All that glistens

Freelance designer Amber Hamilton of Christchurch knows a colour cue when she spots one, and in the case of her glamorous kitchen (by Fox Kitchens) it was a luscious length of drapery that took care of all the colourful decision-making.

Amber and her builder husband John had used this curtaining in a previous home and Amber knew she’d be including it in the new kitchen of her villa extension long before it was even built.

A dramatic red ceiling and sparkling chandelier have given this winning villa kitchen real glamour appeal.

Its “antique” cream background and rich rose tones inspired the dramatic Resene ‘Fahrenheit’ colour which John decided would look great on the ceiling with its high villa stud, having earlier used it on the walls of a cottage he had renovated.

When Amber went shopping for her decorative materials, she put together a bag with her curtain sample (Warwick ‘Rose Medley’) and the complementary tones of the roman blind fabric she had chosen (Warwick ‘Arbor Stripe’), plus a small cupboard door. She kept all these on hand in her car to ensure she chose the right colours when shopping for flooring, benchtops and paint.

When Amber went shopping for her decorative materials, she put together a bag with her curtain sample (Warwick ‘Rose Medley’) and the complementary tones of the roman blind fabric she had chosen (Warwick ‘Arbor Stripe’), plus a small cupboard door. She kept all these on hand in her car to ensure she chose the right colours when shopping for flooring, benchtops and paint.

“I love the French country kitchen look and I wanted something warm, but not too light, with a sense of richness as well,” she says.

John made the kitchen island bench from demolition rimu tongue-and-groove flooring, finishing it with 10 coats of polyurethane to create a heavy duty, high-gloss finish. It beautifully complements Amber’s glamour touch that is her reproduction chandelier from Recollections.

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