Crisp and well connected

Designed by Amy Coombes, Genesis Interior Design; Landmark Homes Manawatu

From the kitchen designer:

The original spark for the design brief of this kitchen/pantry/laundry within a large family home was the oversized cage pendant to anchor the dining setting, and to incorporate the TDM Onyx Green tiles – both of which the owners had fallen in love with. 

Functionally, they needed a space which suited a family of five, maximised natural light, and offered seamless integration to the multiple outdoor living areas – building the illusion of additional space beyond the 349m² inner-city plot.

A galley style kitchen, with adjacent pantry/laundry creating a T-junction was quickly recognised as the most effective layout and provides practicality for the busy homeowners, with the laundry having additional direct external access. 

The allowance of 1.32m between each side of the kitchen always ensures free flow use by multiple users.

A peninsula was recommended to maximise the bench length to 2.69m. 

The peninsula style allows the owners' Fleur Wicks artwork ‘Very Very Lucky’ to take centre stage and make a statement of its own.

The homeowner was naturally drawn to lightness and dark, in a symbiotic yin and yang reference. 

As such a rich, textured, and layered material palette was used to anchor the cabinetry within the kitchen – and provide a striking backdrop for the large format feature tiles to create impactful contrast under the overhang of the peninsula bench.

This feature is enjoyed from within the wider open plan living room. 

Floor to ceiling cabinetry in each area maximises storage solutions while highlighting the 2.7m stud height.

The pantry/laundry, with less natural light, was specified in Prime, Grey Mist Timberland to create a bright and welcoming space. 

This tone also provides contrast to the kitchen's Prime, Black Timberland finish and echoes the lighter tones in the feature tile. 

As this area is also visible from the open plan living room, the utilitarian nature of the appliances are hidden behind cabinetry and the feature tile is repeated as a splashback in this dual-use ancillary space. 

Benchtop appliances are hidden from view around the corner in the pantry.

Dekton, Soke 12mm was selected early in the kitchen selection, for its concrete-look finish and subtle veining – as well as for its practical advantages of heat and scratch resistance.

To showcase the beauty of this material, the island proportions were set to maximise the full slab width at a luxurious 1.4m deep. 

The island's generous size ensures ample work space within the kitchen and a large serving bench.

It also provides space for guests and children to comfortably use the ample seating without impeding the kitchen’s functionality.

Working with Dekton's maximum length of 3.2m required a design solution that omitted a join in the surface for the perimeter benchtop. 

The back wall layout was configured within the limitations of one slab length and incorporates an offset pull-out pantry cupboard – thus provided an anchoring arm to the left, with a subtle open flow to the right naturally drawing your eye through the kitchen and into the pantry/laundry beyond. 

This essentially turned a product limitation, into a positive design outcome.

The Dekton, Soke, waterfall on the peninsula is a key feature of the space. 

Mitred to 36mm, the thicker vertical elevation mimics the density of the pull-out pantry and showcases the details of the finish on each exposed facet, ensuring an attractive outcome as seen from every angle.

A splashback window allows morning light to flood the kitchen and provide visual connection to the rear deck. 

Craftsmanship was key, with cabinetry above and to the left, flowing directly into the aluminium joinery. 

The Dekton surface was expertly crafted to form the sill at the bottom and mitred at the right to form the balance of the window frame and upstand – this vertical elevation of Dekton replicates the waterfall feature on the peninsula.

All appliances are integrated into the cabinetry, with the Fisher and Paykel Cool Drawer© housed on the peninsula to provide easy access for beverages when entertaining inside or out. 

An external blower F&P rangehood was integrated into a shallower depth of upper cabinets, in UltraGlaze Noir in super matte finish, providing a subtle textural contrast to the Timberland finish throughout.

A layered lighting plan was implemented for practicality and to highlight the key features. 

LED strip lighting is used under the upper cabinets and bench overhang, illuminating the laundry feature tiles.

 It is also used as the pantry/laundry main ceiling-mounted lighting. 

‘Can lights’ were chosen for task lighting in the kitchen, to provide a subtle solution which didn’t detract from the owners' feature cage pendant. 

Round LEDs were inset into each cubby of the open shelving to elevate the humble storage solution into an impactful display area. 

The latter maximises utility in the large open-plan home, with its many windows and doors, and limited wall space.

Repetition of shape and materiality adds depth and softness to the overall scheme. 

Linear details are boldly cast in the rectangular forms of the cabinetry, the recessed oblique-style handles, bench top design and even open shelving in the pantry – the shelves are in Baroque Timberland, to harmonise with the wooden flooring, cedar cladding, and internal cedar stairwell detailing. 

Floor to ceiling sheers blanket the multiple stacking doors to soften and balance the overall masculinity. 

With bronze linear knurled feature handles linking to the warmth of the veining in the feature tiles and the rusticated iron of the cage pendant, the colour story is complete. 

This striking and bespoke kitchen/pantry/laundry creates a heartfelt hub of the home.

Story by: Trendsideas