Design on call

For most of us, trying to decide whether a colour or style in a showroom will look good in our kitchen, let alone complement the rest of the house, is something of a mission.

It's partly this dilemma that led kitchen designer Marianne Gailer to launch her Mobile Kitchen Design Company. Gailer visits customers with her showroom van, which contains everything from benchtops and handles to colour swatches and tile samples. For the owners of this family kitchen, the opportunity to talk to a designer who could show them samples on the spot and give specialist design advice was invaluable, says Gailer.

First, Gailer worked with the homeowners to re-plan their second-storey kitchen. Sliding windows were installed to allow access to the deck, and internal kitchen walls were removed. Defined cooking and cleaning zones were also created.

Ergonomics was also important, especially as the principal cook of the family is tall. He wanted a wall oven, a rangehood that was out of the way while he was cooking, and clutter-free work surfaces. An appliance garage and built-in rangehood met both these requirements.

Gailer discussed colours, styles and surfaces with the owners.

"They were wondering whether to have a lacquer or Melamine finish, so I showed them both options. They could see the workmanship that had gone into producing the Melamine, and this was the deciding factor for them."

The owners also chose taps, colours and handles from home. They tested a blind corner unit, pull-out pantry and slide-out waste disposal unit.

"Homeowners like to make choices this way. It also helps as a designer for example, I can look at the drapes and the colour scheme in people's lounges and base colour suggestions on that."

For details, contact Mobile Kitchen Design Company, phone 0800 My Kitchen (695 482). Email: marianne@mykitchen.co.nz, or visit the website: www.mykitchen.co.nz.

Story by: Trendsideas