Lime green and charcoal cabinetry creates a crisp look in this modern kitchen

Often in a design there's one leading element that draws the eye. In this contemporary kitchen, a feature is the eye-catching splashes of green but that's only one wow factor of many.

This kitchen's the hub of a renovated family home and the brief called for a high spec kitchen with plenty of features to impress, says designer Chris Moore, managing director at Mackay Kitchens (MKS).

"The owners often do their entertaining around the kitchen bench' so they wanted this to accommodate casual social gatherings as well as informal family meal times," Moore says.

In response, the island and benchtop have prominence in the design. The expansive solid oak benchtop provides table space while the lower granite bench behind allows for food prep to be done by the hosts while chatting to guests. The raised front bench features crafted finger joints and offers a warm counterpoint to the vibrant lacquered lime green seen on the island, rear cabinetry and internal pantry bench. The balance of the cabinetry is a deep charcoal.

"As storage was important in this kitchen, we created the large step-in pantry in the corner to house small appliances as well as food."

However the bulk of the storage comes from the bank of under-counter drawers to the rear that runs almost the full width of the kitchen. Bathed in natural light from the windows, the benchtop in this area is in practical stainless steel.

Again with a mind to entertaining, there are two electric push-to-open drawers at the front of the island. These were custom built to house wine glasses and tumblers, with internal LED lighting included as added extravagance.

"Another unusual element in this design is the corner countertop cabinet," says Moore. "This operates like a sash window when you raise one panel, the other moves too, meaning only two shelves are seen at any one time. The arrangement means you can swap from display shelves to storage shelves with one action."

A wine fridge and utility nook also had to be included and these are tucked behind a newly installed wing wall to the side of the workspace.

"Overall, this kitchen achieves a generous, welcoming feel and the tall mirrored toekicks under the rear run of cabinets add to the overall sense of spaciousness," says Moore. "The feature lighting cluster positioned at one end of the island was designed by the owner."

Story by: New Zealand TIDA Kitchens

Photography by: Jamie Cobel