Opened imagination
Highlights
Includes Bramco Quantum Quartz Turino 30mm benchtop, Melteca Snowdrift and Prime Melamine Atmoss handleless cabinetry with a Laminex Scallop Surround, Häfele Mondo corner unit and LED lighting, and integrated dishwasher
A “secret door” opening to the adjoining scullery/laundry renovation
Customisation such as a hanging light purchased by the couple being paint-matched to the kitchen cabinetry and section’s of the home’s original flooring being turned into floating shelves
Modern, open-plan living has been brought to the heart of the home of Petone couple Isaac and Roisin through a custom kitchen renovation complemented by adjoining new scullery/laundry.
Having purchased the 1905-built home in August 2023, the couple consulted with an architect before fully embarking on the renovation early the following year.
“The main thing we wanted was to make it open plan,” says Isaac.
“Beforehand it was pokey and a bit of a rabbit warren. We had the idea of having the lounge, kitchen and dining room all open and with an island featuring in the middle.”
Clean aesthetic with key features
Isaac says the couple were seeking a “clean” aesthetic brought to life by feature elements.
“Going handleless was key for us in keeping a nice clean look and not having handles makes everything easier to actually clean.
“But we were also going for something that stood out a bit, so we decided on the Laminex Scallop panel around the island and separately bought a light fitting to match that texture.
“My partner was quite keen on the Atmoss colour around the island and Mastercraft was kind enough to send the light away with the panels to get painted together so they match perfectly.”
He says another nice aesthetic was the reuse of sections of the house’s original timber flooring to create open shelving to contrast with the closed, Snowdrift-toned cabinetry.
“Being able to incorporate the existing flooring into that just helps really tie it all together.”
One of the most notable features of the kitchen is a “secret door”, blended seamlessly as push-to-open cabinetry alongside the fridge, which reveals to the custom-built scullery/laundry.
“That is a bit of a standout – everybody that comes in makes comment on it.”
On the practical side, Isaac says the couple have welcomed the considerable new storage capacity created.
“One of the standout things for me is the Mondo corner unit. That is good use of what would otherwise be somewhat dead space.
“But also, the size of the cabinetry – being able to make the most of the high stud and create a lot more storage space.”
Secret doors
Isaac praises designer Erin’s ability to both interpret the couple’s vision but also bring new ideas to the table.
“We had a bit of a rough plan from the architect and how it was going to work – ie, keeping things open – but Erin had a lot of input.
“The hidden room was her idea – the other option was to have it open with the fridge standing off on its own, but being able to hide it with the cabinetry was very good.
“The positioning of certain things, such as the rubbish bin and the spice draw came from Erin, which has made everything a bit more easy to use and functional.
“We also initially wanted closed cupboards only and material-wise started off with Melteca, but together we evolved to open cupboards using some of the original flooring.
“I remember there was a bit of toing and froing as to what we were going to do at times. We were able to do that sort of thing – customise to how we wanted it and match everything in.”
Trusted to deliver
Already acquainted with Mastercraft Kitchens Wellington in a professional capacity, Isaac says he had faith in the business “from the get-go”.
“You can talk to anybody – Mastercraft are trusted, do a quality job and anything that's not right, they'll put right.
“Changes that were made along the way were never made out to be a big a big issue. The team were all really good when it came to on site stuff and remedial wise, there has never been an issue.
“From my perspective, everything was covered off and the transparency was there if there was any issue.”