classic kitchen and bath

Mount Eden

This classic Mt Eden villa has been rejuvenated with a fabulous renovation of dining room, kitchen, scullery, bathroom and powder room.

The clients are true connoisseurs of all things stylish and fashionable. They have wonderful taste and exquisite collections, from the classical to the quirky. This couple would never settle for the ordinary so design and materials had to be top notch. They wanted to update with modern appliances and storage conveniences in the look of a classic, colonial style kitchen and bathroom. They needed a layout that would allow two cooks to work together without getting in each other’s way. And they wanted white but with accents of colour.

In the kitchen and dining areas, the richness and elegance of dark brown timber-look floor tiles perfectly sets off brightly painted cabinetry. Custom dining room cabinets, painted the same colour as the kitchen walls, complement the adjoining kitchen and offer loads of great practical storage. The unique and exceptional bar area glistens with jewel-like recessed lights that shine through glass fronted cabinet doors. The splash back is an antiqued mirror and opposite is a hutch with deep drawers and more glass cabinets, a perfect place for storing their lovely serving ware.

In the bathroom and powder room, polished nickel tapware and porcelain sinks of the finest quality are showcased. The faux panelling and little shelf in the bathroom continue the traditional styling of the room as if it were from a different era. Everything in these rooms is fine tuned to evoke an old world elegance that perfectly suits this lovely home.

The wife, in her words, was “obsessed with white” and wanted an all white kitchen. The husband wanted some colour and liked the suggestion to use a celadon green tile for the splashback. But the wife could not commit to this so Templer Interiors suggested they compromise with paint. They could bring in some colour to make the husband happy, but it would not be as permanent a choice as coloured tile.

Taking cues from the clients’ colour choices in accessories and soft furnishings, Resene Robin Egg Blue was chosen. It is bright and fresh but subtle enough that it enhances rather than competes with the white cabinets and tile. And it marries beautifully with the dark brown tile already selected for the floors.

No structural changes were to be made and, though this is a big house, there was limited space for all the clients’ requirements. To gain a little more space, the laundry was repurposed as a walk-in scullery. This light, spacious room continues the look of the main kitchen, except the cabinets here have simple flat doors.

The house was built in the ‘30’s and as with most older homes, many things were out of square. But the biggest challenge was the kitchen floor, which had a strange rise in the centre. This took some work to be levelled in order to lay the very long, timber-look tiles. To further challenge the tiler, the clients had selected three different sizes of the same tile and had planned out a complicated layout to give the impression of a random timber floor, as one would find in an old house.

Creating balance in kitchen cabinet design was also a challenge. Not only were the walls angled, but one side has a high window and the clients wanted maximum storage, so the wall cabinets had to be of differing heights.

The farmhouse style sinks and traditional taps make a strong design statement, along with the custom stainless steel hood in a style not usually seen locally. The bench of leathered granite is quite unique, as are the custom designed cabinets in the dining room. The interiors of the cabinets are loaded with specialty storage, including pantry and corner systems, rubbish bins and specially designed drawer dividers. A microwave is hidden behind a flip up door.

The bathroom was an even more difficult space. The walls were angled and there was an awkward, narrow corner and recesses in the walls, none of which could be changed or modified. The tub was removed and replaced with a large shower that included a useful seat in the narrow corner. This allowed for a good view from the doorway to the attractive custom vanity which could be large enough for the big double basin and plenty of drawer space. The existing recesses had to be carefully fitted with cabinetry that would ‘disappear’ while providing useful storage

The colours were kept consistent on walls and cabinetry using Resene Quarter Black White, with Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen waterborne enamel on walls and all trim in Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel.

The dining room walls are painted in Resene Thorndon Cream leading through to Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream in the hallway. The creams are used as transitional colour, a warmer tone than the stark white of cabinetry and a good backdrop to art and other collectibles; this colour also moves us into the décor of the lounge and other living areas.

Adding colour to the cabinets in the dining room reinforces their furniture feel; they match the kitchen cabinets but are more detailed and give the impression of standalone pieces. Painting the walls around the white cabinets in the kitchen the same colour, Resene Half Robin Egg Blue, as the dining room cabinetry pulls the two spaces together. As you look through the dining room to the kitchen, the kitchen becomes the backdrop and the colours relate back to each other.

Building contractor: Daryll Hayes, Mako Construction
Interior designer: Susan Templer, Templer Interiors
Painting contractor: Keith Marr
Photographer: Larnie Nicolson
Other key contributors: Dean Lucas, DL Cabinetmaking
Other key contributors: Zibi Kwasnik, European Tiler
Project: Resene Total Colour Awards 2015