Sleek white kitchen design in new house with 5m-long island

Contemporary kitchen design features long island with waterfall sides, mirror splashback, streamlined cabinetry and large scullery

A 5m-long island with a Caesarstone top and architecture, countertop, house, interior design, kitchen, real estate, table, gray — A 5m-long island with a Caesarstone top and waterfall sides ensures this kitchen is well suited to family living and entertaining it provides a continuous benchtop for food preparation and serving. The white glass front to the island and high-gloss lacquered cabinets give the kitchen a reflective quality. The architecture is by Wilson & Hill Architects.

Stainless steel creates a durable benchtop for this cabinetry, countertop, interior design, kitchen, gray

A mirrored splashback adds visual depth to this architecture, countertop, house, interior design, kitchen, real estate, white, gray

In this new house, a dark-stained timber wall architecture, ceiling, floor, house, interior design, kitchen, property, real estate, room, gray, black

In this new kitchen, there is a long angle, area, black and white, design, drawing, elevation, floor plan, furniture, line, line art, plan, product design, structure, technical drawing, white

The best-laid plans the owners of this new house originally commissioned a brand new kitchen for their former home. But that project never eventuated as the house was destroyed by the Christchurch earthquakes.

However, the kitchen design brief remained and architect Chris Wilson of Wilson & Hill Architects says it provided the starting point for a new house.

"This kitchen is similar to our original design. It is literally the heart of the home we wrapped the house around it."

As requested by the owners, a 5m-long island forms the centre of operations, providing a continuous serving space, while the other side of the galley-style kitchen accommodates the major appliances. However, the more functional aspects of a kitchen are minimised.

"The kitchen needed to be a seamless part of the architecture, so the entire house flows, both visually and practically," the architect says. "All the walls are white, so the kitchen cabinetry is also white. But we specified a high-gloss lacquer to give the cabinets a reflective quality and to create a point of difference to the walls."

The seamless look is reinforced by flush-mounted overhead cabinets and recessed handles on the lower units.

A mirrored splashback dissolves the rear wall visually, adding a sense of depth. It also reflects the view back to people seated at the island facing into the kitchen.

"An all-white kitchen needs a few interesting details, so although the design makes the kitchen recede, it is not completely invisible," Wilson says.

Another reflective surface is the white glass front to the island, which is illuminated with LED lighting by night.

To define the work space within the living area, the kitchen and a parallel scullery at the rear have oak flooring. Timber also features on a wall in the entry gallery, which extends through to the kitchen.

"These materials reappear throughout the house," says Wilson. "A sense of connection is also provided by a void to the first floor the kitchen is literally the place where all the spaces come together."