From Habitat magazine - issue 10
The fresh green of this kitchen was inspired by the colour of the owner’s... cardigan!
Jacqui chose a terrazzo-style benchtop for the island to reduce glare and because she loved the textural look.
It’s not often that a cardigan dictates a colour scheme, but that’s how Jacqui and Graham Nelson ended up with their Resene Spirulina kitchen.
Jacqui had been working with kitchen designer James Smaling to develop a colour scheme for the kitchen, in the couple’s home in Nikau Valley, north of Wellington. “I fell in love with the colour of my new cardigan and told my husband I wanted to use that same tone in the kitchen,” says Jacqui.
He wasn’t too sure, but James and I managed to find the Resene colour that matched it as closely as possible.” To complement the cabinets, the walls are painted Resene Acropolis (Resene Half Tea), the architraves are Resene Triple Tea and the tongue-and-groove doors are Resene Dark Slate.
It’s certainly a contrast from the kitchen of their last home: “That kitchen was chocolate and burgundy with grey walls – it was very dark and had a totally different feel to this kitchen.”One thing Jacqui did want to replicate from their previous home was the kitchen layout. “The galley style of kitchen really works for us because it’s so practical.”
In fact, with a busy household of teenagers – including identical twins William and Michael (17) and daughter Lizzie (18), along with a menagerie of pets – everything had to be practical.
Hence, the double living areas that flank the open-plan kitchen space (“The kids can be in one and we can be in another!”) and details like the walk-in pantry that the couple fitted out with stainless steel benchtops and shelving found at a catering auction.
“It means we can leave appliances like the toaster out permanently, so the kids and their friends can go in there and then we can shut the door and hide the mess!”
When it came to the kitchen counters, Jacqui opted for stainless steel on one side and a terrazzo-style composite for the island. “I like the mix of textures and besides, the glare would have been unbearable if we’d used stainless steel on all the surfaces.”
Another non-negotiable was having wide drawers instead of cupboards, and having no shelving above benchtop level. “Cupboards on the walls would have closed the space in and distracted from the lovely views of native bush and grazing cattle that the kitchen enjoys.”
Did you know? Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom combines anti-bacterial silver protection and MoulDefender mould inhibitor, perfect for minimising unwanted nasties in kitchens, bathrooms and laundries.
One of Jacqui’s prime bugbears was finding a place to put the mail and assorted other household paperwork. So she asked architect Peter Davis to incorporate a filing-drawer in the kitchen cabinetry. “It works perfectly and I haven’t lost a bill yet!”
A keen cook, Jacqui also wanted to incorporate the butler’s sink she’d fallen in love with in her last home, and to have two single under-bench ovens rather than her previous over-size oven. “Having two single ovens is far more practical than the one big one we had, and I’m glad we stuck to our guns on this one.”
She’s also pleased the kitchen designer solved the dilemma of what to do with her collection of Le Creuset cookware. “I’ve collected it over the years and the colours are just so beautiful, I didn’t want to hide them away. Luckily we came up with this pull-out shelf that displays them beautifully.”
Accessories: Oven, from Ariston. Kitchen designer, James Smaling, from JS Kitchens, Palmerston North. Architect: Peter Davis. Dishwasher, fridge/freezer, from Fisher & Paykel. Benchtop: Advante Koris, colour Matterhorn, from Mercer Products. Kitchen joinery: Resene Spirulina. Doors: Resene Dark Slate. Colour Consultant: Heather Thorley, from Colour Options.
words: Sharon Stephenson
pictures: Nicola Edmonds
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