and layouts, you can achieve a fantastic kitchen makeover. You will find that a lot of north shore residents opt for modern kitchen makeovers as these sleek designs complement the bay and sea areas.

Read: How to create a modern kitchen in Auckland

Here are some of the elements of a modern kitchen:

• The colour of your kitchen has a significant impact on your mood and makes a strong impression on people visiting your house. Usually, modern kitchens showcase monochrome hues such as white and black. However, sometimes bright colours are also added for a wow effect.
• Storage system. Modern kitchens are all about organization and comfort. You might be wondering: “What does my kitchen makeover need in terms of storage?” A kitchen is made up of a lot of different elements that should be readily available when you need them. Hence, your kitchen makeover in North Shore or any other Auckland suburb needs to include an efficient storage system. Not only does it makes the kitchen look better, but it also adds comfort and efficiency. So you don’t need to look for utensils when you need them. Marie Kondo would be proud!

Traditional kitchen makeovers

Traditional kitchen makeovers are all about sophistication and class. They are famous for traditional architectural elements that originated from the Old World countries like England and France. Elegant lines, craftsmanship and expensive materials are important. Here are some of the most common elements of traditional kitchen makeovers in North Shore (again a high demand in the shore!) area:

• Hands down, furniture-style cabinets are the most prominent feature when it comes to traditional kitchen makeovers. They may have mitered door panels, glass inserts and carved trims and decorative embellishments. It’s also essential that the modern kitchen appliances such as refrigerators and dishwashers can be covered with cabinet doors.
• Stone or quartz countertops. Usually, traditional kitchens showcase natural stone or quartz countertops. Other popular materials are marble and granite. Traditional countertops also feature prominent edging of the stone. The most popular styles are bevel and bullnose edging that adds a distinct look to the traditional kitchen.

See project specifications for Traditional kitchen renovated by us

traditional classic kitchen for a historic home in Epsom

Rustic Traditional Kitchen for Mary Stuart’s home in Stanmore Bay

Classic Kitchen renovation for a bungalow in Greenhithe

Contemporary kitchen makeovers

“Can my kitchen makeover include contemporary elements?” Absolutely! If you’re thinking of giving your existing kitchen a new, modern look, a contemporary style might be right up your alley! The beauty of a contemporary kitchen makeover is defined by sleek design, geometric lines and innovative appliances. Here are some of the elements that define a contemporary-style kitchen:

• Cutting-edge appliances. Nothing speaks of a contemporary style than new technology. People all over North Shore have been looking for better appliance performance, lighter materials, durability and advanced features when it comes to contemporary kitchen makeovers. Built-in coffee machines, integrated house systems and high-functioning electronics are among one of the most frequently requested additions to the remodelled kitchen.
• A mix of materials. Contemporary design is known for pushing boundaries. One of the most prominent tell signs of a contemporary kitchen makeover is the use of layered materials. Feel free to mix and match different shapes, textures and various types of wood to achieve a sleek, contemporary look.

Contemporary Kitchens renovated by us

Luxury Urban kitchen renovation in Parnell

Entertainer’s dream kitchen renovation in Massy

Cottage kitchen renovations

“I’d like my kitchen makeover to include a cottage-style kitchen design” No problem! Ah, cottage life. Cosy, happy and relaxing, a cottage-style kitchen is a pure heart of the house. A cottage kitchen makeover is all about going back to simpler times and evoking a sense of care-free living. Here are some of our favourite elements of a cottage kitchen makeover:

• Open shelving. A cottage-style kitchen usually takes its inspiration from farm-houses and barn-style life. Installed in place of traditional cabinets, open shelves recall the day when a kitchen was more practical than decorative. It also all about practicality: the openness of open shelves help to create an illusion of a larger space.
• Farm-house sinks. Also called apron-front sinks, these sinks made a huge come-back in a recent couple of years. They create a sense of country-living and are unfussy enough to work with more modern-style cottage kitchen makeovers.

Read: Cottage kitchen makeover done in Mangere Bridge

Rustic kitchen renovations

Rather than going for a clean, sleek look, rustic kitchen renovations turn to simplicity and warmth of the old colonial design. Rustic, Old World-style kitchens are also designed with functionality in mind to accommodate the busiest area of the house. Some of the elements of the rustic kitchen include:

• Hardwood floors: Made out of expensive natural wood, hardwood flooring lends for an earthy, countryside living feeling. Solid hardwood suits the rustic kitchen best, especially if it’s unpolished and shows off the wood grain.
• Decorative stone. Elements of rock also work great in the rustic kitchen. Whether it is placed in the fireplace hearth or covers an entire wall, it’s a fantastic feature to achieve the rustic look.

See: Rustic Style kitchen renovation in Stanmore Bay

A Kitchen Makeover That Looks Fantastic – In Line With Your Budget And Time

At Superior Renovations, we have all the experience and expertise to ensure that your kitchen makeover looks fantastic. We will deliver a great design that is in line with your time and budget. Most importantly, we will make the difference you need and add maximum value to your home.

How to choose the right tapware for your kitchen – Q & A with Kitchen Hub

From layout to materials, concept and overall scope of work, we will show that your kitchen makeover Auckland looks fantastic – and gives you the functionality, versatility and efficiency that you deserve.

You can either have a look at some of our previous kitchen renovations in Auckland – or get in touch with us to show you what we can do for your kitchen.

In the end, it is safe to say that a kitchen remodel in Auckland can give you the greatest return on investment in terms of its resale value – not to mention the functionality and comfort that you will receive as a homeowner.

If you are interested in the latter, all you need is to follow this link and submit your details, or call us directly on the phone.

Already have all your own trades and you’re comfortable managing them for your kitchen renovation?

Although we don’t recommend if you haven’t renovated a kitchen before and/or you don’t have trades people you can trust, most renovations if not all comes with it’s own surprises because not all homes are the same – this is where experience/project management plays an important role in minimises risks to maintain costs/delays giving you higher certainty of outcome/quality backed by associated guarantees and warranties.

However, if you do intend to manage the kitchen renovation yourself, it does work out more cost effective to contact a kitchen cabinetry manufacturer directly to get the kitchen cabinets designed, manufactured and installed – leaving you to manage the other trades such as flooring, demolition, painting, plastering, splashback/tiling, electrician, plumber, and sometimes a carpenter/builder.

Try Little Giant Interiors cost calculator below to see what you can expect to pay for cabinetry.

• New Kitchen Cabinetry Cost Calculator
• New Laundry Cost Calculator

Need more information?

Take advantage of our FREE Complete Home Renovation Guide (48 pages), whether you’re already renovating or in the process of deciding to renovate, it’s not an easy process, this guide which includes a free 100+ point check list – will help you avoid costly mistakes.

Download Free Renovation Guide (PDF)

Have you been putting off getting renovations done?

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Kitchens today have a multi faceted role in our lives and are not merely a place where the cooking is done. As we evolve more towards an open style living, our kitchens have become a focal point of how families interact on an everyday basis. It is a place where everyone gets together to cook, it is also a place where family and friends come over and hang around on bar stools while others cook.

This open style living has made it even more important for our kitchens to be functional, have a good kitchen layout and be aesthetically attractive. Having an open plan kitchen means that the aesthetics of the rest of your home is often extended to the kitchen in order to have some continuity.

Key Elements to design:

• Classic Kitchens ↓
• Traditional Kitchens ↓
• Contemporary Vs Modern Kitchens ↓
• Cottage Style Kitchens ↓
• Industrial Kitchens ↓

Need ideas? Check out our Kitchen Design Gallery or dive into our Bathroom Design Gallery for inspiration!

Key Elements of Classic Kitchen Designs ↑

Classic kitchens are supposed to reflect a timeless kitchen design that does not go out of style. They should not however be confused for traditional kitchen designs. Classic kitchens have a neutral palette that gives it a fresh new feel.

As classic kitchens mostly have a neutral palette, they might not be for everyone. They might feel too bland for people who love colours and perhaps too ornate for people who like sleek modern lines for their interiors.

Due to their neutral palette they will easily complement the rest of your home’s interior. If the rest of your home is modern, then a few small changes in your classic kitchen can modernise it.

Colour Schemes in Classic Kitchen Designs

As mentioned above, classic kitchens are meant to have a simple and light design with minor ornate detailing. They are not too dark, traditional, or complicated in their kitchen design. Classic Kitchen designs have a neutral overall colour palette for their walls and cabinets. This however does not have to mean that they need to look bland.

A great way to add some interest and colour is to add a dark countertop/benchtop. Create contrast by adding dark light fixtures, benchtops, flooring, or minor detailing to the neutral colour scheme.

Classic Kitchen we renovated in Epsom

 

The above kitchen was renovated in a Historic home in Epsom. The previous kitchen was in a traditional style but the new owners wanted a more timeless look for their kitchen. We demolished the previous fixtures and custom built the kitchen in a classic style. See full project specifications: Classic Kitchen renovation in Epsom

Cabinets in Classic Kitchen Designs

Always remember your design brief when choosing fixtures and materials for your classic kitchen design. A classic kitchen needs to be timeless which means that the cabinetry should be chosen keeping simplicity in mind. Too many ornate features on the cabinets will make the kitchen design look too traditional. Instead, opt for shaker style cabinet doors which feature clean lines with a recessed centre in the middle. If you do want to add more details on the cabinets then you can add some bead moulding on the edges.

When renovating classic kitchens, we use Dezignatek Thermoform that is wrapped around the cabinets with minor detailing. Thermoformed doors are of a high quality and are highly durable which makes them a great choice for cabinets in a classic kitchen.

Handles and Doorknobs

A no-handle set up which is often featured in modern kitchens, does not work well for classic kitchens. This style is too modern for a timeless look which means that you should opt for cabinet door handles in your classic kitchen design.

You can also create contrast to an otherwise neutral kitchen with door handles. Try using matte black door handles to add elegance and interest in your classic kitchen design. Shiny handles can make your kitchen look more contemporary.

Benchtops

Although it is quite high-maintenance, marble is one of the essential elements in a traditional kitchen. Granite or Caesar stones can work too, as long as you opt for a monochrome color scheme.

A black marble bench top would provide a great contrast to an overpowering all-white kitchen.

Marble countertops are an essential for classic kitchens. However marble is very hard to maintain and can prove to be very expensive. Alternatives to marble can be stone engineered countertops that can be given a marble or granite look. Stone engineered countertops can be made to look like marble with a design on them and can be made in any colour.

If you want some contrast in your kitchen then you can opt for darker shades for your countertop.

Fixtures and Hardware

A great thing about classic kitchens is that they can be transformed into any other style by mixing elements of different styles within the design.

Sinks and Faucets

Sinks in classic kitchens are usually not chrome or stainless steel. A white butler’s sink works great for classic kitchen designs. If you do not want to butler’s sink, then opt for a Silgranit sink which comes in various colours and textures. More of our clients are going with classic Silgranit sinks as they are more durable and can make your kitchen look more contemporary.

Black Silgranit sink used in a Kitchen renovation in Rosedale, Albany

Textured double grey Silgranit Sink used in a Kitchen renovation in Papatoetoe

Antique looking taps with a high spout works in matte brass colours can be within a classic kitchen design to add something of the past and present. If you are not fond of brass looking taps then you can also opt for taps in chrome or other colours as long as they do not look too sleek or ornate.

Astra Walker range from Kitchen Hub has several designs in their classic and contemporary range to choose from for any type of classic kitchen design.

Kitchen Hub’s classic kitchen tapware

Long sprouted curved tap in a kitchen renovation in Epsom

If you are looking for a purely classic theme, then you can use the Astra Walker classic range to add some history and drama to the design. Use matte black fixtures to create contrast or you can use shinier chrome for a more neutral design.

Cooking Range and Splashback

A cooking standalone cooking range which slides in between your cabinets makes for a great focal point in a classic kitchen. A dark grey rangehood with iron grates and upward knobs should be used instead of induction cooktops as they look too modern for a classic kitchen.

A grey cooking range was used with white subway tiles as a backsplash for a timeless classic design – Kitchen renovation in Epsom

The size of your tiles is not important when choosing a splashback for your kitchen design. As mentioned above, it is more the colour palette that is important in a classic kitchens. You can add textured tiles or even marble in neutral colours as your splashback. If you want to add some interest then you can use dark grey grouting between tiles.

Light fixtures

A great way of introducing focal points and interest in your classic kitchen design can be through pendant lighting. A long antique looking pendant lightings which hangs above your island can really lift your kitchen design. Their height can be adjusted to suit the length that you prefer.

This long multi-bulb pendant light was installed above the dining table

Two separate long pendant lights installed above the breakfast Island

We do however suggest only getting a couple of pendant lights for your kitchen as too many of them can give your kitchen a cluttered feel. If you have a large kitchen then you can install wall mounted lighting which do not look to sleek.

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Key Elements of Traditional Kitchen Designs ꜛ

Traditional kitchens are all about intricate features in cabinets, ceilings, and countertops. They put an emphasis on details and most traditional kitchens work well in larger spaces. This is because most traditional kitchen designs feature a darker colour palette and a furniture-like pieces that can feel bulky if you have a small area to work in. More modern traditional kitchen designs feature a lighter palette which have dainty and delicate crown mouldings etc which are often seen in old villas and cottages of Auckland.

Colour scheme in Traditional Kitchens

Classic and contemporary kitchens often feature cool colours in their kitchens but the colour scheme in traditional kitchens mostly feature warm colours. Light beige, yellows and shades of brown are often popular in traditional kitchen designs which mimic the kitchens of the past. Having a traditional kitchen does not mean that your kitchen must look dingy, dark or outdates.

Understanding the different shades of brown and yellows and how well they work together can make all the difference in designing a beautiful kitchen that almost mimics Villas in Tuscany and Spain. If you are going with dark cabinets then choose a lighter beige countertop with orange or yellow undertones.

 

We renovated this Spanish Style Traditional Kitchen in Stanmore Bay, Auckland

 

The above renovation was done in Stanmore Bay for our client who hailed from the US. She wanted to renovate her closed off kitchen into an open plan kitchen in a traditional style. Her brief was that she wanted her kitchen to feel like a rustic style Spanish Villa. The use of brows, yellows, brass, wood and mosaic are reminiscent of Spanish Villas. See full project specifications – Mary Stuart’s Kitchen Renovation

 

Mary Stuart’s Rustic Style Traditional Kitchen in Stanmore Bay, Auckland

 

 

Since there is a lot of dark colour used in cabinets in a traditional kitchen, we often suggest our clients to go for lighter walls as this will make the rest of your kitchen stand out more. You can also opt for lighter white cabinets if you have a small space, but this is usually seen in cottage style kitchens. We will discuss cottage style kitchen designs later in this article.

Some traditional kitchens also include features and cabinets that are a darker blue and are mostly popular in the UK. These kitchens could also be categorised as country kitchens or cottage style kitchens.

Cabinets in Traditional Kitchen Designs

Cabinets are the star of a traditional kitchen as they are full of character through rich warm colours, details and ornate handles. Unlike contemporary or modern style kitchens which focus on simplicity, traditional cabinets focus on embellished designs for their cabinets. If you want a traditional kitchen design, then stay away from shaker style cabinets or plain smooth ones.

Instead, opt for a more vintage raised panel or a classic raised panel for the cabinet doors. Also stay away from a shiny finish and choose matte materials for your kitchen cabinets. Another great way to incorporate a traditional feel for your kitchen would be to use glass display doors for one side of the wall mounted cabinets. Traditional kitchen designs often feature a mix of open shelves, closed bottom cabinets and a few cabinets that have a glass front door. This will also make you kitchen appear more spacious.

Mary wanted her cabinets to look like they had been made by real wood like Oak or Timber. Oak and Timber are however very expensive especially in New Zealand. We custom built all cabinets with MDF boards and the front panels were made with textured woodgrain ‘Jarrad Legend’ Melteca. This is a highly durable material that does not require much maintenance. We also used rustic looking dull cupboard handles for all cabinetry.

 

 

Handles and Doorknobs

Cabinet handles should exude a sense of old-world charm in traditional kitchens. Think brass ornate handles or even drop-down handles for your kitchen cabinet and drawers. If you feel that drop down handles are too bulky or too traditional looking then choose small, rounded knobs for a cleaner look.

You can also look for cabinet handles which are decorative to bring out a more Spanish feel to your kitchen design. If you want a more unified look then use the same doorknobs as the handles for your kitchen cabinets.

Benchtops

As discussed above traditional kitchens are usually found in larger spaces which means that they have an island. Benchtops in traditional kitchens often add a sense of luxury to the overall design. This is because they are often the only shiny element in a traditional kitchen design. The cabinets and other elements of a traditional kitchen are often found in matte finishes so shiny finish benchtop is a great way to add another dimension and depth to the design.

Granite, Quartz and Marble are popular materials for a benchtop in traditional designs. These materials however can prove to be expensive and are hard to maintain. If you have a busy household and do not want to spend time cleaning your benchtop then we would recommend you use a custom-built stone engineered stone for your benchtop.

Most of our clients opt for stone engineered countertops as they are easy to maintain and highly durable. They are also very versatile when it comes to design features as they can be custom built in any colour or texture. We often recommend our clients to use light beige with inbuilt patters for benchtops in traditional kitchens as they complement the darker cabinets well.

 

Custom built stone engineered countertop used for Mary’s kitchen. We made this engineered stone look like pattered granite with a shiny sheen. The pattern chosen above is called Autumn leaf and like its name has yellow and mustard undertones which complements the dark cabinets well.

 

Fixtures and Hardware for Traditional Kitchens

You can choose your fixtures based on how traditional you want your kitchen design to be. If you are going for a very traditional design, then keep your appliances ornate and follow our guide below. If you want to include elements of a contemporary or classic design, then simply include fixtures from contemporary or classic designs. Classic and contemporary kitchens complement traditional designs so you will still be able to achieve a symbiotic design. Modern design fixtures however do not go well with traditional styles and hence should not be incorporated into a traditional kitchen design.

Sinks and Faucets

The things that make a traditional kitchen are its details. If you are going for a more Tuscan style or Spanish style traditional kitchen then use brass sinks and long arched brass faucets. If you are however going for more English style kitchen then use chrome taps with ornate details and a separate hot and cold tap.

Brass sink and dull brass tap used to make the kitchen look rustic yet traditional

Cooking Range and Splashback

Traditionally cooking ranges were not mounted on a benchtop with screws which has become a growing trend now for contemporary and modern kitchens. Traditional kitchens mostly feature a standalone cooking top with canopy style rangehood. They are usually gas burning and are slid in between two countertops.

Fixed Gas Hob

 

If you do not want the slide in type of cooktop then you can also get a gas hob with grills which can be screwed on top of the countertop. The canopy style rangehood however can still be attached over the gas hob to bring out a more traditional feel.

Splashbacks in traditional kitchens should be kept simple in design. This is so that your countertops and cabinets remain the star of the show. You can use either tiled splashbacks in light beige or neutral colours. Keep the finish of your splashbacks on the duller and matte side and do not go for an overly shiny finish.

 

KITCHEN LAYOUT GUIDE TO CREATE A FUNCTIONAL KITCHEN DESIGN – 2021 EDITION

 

Light Fixtures

Light fixtures in any kitchen should be installed in a way that they highlight all the working areas in the kitchen. This is important as a lot of kitchen designs end up looking dingy if they are not properly lit. Traditional kitchens often have a chandelier that is installed above the island and ornate wall mounted lighting on the walls. If you feel like a chandelier is making your kitchen look too bulky and busy then you can also opt for pendant lighting which have a more antique feel to them. If you have cabinets on the top half of your kitchen then you will be unable to install wall mounted lighting. In such cases you can also install lights lamps that hang closer to the ceiling. A great way to create interest is to add some stained-glass lamps on the ceiling.

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Contemporary Vs Modern Kitchen Designs ꜛ

The term modern kitchens and contemporary kitchens are often used interchangeably these days. This however is not entirely correct. While some elements do overlap for these two designs, they are fundamentally different. While the term ‘modern design’ refers to a design movement that begun in the 1940’s, which completely broke from the traditional kitchen designs.

It is important to understand the difference between contemporary and modern kitchens before you finalise your kitchen design. Contemporary kitchens reflect the trends of today and often feature various patterns and colours in their design. Saying this, contemporary designs usually borrow elements from other styles as old trends are always coming back in fashion. They also use renovation materials that are of the current era for example stone engineered benchtops. One of the biggest differences of modern and contemporary kitchens is that modern kitchens lack ornamentation. Contemporary kitchen designs on the other hand are a marriage of various styles and patterns which can also be ornamental depending on the trends of today.

 

Modern Kitchen renovated in Blockhouse Bay, Auckland

 

Modern Kitchens feature a clean uncluttered look and were revolutionary for their time as they broke free from traditional kitchens. See full project details – Full Kitchen renovation in Blockhouse Bay, Auckland.

 

Contemporary Kitchen renovation in Massey, Auckland

 

The contemporary Kitchen is very different from modern kitchens as it is constantly evolving to include trends of the day in their kitchen designs. See full project details – Guru and Neeta’s Kitchen renovation in Massey, Auckland

 

In this section we will discuss the differences and similarities between modern and contemporary kitchens and the design elements that make each design possible.

Similarities of Contemporary and Modern Kitchen designs

 

Contemporary and modern styles favour a seamless and uncluttered overall look for their kitchens. They feature clean lines smooth spaces that exude a comfortable and calm vibe in the room. The features seen in contemporary and modern kitchens are not cumbersome, bulky, or ornate.

Both types of designs often integrate shiny surfaces and materials such as stainless steel, other metals or glass. Contemporary designs also feature lots of wooden elements such as countertops or a feature wall. This should not be confused with all wooden cabinets found in traditional kitchens. The wood used in contemporary kitchens is usually raw and without any ornate details. While modern kitchens have a ‘no fuss’ design, contemporary kitchens often borrow elements from other styles and can incorporate elements from traditional, modern, classic, or industrial kitchens depending on the trend of the day.

In short, the similarities of both styles are as follows:

• Both have a minimalistic look to them
• They both exude an open space feel which is calming
• Clean architectural line is the hallmark of both these designs.

What makes a Contemporary kitchen design?

Contemporary kitchens are ever evolving, and their design changes every decade or so to reflect the new trends of the decade. Contemporary kitchen designs borrow elements from various styles like art deco, traditional, industrial, and modern designs.

Contemporary kitchens are simple and minimalistic but have a layered look which comes from using several materials, patterns, and textures.

 

Contemporary Kitchen renovation in Parnell, Auckland

The above renovation has a contemporary design with a no-handle set up, soft close cabinets, marble look-alike benchtop, hexagonal tiled backsplash, silgranit sink with a hot water tap, and concrete floors. This is a great example of how current trends are incorporated within the overall kitchen design. See full project details – Luxury Kitchen renovation in Parnell, Auckland

Cabinets

The cabinets in contemporary kitchen have clean lines, are sleek and lack ornamentation. They are built in a simple rectangle or square and are constructed as a full overlay. Little to no cabinet frame can be seen which gives it a seamless look. The cabinet fronts do not have any ornamentation and are completely smooth. The cabinets usually feature a no-handle set up with LED lights that give it a more futuristic look. As contemporary designs are all about latest conveniences and trends, they have creative storage solutions like ‘magic corners’, pull out drawer pantries and hidden bins.

 

Yellow LED lights installed below the countertop which provides a great contrast to black cabinets

White LED lights installed below the top cabinets to highlight the backsplash and cooking range

 

Technology

Technology plays a vital role in a contemporary kitchen design. The electronics are sleek and high functioning. Induction cooktops built in coffee machines and commercial grade appliances are often seen in contemporary kitchens.

 

All LED lights in this kitchen can be made dimmer or brighter with this central remote

The above plug points can be pushed back into the countertop when not needed

 

Colour scheme

While lots of contemporary kitchens stick to a grey, black, or white, there is ample ways that colours ca be infused into their kitchen design. If colour is added then it is often pure saturated tones. Contemporary kitchens often feature bold colours and have a larger colour palette. You will often see an accent wall with a bold colour or patterns. They also include splashbacks that come in various shapes and textures. Some contemporary kitchen designs make a bold impact with coloured countertops or cabinets.

 

20 TOP KITCHEN DESIGN TRENDS FOR 2021 & 10 TRENDS TO AVOID

 

Other Materials

As mentioned above, contemporary kitchens have a layered look about them which is achieved through various textures, colours, and shapes. This is a huge difference between modern and contemporary kitchens. Concrete, wood, concrete, stainless steel, and glass are great examples of materials that are used in combination to give a layered look. Stainless steel is especially popular in contemporary kitchens as it makes a kitchen look more commercial which has been a prominent trend of today.

Concrete is also often featured in contemporary design as it is a material used in industrial designs. Industrial designs have become increasingly popular in the last few years and will be growing stronger in the next decade. Today’s contemporary design borrows several elements from industrial kitchens. The most popular is the use of concrete for flooring and benchtops. Other elements include tapware and pendant lighting. Glass tiles are also featured in contemporary kitchens. They can be used as a backsplash or cabinet doors.

 

Poured concrete floor was chosen for this kitchen in Parnell

Hexagonal textured tiled used as a backsplash

 

More Contemporary Kitchen Renovations in Auckland:

Lynette and Henry’s contemporary kitchen in Bucklands Beach
Guru and Neeta’s Contemporary Kitchen in Massey
Urban Luxury Kitchen in Parnell
Kitchen renovation in West Harbour

 

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What makes a Modern Kitchen design?

Modern kitchens first emerged in 1940s as a break from traditional kitchens. They were suddenly an extension of the living and dining room as opposed to a separate room. This made it necessary for the kitchen to look good along with being functional. The key features of modern kitchens is clean sleek lines and no embellishments or ornamentation.

 

Modern Kitchen renovation in Papatoetoe, Auckland

 

The above Kitchen was renovated with a modern design in mind. It shows how simple modern kitchens actually are. They look clean and have no embellishments. See full project details – Modern Kitchen renovation in Papatoetoe for a family with young children

Cabinets

Like contemporary cabinets, a modern kitchen design has a full overlay over the cabinets which means that you cannot see the frame of the cabinets. They also feature slab door and cabinet fronts without any design on them. This gives it a smooth and sleek look which the hallmark of modern design. These cabinets also have sleek door cabinet handles and do not have a no-handle set up.

 

Simple slab door fronts with long handles – Modern kitchen in Blockhouse Bay

Another example of plain slabs used for cabinets – Modern kitchen in Avondale

 

In both the pictures seen above, white has been used as a dominant colour for the kitchen with flooring the only contrasting feature colour wise. The picture on the left has handles as seen in most modern kicthens while there are no handles in the kitchen seen on the right.

See full project details (picture on the left) – Modern Kitchen in Blockhouse Bay
See full project details (picture on the right) – Modern Kitchen in Avondale

 

No ornamentation

Modern kitchen designs do not have pattered tiles, multiple shapes, textures, and colours in their design. The countertops, benchtops, cabinet fronts and backsplash have a smooth surface without any veining or texture.

 

Highlighting natural materials

Highlighting the natural materials is key in creating a beautiful modern kitchen. Use horizontal grain of Oak or manufactured Oak for your cupboards. For benchtops think marble or stone engineered stone without any veins. Always remember to keep the elements as simple as possible. Let the quality of materials shine through.

Horizontal Lines

Modern kitchen designs often emphasise on horizontal lines in their kitchen design. The look could include long wide lines of stacked cabinets that are stacked in a row. This could also be done by installing a splashback or an accent wall which has wide horizontal panels stacked together on top of each other.

Choose elements that are of a similar colour and design.

All elements in a modern kitchen are chosen in a similar design and colour with no ornamentation. Think of pendant lights, dining chairs, bar stoons and tables. They should all be simple and in similar shades of colours of each other. This creates a clean and sleek look which is what a modern design is about.

 

9 DESIGN IDEAS FOR SMALL KITCHEN DESIGN NZ GUIDELINE

Benchtops

Modern kitchens are all about highlighting good quality materials in their design. Think about quality when choosing a benchtop for your modern kitchen. Quartz is a great choice for modern kitchens are they need no design or ornamentation to look and feel good.

Quartz can prove to be a very expensive material in New Zealand so you can try and find alternatives to fit your budget. Today’s technology allows us to engineer materials to emulate the look and feel of quartz at a lower cost.

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Key Elements of Cottage Style Kitchen Designs ꜛ

Cottage style kitchen designs are supposed to exude a sense of warmth, comfort, and cosiness. Their design is inspired from old English cottage kitchens which are inviting, homely and a place for the family to get together. They often feature a small dining area within the kitchen space and is supposed to have a casual feel.

Many people are reverting to a cottage styled kitchen for their villas, bungalows or baches in rural areas as they complement the rest of the exterior architecture of such homes.

 

Cottage Style Kitchen Renovation in Mangere Bridge, Auckland

 

The above kitchen was renovated to reflect the abundant nature around the house. Our client wanted a cottage style kitchen which was inviting. It features tiled wooden lookin floors, real wood which was treated in order to preserve it, white recessed cabinets with cup style pulls, open floating shelves and a butler’s sink. See full project details – Cottage Style Kitchen renovation in Mangere Bridge, Auckland

 

Colour Palette

If you think about cottages, you always think of a light palette. Neutral whites, beige, light pinks, and pale blues work best in cottage style kitchens. Pale pink and blue can however make your kitchen look a bit dated, so we mostly recommend our clients from using shades of white or light beige for their kitchens. Buttercup yellow is also a nice way to infuse some colour in cottage style kitchens. You can however incorporate colour within the kitchen by choosing natural wooden looking benchtops or cabinet handles.

Cabinets and Handles

We recommend using shaker style cabinets with minor detailing for an overall vintage look. Choose a light colour for your cabinets and create contrast by adding matte black handle. You could also incorporate a free-standing cabinet with a sliding glass door to display crockery. Add some corbels under your upper cabinets which is a very common feature for cottage kitchens.

 

 

For handles think about brass, or matte black simple knobs or cup-style drawer pulls. Cup style drawer pulls complement a white shaker style cabinet very well and add to the cottage style.

 

Open Shelving

Open shelving was very popular in older cottages as they allowed cooks to easily retrieve cooking utensils. They were often found in place of today’s upper cabinetry and were also installed as building additional upper cabinets was expensive. Open shelves today are mostly used for decorative purposes. You can also use them to store your cups, plates, and other crockery to create some interest.

Floating Shelves built from real wood to store cups as well as a decorative feature

 

Sinks and Tap-ware

We recommend installing a butler style sink for your cottage style kitchen. These sinks are large, rectangular and very deep which means that they also have a practical advantage over other types of sinks. Butler’s sinks are usually made of ceramic and you will be able to wash your biggest pot comfortably in it.

A classic butler’s sink installed which is one of the hallmarks of a cottage style kitchen

 

You can pair your sink with old English looking taps with a separate handle for hot and cold water. Kitchen Hub’s Astra walker collection has an ‘olde English’ range which works great with a Butler style sink. You can either use a brass toned colour or go for a classic chrome.

Benchtop

Having a benchtop in a brown shade or using real treated wood is a great way to add some contrast and colour to your country style kitchen. Most country kitchens feature wooden benchtops, but they are not always very practical. One of our clients in Mangere Bridge, Auckland wanted a wooden benchtop for her country style kitchen, so we treated it in a way that it would avoid future wear and tear.

 

American Ashwood was stained to walnut for the desired colour. Steps were then taken to treat it in a way that it would last for a long time

 

We used American Ashwood as a countertop for the above renovation. It was then stained to a walnut colour which was a perfect shade to for this design. After staining, we applied Epoxy Urethin Vinyl on the benchtop as well as the floating shelves. This was done to prevent the wood from rotting and to avoid wear and tear. This would have to be re-applied every 15 years. After the coating we finally applied varnish to give it some lustre. The varnish will have to be re-applied every couple of years in order to maintain the shine. See full project specifications – Cottage style kitchen renovation in Mangere Bridge, Auckland

Wall Panelling

Wall panelling was a big part of interior design in the past. Homes designed in the traditional style featured dark panelled walls in most rooms. Cottages on the other hand had white panelled walls with vertical grooves. They were usually found in whites or creams or the same colour as the cabinets. This however might feel dated today so instead install dull subway tiles between the countertops for a similar but more contemporary feel.

 

Q & A WITH HOLLY (THE KITCHEN HUB) – CHOOSING THE RIGHT TAPWARE FOR YOUR BATHROOM DESIGN

 

Hardwood Floors

Cottage style kitchens mostly feature hardwood floors to give them a nice warm homely feel. This also creates a contrast with cabinets that are often found in light colours. Hardwood floors however are not very practical as they require high maintenance and are also expensive.

An alternative to hardwood floors would be to use tiles that emulate hardwood floors in texture, design, and aesthetics. These tiles are easy to source, install and are very easy to maintain.

Lighting

Olden day cottages did not have recessed lighting and had to depend on pendant style lighting for their kitchens. Low hanging pendant lighting also makes a space feel homely and inviting. You can either choose vintage inspired lighting or have a stained-glass pendant lighting to add further interest.

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Key Elements of Industrial Kitchen Designs ꜛ

Industrial styled homes and kitchens depend on their materials for the overall look of their design. Materials such as iron, concrete and cement are often highlighted in industrial styled kitchens. They also feature high ceilings, large windows, and exposed brick. The style first originated from the USA and is sometimes also referred to as New York style apartment design. This design first started in homes that looked like loft style or warehouse style apartments. If designed well, this style can be replicated within normal homes designs in Auckland. Following are some key features that will help you design an industrial styled kitchen for your home.

Open Space and a minimalistic look

One of the most obvious traits of an industrial kitchen is open space and high ceilings. The rough look has become increasingly popular because of its ‘airy’ nature. Typically, you’ll find brick walls, rustic furniture and exposed pipes and beams in an industrial style kitchen, with appliances often dressed in stainless steel. The rough textures blend perfectly with the smooth steel surfaces to form a harmony.

 

Industrial Kitchen

 

This Industrial Kitchen is a great example of how this design works best in a high ceiling room. You will an exposed air duct at the top of the kitchen which gives the kitchen a raw rustic look. The design includes a large polished concrete island which doubles as a dining area with metal stools. The materials used in this design are the real stars of the show with an overall minimalistic look.

 

Think of a rough and not overly processed look for your industrial kitchen design. One of the most obvious features of this design is an open plan space with a minimalistic look. The ceilings are high, and all the pipes and beams are exposed. The overall look of this style is however minimalistic without any frills or details on their cabinets or walls. The combination of different materials, their rough texture and raw feel are the highlights of this design.

Materials used in an Industrial Kitchen Design

Cement

Cement is often featured in this design due to its versatility. It can be used wither as a waterfall edged benchtop, as a floor or a splashback. If you are using it as a splashback then we would recommend you use it as a smooth texture so that cleaning is easier.

Brick

Rough looking brick walls can make your space instantly look like an industrial kitchen. If your home is not made of brick then you can also create a false brick wall or you can even use textured brick look alike vinyl.

Iron

Another key element of an industrial kitchen design is iron. Use iron bar stools, furniture, lamps, light fixtures, and shelves for an overall industrial look.

Wood

Using wood in the design will add some warmth to your kitchen design. However, do not use overprocessed or over-polished wood and let is have unpolished and rough edges. You can use wood for the front of your cabinets or even as a countertop.

 

Exposed Brick on opposite walls give this relatively classic kitchen an industrial feel

Stainless Steel

As most of the elements in an industrial kitchen have a matte finish. This can make the design however look a bit dull. Shiny stainless-steel appliances and a big professional looking gas hob can add some depth in the design.

 

The tapware used in this kitchen gives the kitchen a raw feel. The tapware in this picture is from Kitchen Hub’s Watermark collection which makes tapware for industrial styled kitchens

Colour Palette

Most Urban industrial kitchens have a colour palette between grey, brown, and black. You can also add some bold saturated hues as red or mustard. You can use this for your backsplash or even as your benchtop. Another great way of incorporating colours is through furniture like bar stools and lighting accents.

Lighting

Low hanging pendant lighting over countertops and islands in steel or iron is great for industrial themed kitchens. You could even use high hanging exposed bulbs without a screen which is becoming increasingly popular.

Statement Art Pieces

The industrial style was conceived to give a platform to artists which means that they often have iconic pictures of people or movements within their design. They do not have traditional painting but gravitate towards modern and abstract art.

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Our Featured projects

Contemporary Kitchen Renovations

Urban Luxury in Parnell, Central Auckland

We renovated this entire townhouse in Parnell in a contemporary style.
See Full Project specifications + Before and After pictures

 

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Entertainer’s Dream Kitchen and Bar in Massey, West Auckland

Guru and Neeta had a closed off kitchen which was completely demolished to create an open plan space for the entire family to enjoy.
See Full project specifications + Before and After pictures

 

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Modern Kitchen Renovations

Modern Kitchen Renovation in Papatoetoe, South Auckland

This renovation was done keeping convenience and low maintenance in mind as it was for a family with young children.
See Full Project specifications + Before and After pictures

 

Modern Kitchen Renovation in Hillsborough

This kitchen was renovated in a modern style for a family whose kitchen had started leaking. They needed a complete renovation as the old kitchen had become very shabby.
See full project specifications + Before and After pictures

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Cottage Style Kitchen Renovation

Cottage Style Kitchen in Mangere Bridge, South Auckland

BOHOO

This cottage style kitchen was one of the first kitchens we renovated of this style.
See Full project specifications + More Pictures

Full kitchen renovation in Mangere Bridge, Auckland

BOHOO

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Classic Kitchen Renovations

Open Plan Classic Galley Kitchen in Epsom, Auckland

This historic Villa in Epsom was renovated from an old traditional kitchen to a classic kitchen style.
See Full project specifications + Before and After pictures

Classic Kitchen renovation for an old Bungalow in Greenhith, Auckland

This old bungalow in Greenhithe was renovated to include a classic kitchen while preserving the existing hardwood fixtures.
See Full project specifications + Before and After pictures

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Further Resources for your house interior design

1. Ideas for Bathroom renovations in our bathroom renovation gallery of bathrooms we have renovated in Auckland
2. Ideas for Kitchen renovations in our kitchen renovation gallery for kitchens we have renovated in Auckland
3. Featured projects and Client stories to see specifications on some of the projects.
4. Real client stories from Auckland.
5. Kitchen Renovation Photos for renovations we have completed in Auckland

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Do you have a In-house Kitchen designer?

Yes, we do have an In-house Kitchen designer who will help you create a Kitchen design for your kitchen renovation. We provide all our clients with 3D drawings when we create a proposal for you.

What kind of Kitchen layout is best for me?

This will depend on various factors. Read our article on Planning your layout for a functional and practical kitchen design here to understand more about the layout that is right for you : https://superiorrenovations.co.nz/kitchen-layout-planning-guide-to-achieving-a-good-kitchen-design

Do I have to get my own plumbers and electricians?

We provide a full renovation service for any given area. This means that our service will include design, demolition, sourcing of all renovation materials from local supplier showrooms, custom built cabinetry, installation of all cabinets, flooring, fixtures, project management and all trades like electricians, plumbers, grouters, builders, tilers, and any other trades.

 

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Have you been putting off getting renovations done?

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*Lending criteria, fees, terms and conditions apply. Mastercard is a registered trademark and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.

 

 

 

 

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Still have questions unanswered?

Book a no-obligation consultation with the team at Superior Renovations,
we’d love to meet you to discuss your renovation ideas!

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Doing More With What You Have

Kitchens are sort of the heart of a property. Even when a kitchen is just some bare-bones solution filling out one wall of a break room in an office building, that area of the premises will almost always have people in it. Especially for homes, kitchen management, design, and organization are key.

To make your home’s kitchen “heart-healthy”, you’ll want to remodel it at intervals, refurbish it when the time is right, and assure everything is as organized as possible. Breakfast, lunch, brunch, dinner, midnight snacks—multiple occasions develop where individuals might have to make a meal or prepare an appetizer.

If your kitchen isn’t well-organized, you’re going to end up making a big mess every time you go to fix something up. But with organization, it’s not difficult to put things away, and you may just find you’ve got a heightened ability to prepare food. If you can find what you want when you want it, you don’t get frustrated pulling things out and putting them away.

With those things in mind, this writing will concern a few best practices pertaining to kitchen organization, storage, and overall management. These concepts are all symbiotic one to another. In a phrase, organize properly, and the rest will follow. So take stock of the information here—there may be some tips you hadn’t ever thought of before.

Utensil Trays And Their Organization

This option is pretty straightforward, but it’s often incorrectly used. Most people are familiar with common utensil trays. But most people don’t use them correctly. For one thing, you have to designate clear spaces for unique utensils. You’ll want a fork area, a butterknife area, a cutting knife area, and a spoon area. Additionally, you’ll want a “special utensil” area.

Corn cob stickers, apple peelers, small spatulas, egg beaters, and whatever else fits the uncommon bill should have an area designated just for the purpose. Also, the deeper the drawers, the better. Now, you may not have a choice here, but consider stacking your silverware tray.

You can obtain a velvet-lined box for your best silverware, and usually, these boxes are about two and a half inches thick. You might put that in the bottom of the drawer, and put your traditional utensil tray atop the box. This will help you most effectively maximize drawer storage. If you can use multiple drawers that make sense as well, but for smaller kitchens, you might not have this option.

All these things being said, beyond having the utensil tray, you need to discipline those in your household to properly use those trays. It’s really easy to pull the items from the dishwasher and throw them in the drawer. That’s going to create a conglomeration of chaos unnecessarily.

Vertical Storage: A Chandelier Of Pots And Pans

Now vertical storage is wise not just for pots and pans, though these items of food preparation tend to benefit most from the practice. Essentially, vertical storage is to home storage as skyscrapers are to real estate. Builders realized in the twentieth century that building up rather than out allowed them to get more storage in a smaller space.

Well, in your kitchen, storing vertically against the walls rather than horizontally along the plane of a countertop may just free up some space—especially if you’ve got high ceilings. Pots and pans have these little “chandeliers” which can be used to store them. Essentially it’s a circular conglomeration of hooks that are “anchored” in the ceiling.

You hang pots and pans on the hook. Now you can put this circular conglomeration of storage solutions in the middle of the kitchen, or you can relegate it to an empty corner where there are no other vertical options. There may very well be other alternatives for storage of this kind as well, depending on your kitchen. Nothing’s wrong with being creative here.

Compartmentalizing The Pantry, Labeling sections

Many kitchens either include a small room to be used as a pantry, like a little closet, or they’ve got a floor-to-ceiling cupboard for the purpose. If your kitchen doesn’t have such an option, you can install it; but more on that in a minute. When you do have a pantry, you want to keep yourself from just throwing things in there willy-nilly.

First, determine what you want to store in your pantry. Then, segment the available space for storage. You might use baskets on shelves that can be pulled out, then pushed back in. For example, if you’ve got Tupperware, you might store all that in a wicker basket on the bottom drawer. Put a label on it so you don’t get confused if that ends up being an issue.

If you’ve got appliances, separate them and store them in designated areas. Dry goods, canned goods, utensils, appliances, receptacles, spices, treats, plastic bags, plastic wrap. All this can be compartmentalized in a tiny space with exceptionally organized harmony. Doing so merely requires intentionality and follow-through.

Here’s the big thing to be sure you do: avoid making anything in such spaces difficult to access. You want it to be easy to store things away, and just as easy to retrieve things when the time is right. If you stack things too tightly, you’ll make an unnecessary chore out of the retrieval process.

Installing New Or Better Cabinets That Fit Your Space

New cabinets provide quite a lot of space, and there are quality affordable kitchen cabinets out there that can be fitted to your exact specifications. Have you heard of RTA options? Ready To Assemble cabinets work like this: you enter necessary dimensions online, then the cabinets are shipped to your home and you assemble them on-site.

You can also install non-RTA options if that’s more amenable to you. Additionally, it’s possible to buy used or to have cabinets built-to-order, but these options are different polarities of the same problem. With used cabinets, structural stability wanes, and the cost of their installation collaterally is high, as you may soon have to replace them.

Conversely, made-to-order options can be much more expensive than those available via RTA or elsewhere; so though you get something that works well, you pay way more than you have to. A balanced alternative is, say, white shaker cabinets from a well-known provider, or RTA options that can fit into a specific area.

Even small kitchens generally have some segment of space which can be augmented positively with cabinetry options. Look at the space you’ve got, and consider whether replacing existing cabinets, installing new ones, or some hybrid between these alternatives best matches what you’ve got to work with.

Downsizing: What Food Preparation Items Do You Never Use?

A very wise way to upgrade your kitchen is to find where you’ve got things you don’t need, and get rid of them. Oftentimes some appliances end up just taking up space in a kitchen. Have a garage sale, donate these items, or throw them out. Sometimes there are even broken appliances just collecting dust in a corner. Why keep them; for posterity?

The truth is, life is so hectic, such items tend to be put aside and forgotten. If you’re not going to use them decoratively, cannibalize them, or put them to their intended purpose, find a way to get rid of such unnecessary space-monopolizing devices.

A great way to do this is to keep tabs on the sort of meals you prepare for over a month. Do you use that blender…ever? How about the waffle iron? Is that toaster just a delayed rust machine? Do you have boxed appliances from your wedding you never opened? Most couples tend to have something like that lying around; get rid of it and reclaim the space.

Adding A Repurposed Wardrobe As A Mobile Pantry

A wardrobe is made to store clothes, but you can put some shelves in there and make a pantry out of it. If you’ve got a wardrobe in the house you’re not using, you might move it to the kitchen corner where a pantry would go. Some kitchens don’t have pantries and desperately need them.

Beyond a wardrobe, there are pantry storage options available at varying furniture stores and home betterment facilities such as Menards or Home Depot. If you need more space and don’t have a pantry, find a way of making one. Cabinets can be stacked on one another, wardrobes can be repurposed, and specific furniture options are out there.

Kitchen and House Renovation

Getting The Most Use Out Of Your Kitchen

Regardless of the size of your kitchen, you can probably get more storage out of it through the implementation of these strategic options. Repurpose a wardrobe or add a pantry another way, downsize where appropriate, install some new cabinets, compartmentalize pantries or other storage areas, utilize vertical storage, and get your utensils squared away.

When you implement tips like this, even a small kitchen can see storage space expand notably. Provided you’re creative, you’ll likely find a way to use the space available with the greatest efficiency

Featured Projects

Urban Luxury Kitchen renovation in Parnell

This townhouse was centrally located in Parnell but the kitchen was tiny and lacked counter space. We completely changed the layout of this kitchen by first moving it from the left side of the area to the right. We then added cabinets in the dining area as an extended storage space. This cabinet featured shelves with internal lights which could be opened when required. To see Before and After pictures and project specifications …. see more

Entertainer’s Dream Kitchen and Bar

Guru and Neeta from Massey had a closed off kitchen which did not let them enjoy an open plan living. They wanted to renovate to introduce a feel of luxury but also make it an open space which could double as an entertaining space. We opened up the space for them and also extended the kitchen counter towards the lounge to act like a bar. The black and white …. see more

Kitchen, Lounge and Dining room renovation in Massey

Cottage Style Kitchen in Mangere Bridge

This was a special kitchen as it was about incorporating natural elements into the kitchen to reflect our client’s country surroundings. The kitchen was dated and was transformed into a chic country style kitchen complete with treated real wood as bench-tops, butler’s sink, floating shelves and cabinets that were wrapped in Dezignatek Thermoform with a ‘Ronda’ pattern to give them cabinets a vintage look …. see more

Full kitchen renovation in Mangere Bridge, Auckland

Further Resources

1. Featured projects and Client stories to see specifications on some of the projects.
2. Real client stories from Auckland

Need ideas? Check out our Kitchen Design Gallery or dive into our Bathroom Design Gallery for inspiration!

Have you been putting off getting renovations done?

We have partnered with Q Mastercard ® to provide you an 18 Month Interest-Free Payment Option, you can enjoy your new home now and stress less.

Learn More about Interest-Free Payment Options*

*Lending criteria, fees, terms and conditions apply. Mastercard is a registered trademark and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.

Still have questions unanswered?

Book a no-obligation consultation with the team at Superior Renovations,
we’d love to meet you to discuss your renovation ideas!

Kitchen is most definitely the centre of a home. Our evolving lifestyle in modern times means that the kitchen is no longer tucked away in a separate room. Today’s hectic schedules means that families usually get together in the evenings to spend some quality time together. Cooking is a big part of this and open plan kitchens allow the family to congregate together in the evenings. Most kitchens also feature a breakfast bar which allows for casual dining and provides additional counter and storage space.

Kitchen renovation photos can provide a real sense of what kitchens can look like after a renovation. While Pinterest and Instagram provide great inspiration, they fail to show specifications on real projects. This article aims to provide a gallery of projects with photos of kitchens that we have renovated in Auckland. We will also provide project specifications on kitchens and ways of making them more convenient and functional for your lifestyle.

In this article we have put together a portfolio of bathrooms that we have renovated in Auckland.

We will discuss the following 5 things:

• Kitchen renovation photos + Before and Afters
• Case studies of real client stories in Auckland and links to their kitchen specification pages
• Problems with kitchens in old homes of Auckland
• Modern solutions in Kitchen to make them more functional and easy to maintain

Need ideas? Check out our Kitchen Design Gallery or dive into our Bathroom Design Gallery for inspiration!

Featured Kitchen renovation Photos

We have renovated over 200 kitchens in Auckland in just the last 3 years. This does not include minor alterations as we only focus on full kitchen renovations. Our full kitchen renovation includes the following:

• A comprehensive design process
• Demolition of existing fixtures and flooring
• Disposal of the above
• We provide all materials like flooring, counter tops and fixtures which you get to pick and choose from our local supplier showrooms
• We custom build all the cabinets and benchtop here in Auckland
• Installation
• We also provide all the trades involved for example electricians, plumbers, installers, painters, carpenters, builders, tilers, grouters, painters, and plasterers.
• A project manager to manage the entire renovation and who acts as your sole point of contact through the renovation.

#1 Classic Kitchen renovation Before and After – Epsom

Our clients bought a historic Epsom bungalow and needed to add some modern elements to complement their lifestyle. As a family with young children, the old kitchen posed some issues for the family. While there was nothing wrong with the kitchen, it lacked modern storage spaces and was not very easy to maintain. Hence she decided the modernise her kitchen with easy to maintain materials. They did however want their kitchen the complement the rest of the house and decided to go with a white Victorian cottage theme.

Read -See full kitchen specifications and photos

BEFORE

AFTER

AFTER

AFTER

#2 Mary Stuart’s Spanish themed Kitchen photos in Stanmore Bay

Mary’s kitchen was renovated to mimic the themes of Spanish Villas. When she bought the house she was inspired by the existing arched doors in the hallway. We broke the wall between the lounge and kitchen to make it an open style kitchen. This kitchen boasted Melteca MDF cabinets which were made to look like Timber, colourful mosaic tiles, and brass fixtures.

Read – See Mary’s project specifications + all kitchen renovation photos

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

#3 An Entertainer’s dream kitchen in Massey

Guru and Neeta had a dated kitchen which was tucked away in a room with no natural sunlight. They wanted to break the two walls dividing the kitchen from the dining and living room. They also loved entertaining their friends and family so we created an open large space complete with a bar that extended out to the living room. We went with a luxurious modern feel for the kitchen with black cabinets and gold LED lights.

Read – See full details for this kitchen renovation in Massey

#4 Urban Kitchen renovation photos from our Parnell project

This townhouse was centrally located in Parnell village but it was not configured well to maximise the space in terms of functionality. We moved the kitchen from the left side of the room to the right side and used the space on the left for storage and laundry. The kitchen was renovated

Read – Full bathroom renovation specs for this Parnell townhouse

#5 A Kitchen renovation photos in Blockhouse Bay

This was our client’s family home which they then decided to renovate after much deliberation. Like most old houses in Auckland, this kitchen lacked functionality and had become shabby. Once the kitchen was completed, the space transformed into a large and bright area complete with extensive storage and a breakfast bar.

Read – Full kitchen details + all photos for this project

#6 Kitchen renovation photos from our Papatoetoe renovation

This young family from Papatoetoe were in need of an upgrade of their old looking kitchen. The old laminate cabinets and countertops had started looking shabby and they wanted to incorporate a more modern looking style for their kitchen.

Read –See full kitchen specs + all photos for this project

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

Custom built pantry with shelves

#7 Craig and Amber’s Kitchen renovation in Hillsborough

Craig and Amber initially contacted us because their kitchen had started living. They wanted to repair the damage and sell their old home and buy a new house. They however ended up renovating their entire house and opted to live in their home as they loved the area.

Read – See full project details + all photos for Craig and Amber’s project

BEFORE

AFTER

#8 Kitchen renovation photos from a 8 person household

This was an extensive interior and exterior renovation that we carried out in West Harbour. As this was a large household, the needs of various family members had to be integrated into planning every aspect of the renovation.

BEFORE

AFTER

#9 Kitchen renovation photos from Joanna and Steve’s renovation

Joanna and Steve initially bought this property as an investment property as they were meant to relocate to the UK. The move however got delayed which meant that they decided that they would make this house their home for a short while. They were used to modern and new homes which meant that this new house did not suit their taste. Hence we renovated the entire kitchen and bathroom to suit their modern taste.

Read – See full details for Joanna’s kitchen renovation + all photos

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

#10 Kitchen renovation photos from a historic bungalow in Greenhithe

This historic bungalow boasted original timber floors and a good solid structure. However, the kitchen had started looking dated so we renovated the kitchen to increase storage and make it more convenient. We also rewired the entire house, restored all timber floors and doors, and rewired the entire house.

Read – See full kitchen specs and photos for this project

BEFORE

AFTER

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#11 Investment property Kitchen renovation in Hillsborough

Our client renovated her entire home to increase her rental yield for her investment property. We used mid range materials which were easy to maintain to minimise wear and tear.

Read – See full kitchen specs + photos for this project

BEFORE

AFTER

#12 Cottage Style Kitchen renovation photos from Mangere Bridge

Our client’s home was surrounded by lush greenery and it was important to her that her kitchen reflect the natural elements. Hence she decided to go for a cottage style kitchen with Vintage looking cabinets, antique looking knobs and a real wooden countertop which was treated for durability.

Read – Full project specifications + all photos for this project

#13 Lynettte and Henry’s Kitchen renovation in Bucklands Beach

Lynette felt that her current kitchen did not suit their current lifestyle as they did not have a breakfast bar. Her family usually preferred to crowd around the kitchen while she cooked and having a breakfast bar was a must where they could all comfortably sit. She renovated her entire kitchen with a few unique design elements like a coffee corner, sparkle induced countertop and hexagonal backplash.

Read – Lynette’s full kitchen specs and all photos for the renovation

#14 Kitchen renovation in Avondale for a 3 generational family

We renovated the entire house and moved their kitchen from one end of the house to the other. The new kitchen was made in an open style which opened into the dining area where we built further storage cabinets and pantry.

Read – See full project details for this renovation + all photos

#15 Kitchen renovation photos from our project in Albany

This was an old kitchen which was modernised with new custom built cabinets, a gas hob, new laminate flooring that was made to look like wood and a sink with a hot water tap.

Read – all details + Photos for this project

#16 Kitchen renovation in West Harbour

This was a tenanted property of our client’s but when they decided to move back to Auckland they needed a renovation to suit their tastes. The bathrooms and kitchen was modernised in classic and neutral themes.

Read – See full project specs + all photos

Problems with old kitchens in Auckland

Old homes in Auckland often feature kitchens that are not suited for todays lifestyle and family dynamics. The configuration of your kitchen can affect how your family interacts during a meal or during the preparation of it. In this section of the article we discuss the modern solutions to old kitchen problems.

The 5 key issues with old kitchens are as follows:

1. Lack of modern storage solutions
2. Laminate countertops that are prone to staining
3. Cabinets and floors that are hard to maintain and clean
4. A layout that does not suit our lifestyle
5. Sinks, taps and knobs that do not incorporate any technology (less eco friendly)

5 Modern solutions for Kitchens designs of today

In this section of the article we will outline modern solutions to the 5 key problems mentioned above.

1.Storage solutions and Organisation

Storage is very important in kitchens. Appliances, crockery, cutlery, groceries, condiments, rubbish bins and cooking utensils need to have a place where they need to be stored. Older kitchens often lack proper storage areas which can be organised effectively. Nowadays however, there is alot that you can choose from to make your kitchen a well oiled machine making life simple and convenient.

Pantry with pull out drawers

Gone are the days when a pantry basically meant a laminate cabinets with groceries heaped up on top of eachother. Today the pantry takes on a whole new form where you can make custome drawers which can be pulled out for better organisation.

Custom built drawers for a pantry in a kitchen renovation from Blockhouse Bay, Auckland

Custom built shelves in a pantry from a kitchen renovation in Papatoetoe

In-built cutlery and condiment drawers

In built drawers for cutleries and condiments can make organisation easier in your kitchen.

For further storage solutions ideas

Craig and Amber’s kitchen renovation

Kitchen renovation in Blockhouse Bay

Pull out bins

Installing pull out bins have been one of the most popular kitchen design element for our kitchen renovations in Auckland. They are hygienic, convenient and make the kitchen space look less cluttered.

Magic Corners

Corner cabinets in a kitchen are often underutilised as their corners are hard to reach. We usually end up storing things that we would not need on an every day basis in these corners or simply leave it empty. Magic corners solve this issue by making it easy to reach the corners by a shelf that rolls out. Below are a few examples of ‘magic corners’ that we integrated into our kitchen designs for our client homes in Auckland.

Breakfast Bars/Islands that double as storage

Kitchen designs today often include a breakfast bar which provide various functions. Kitchen islands can be used as extra counter space, to have a light meal and for extra storage by building cabinets in its frame. This increases cabinet storage space which is always good to have in a kitchen.

Custom built kitchen island with cabinets at the bottom allowing our clients to have extra storage space. (Kitchen renovation in Epsom)

An custom built L shaped island with cabinets at both ends to maximise storage. (Kitchen renovation in Blockhouse Bay)

Further examples of multipurpose Kitchen islands

Mary’s Stuart’s Kitchen island with a gas hob

L shaped Kitchen island with extensive storage

Stone Engineered Countertops

Old Kitchen designs usually incorporate either laminate or wooden countertops. Laminate countertops start looking shabby very quickly and are prone to staining. Wooden countertops on the other hand need to be polished and maintained regularly in order to prolong their lifespan. This basically means that laminate and wooden countertops are not very suitable for lifestyles that are hectic or with young children.

Stone engineered countertops on the other hand are cost effective, easy to clean, they are durable and can be aesthetically changed to whatever look you are after. Below are a few examples of stone engineered countertops from some of our kitchen renovations in Auckland.

Mary’s Kitchen renovation in Stanmore Bay – As this kitchen was modelled after rustic villa’s of Spain we decided to use a stone engineered countertop in shades of brown and yellow.

Black Stone engineered countertop with infused sparkles – Lynette and Henry’s kitchen renovation in Bucklands Beach.

Stone engineered countertop with a matte marble look – Kitchen renovation in Parnell

3.MDF cabinets and Modern Flooring solutions

MDF cabinets Vs Solid Wood

What should you use MDF or wood for your cabinets? People often think that wood is the answer when it comes to building cabinets. Often people think that wooden cabinets are sturdy and MDF cabinets are viewed as a cheap and weak alternative.

Despite popular belief, wood is not always the superior choice; in some situations MDF Board might be the better material. Wood is In simple terms, solid wood is essentially the natural lumber while the MDF is categorized as “engineered wood”. Engineered wood is a mixture of redwood, fibers, veneers, resin, and adhesives.

Good brands of MDF like Melteca and Bestwood are often sturdier, easy to maintain and can be manipulated to look and feel like any material of your choice.

Read more…

MDF Vs Wooden cabinets for your Kitchen

Custom built MDF cabinets which were wrapped and destressed to give a Vintage look – Kitchen renovation in Mangere Bridge

Melteca MDF cabinets custom built which were made to look rustic – Kitchen renovation in Stanmore Bay

Further examples of MDF cabinets used for our clients’ kitchen renovation

MDF cabinets in a kitchen renovation in Massey

MDF cabinets used in a kitchen renovation in Stanmore Bay

MDF cabinets used in a kitchen renovation in Mangere Bridge

Modern Flooring solutions for Kitchens

Older homes in Auckland usually feature either lackluster laminate, wooden or white tiled floors in kitchens. Wooden floors in kitchens are not easy to maintain, however laminate and tiled floors are best suited for kitchens.

With technological advances, you can get tiled and laminate floors which can be made to look like wood. These are easier to clean, maintain and are more suited for the hectic lifestyles of today.

Ceramic tiles which mimic hardwood were installed for easy maintenance and as a cost effective option (Kitchen renovation in Bucklands Beach)

Laminate Flooring for a Kitchen renovation in Massey

Laminate flooring made to mimic hardwood timber flooring (Kitchen renovation in Stanmore Bay)

Laminate floors in West Harbour’s kitchen renovation

Read more…

20 Top Kitchen design trends in Auckland for 2021

Emerging Tile trends as discussed with Tile Depot + Mistakes to avoid

4.Layouts of Modern Kitchens

As discussed previously in this article, open planed kitchens are more suited for the family dynamics of today. Older kitchens in Auckland often feature kitchens as a separate room. Most of the kitchen renovations that we have carried out have involved a change in layout. This is often done by demolishing the walls separating the kitchen from other living areas. This also allows more space and an open living setting. Kitchens can still be separated from the other living areas by installing a kitchen island instead.

Examples of kitchens which were renovated to give them an open plan design

Before and After photos of a kitchen renovation in Massey to make it an open plan living space

Before and After photos of a kitchen renovation in Stanmore Bay to make it an open plan living space

5.Integrating modern technology into your kitchen renovation

Advancement in technology means that you can now make your kitchen an efficient and eco friendly space.

Soft close cabinets and a no handle set up

Having Soft close cabinets, hinges and drawer runners means that there will be a lot less wear and tear which often happens when cabinet doors closed with force. We use BLUM and Haffaelle brands for all soft close cabinets, hinges and drawer runners.

A no handle set up for cabinets means that you can achieve a more sleek and modern looking kitchen design. Some of our clients also like installing a strip of LED lights above the ‘no handle’ set up to make the area more defined.

Haffaelle soft close drawers

LED lights installed above the ‘no handle’ cabinets

BLUM hinges installed in cabinets

Soft close drawers in a custom built pantry

Durable Sinks and Hot water taps in sinks

Silgranit sinks have become increasingly popular recently as they are very durable, easy to clean and are not easily scratched as compared to steel, metal or ceramic sinks.

Hot water taps are ec0-friendly and are very convenient for every day cooking.

Black Silgranit sink with a hot water tap

A dual grey Silgranit sink with a hot water tap

A dual silgranit sink

A large singranit sink with a filter in its water tap

Remote controlled LED lights and other technology

Remote controlled LED lights allow you to dim the lights to create an nice ambience for your kitchen space. Another simple technology that you can integrate into your kitchen is power plugs that can be installed on your counter top. You can push them back into the counter when not in use.

LED lights controlled by a remote

LED lights installed beneath all cabinets

A power point that can be pushed back into the counter when not in use.

How much would it cost to renovate a Kitchen in Auckland?

Communication and coordination with a skilled team is key to renovating any kitchen successfully. It involves a high level of coordination/communication with a number of suppliers, electrician, tilers, installers, painters/plasterers, plumbers, demolition team, and Auckland Council.

There are several factors that can affect the budget of your kitchen renovation. The top 5 things that affect the cost of a kitchen are as follows:

1. Size of your kitchen
2. Repairing of any damage
3. Structural change and council related works
4. Materials and supplies used
5. Labour and Project Management.

As a company we provide a full renovation service for kitchens which means that your proposal would include all materials, fixtures, labour, project management, repair work and council fees.

On an average a kitchen renovation without any council related work will start from $22,000. This type of kitchen renovation would use our mid-range products while more luxury kitchens would cost anywhere above $27,000.

If you are looking for a ball park figure for a kitchen renovation then you can also use our cost calculator tool on our website. The link to use a cost calculator and get an instant quote can be found below.

USE OUR KITCHEN COST CALCULATOR TO GET A BALL PARK FIGURE ON YOUR KITCHEN RENOVATION

Already have all your own trades and you’re comfortable managing them for your kitchen renovation?

Although we don’t recommend if you haven’t renovated a kitchen before and/or you don’t have trades people you can trust, most renovations if not all comes with it’s own surprises because not all homes are the same – this is where experience/project management plays an important role in minimises risks to maintain costs/delays giving you higher certainty of outcome/quality backed by associated guarantees and warranties.

However, if you do intend to manage the kitchen renovation yourself, it does work out more cost effective to contact a kitchen cabinetry manufacturer directly to get the kitchen cabinets designed, manufactured and installed – leaving you to manage the other trades such as flooring, demolition, painting, plastering, splashback/tiling, electrician, plumber, and sometimes a carpenter/builder.

Try Little Giant Interiors cost calculator below to see what you can expect to pay for cabinetry.

• New Kitchen Cabinetry Cost Calculator
• New Laundry Cost Calculator

Further Resources

1. Ideas for Bathroom renovations in our bathroom renovation gallery of bathrooms we have renovated in Auckland
2. Ideas for Kitchen renovations in our kitchen renovation gallery for kitchens we have renovated in Auckland
3. Featured projects and Client stories to see specifications on some of the projects.
4. Real client stories from Auckland

Still have questions unanswered? schedule a no-obligation consultation with the team at Superior Renovations

WRITTEN BY SUPERIOR RENOVATIONS

Superior Renovations is an Auckland renovation company with 190+ Google reviews, and it all comes down to our friendly approach, straightforward pricing, and transparency. When your Auckland home needs renovation/ remodeling services – Superior Renovation is the team you can count on for high-quality workmanship, efficient progress, and cost-effective solutions.

Get started now by booking a free in-home consultation.

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Or call us on 0800 199 888

www.superiorrenovations.co.nz

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