“A gorgeous kitchen!”
Highlights
Laminex Laminate Pure Mineralstone 30mm kitchen island benchtop with overhang, Blum Legrabox Space Tower, Prime Melamine Atmoss cabinetry
Modern aesthetic delivered with materials of higher quality than a previous renovation almost 30 years ago
Priority also given to enhanced functionality and increased storage options
High praise for after-care service
Everyone who comes into the home of Hutt Central couple Vicki and Paul comment “what a gorgeous kitchen!”
Such is the couple’s proud exclamation when describing the 2024 upgrade completed with Mastercraft Kitchens Wellington.
“It is our second renovation of the kitchen,” say the couple.
“This was totally about modernising with quality, robust materials. It had to be functional of course and long-lasting in construction, as well as be aesthetically pleasing to us."
In evolving from a blue/cream theme to a contemporary olive/white aesthetic, a curved breakfast bar benchtop with wooden bullnosing was also updated to a rectangular Laminex Laminate Pure Mineralstone 30mm with slightly-enhanced overhang.
“It was nice to get away from that era.
“Even though we pushed the kitchen out by 100mm into the dining room we’ve actually got more space because the top of the bench protrudes less.”
Storage boost
Previously having a fairly-compact pantry, the couple were delighted to expand to wall-length cabinetry as well as gaining additional storage space – and a nice aesthetic touch – from having the rangehood enclosed.
“Some people want to use the top of their pantry as a shelf, but then you’ve got to keep dusting and cleaning it all. Whereas, going all the way to the ceiling, we’ve got so much more storage space that even those bigger items can be neatly tucked away.
“We’ve got a lot more storage space overall. In our old kitchen we used to have all of our dishes stored in the pantry, but now the Legrabox Spacetower is used just for food items. We were adamant we wanted our dishes stored in drawers closer to the food preparation and the new soft-close cabinetry is also much deeper.
“The functionality is much better – including the dishwasher being relocated next to the sink, which gave us a bank of three new drawers immediately alongside and rectified a previously-wasted space.
“We now have dedicated storage for chopping boards and cooking items right where they need to be – it all just makes better sense.”
Bringing the vision to life
While quite precise in their vision, the couple credit designer Erin Tranter with “making it all work”.
“We had quite an idea in mind and Erin thought through the different functionality aspects and brought everything together. The kitchen is definitely more functional now as well as being aesthetically pleasing.
“One of her ideas was the wrap-around glass splashback. We used to have tiles there and they were murder to keep clean, so we wanted something that could be easily wiped down.
“Room was also made for a double fridge, which we’d always wanted. As well as looking much better than our previous single unit, that’s another positive feature from a resale point of view.
“Additionally, Erin suggested attractive shelving in the corner, which would have looked lovely, but we couldn’t see ourselves keeping a plant alive there, lol.”
Hardware such as the Enko 14-litre bins is another appreciated feature.
“We used to have a circular open bin on the back of the cupboard door underneath the sink but that started falling off after about a year or so. Now we have the pullout bins which seal and they’re fantastic.”
The couple valued having options and expert advice, and being able to pore over key aesthetic choices.
“We’re very pleased with the colour choices. We spent a lot of time thinking about the finish on the cabinetry – whether it be gloss or matt – we went with matt and are very pleased with that finish.
“And then there was your showroom’s wall of handles – Erin said ‘you can have whichever one you like’. We’re glad we spent a bit of time with the handles also and we’re happy with the Archant Edge Straight Inox look – nice and subtle.”
No need to look elsewhere
Having discovered the Mastercraft Kitchens Wellington website early in the process, the couple say they soon decided there was no need to shop around further.
“We did a bit of looking online and when we saw your designs we thought they were quite nice – things were looking pretty sharp. Being local was another advantage and then when we went to the showroom we liked what we saw and experienced.
“Erin came to our home and we got an indicative price – we were happy with the quality of the deliverables and were left thinking ‘it’s going to be hard to beat that’.”
The couple were very complimentary of the installation and electrician subcontractors suggested, and especially for the diligent attention of Mastercraft Kitchens Wellington after-care specialist Debbie Scott.
“We had a bit of an issue with the pullout pantry – the doors were initially tapping onto the wall. Debbie came back probably four or five times with different-sized pullouts until everything was eventually made to work. At the end of the day, it’s the ‘putting right that counts’.
“Everybody that comes in here, who hasn’t seen the kitchen before, basically says ‘Oh my God, what a gorgeous kitchen’. So yeah, an excellent result.”