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Long, slender white kitchen with textural pattern on cabinetry and quiet colour palette

Contemporary kitchen in villa with subtle, connecting tones, electronic push-button cabinetry and backpainted glass privacy stand and splashback

A rectangular privacy element on this island hides architecture, ceiling, countertop, home, house, interior design, kitchen, light fixture, product design, table, gray
A rectangular privacy element on this island hides kitchen clutter from the living spaces. The backpainted tan glass surface is repeated on the splashback of the cooking niche. The white kitchen merges with its surroundings but stands out against the hardwood vitex floor.

Material connections in a kitchen can speak softly or state their presence boldly and when it comes to tactile surfaces, a simple change in viewing angle can affect the conversation.

This kitchen, by designer Natalie Du Bois, responds to the owners' brief for a white work space with a taupe benchtop. These elements set the scene for an understated colour palette that doesn't overwhelm the home's generally subtle decor, says Du Bois.

"There are plenty of tonal connections here. The granite frame on the privacy panel links with the dark-stained Vitex wood flooring and the tan backpainted glass is repeated on the splashback. The multi-hued marble front on the island was chosen to pick up on these colours, too, and the taupe work surface on the island provides a mid-tone between the other surfaces. Nevertheless, the predominating colour is white and this merges with the adjacent white walls.


Natalie Du Bois designed the sunburst pattern on architecture, countertop, home, interior design, kitchen, property, real estate, room, gray
Natalie Du Bois designed the sunburst pattern on this cabinetry based on an image the owners had seen in a magazine.

"One of the strongest linking elements is texture, not colour. The marble island front is in a raised, variegated tile that looks different from different angles and is pleasing to the eye. And this surface finds an echo in the textural, grooved cabinet wall to the rear."

The owners had seen a sunburst pattern in a story in an Australian edition of Kitchen Trends and asked Du Bois to re-create it for them here.

Other wow factors in the design include a tall bookcase with a ladder and a glass panel in the floor that offers a glimpse of the wine cellar on the level below.

Multi-hued marble tiles on the front of the architecture, ceiling, floor, home, interior design, interior designer, living room, real estate, room, table, wall, gray
Multi-hued marble tiles on the front of the island connect with a textural pattern on the cabinetry in this kitchen by Natalie Du Bois.

A high-tech feature of the design goes undetected that is, until someone opens the cabinetry. While the 5m-long island contains two over-sized dishwashers, most of the kitchen's functionality is tucked behind electronically operated cabinet doors.

A light touch of a button opens a pantry with pull-out storage to the left of the refrigerator. Using a similar smooth-gliding operation, the horizontal bands above the cooking niche concertina up to reveal spacious cabinet interiors. With another touch, they close back down the same way.

This kitchen extends beyond the footprint of the original. The patterned rear wall and bookcase both lead the eye upwards, drawing attention to the 3.5m-high ceiling. At the same time, the long, narrow design doesn't impinge on the adjacent living spaces.

Credit list

Kitchen designer
Natalie Du Bois NKBA, Du Bois Design (Auckland)
Hardware
Blum Tandembox Intivo drawers, Blum Aventos with Servo-drive
Benchtops
Caesarstone in Ginger
Wall tiles
Heritage Tiles
Taps
Kohler Karbon kitchen mixer
Water dispenser
InSinkErator boiling tap
Cabinetry
Two-pack satin lacquer in Resene Alabaster
Storage
Kesseböhmer
Flooring
Vitex hardwood, dark stained
Kitchen sink
Sergio Urbane
Waste disposal
InSinkErator Evolution
Cabinet pattern inspiration
Royston Wilson, Australia

Story by: Charles Moxham

04 Feb, 2015

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