Natural materials and an open design make this kitchen an ideal response to the home’s seaside location

Boasting a simple yet robust palette, this restrained kitchen in a modern home opens up on both sides to connect to its coastal setting

Stained wood meets white granite in this kitchen

Lost the butler’s pantry? In this kitchen by

Handle-free with integrated fridge and rangehood, this kitchen

Surfaces in this rear butler’s pantry echo those

One surprising feature of this kitchen is a

This home’s vertical shiplap cladding finds an echo

Outdoor setting with vibrant chairs. - Natural materials

A simple palette is almost always also a strong palette, as less materials means a greater impact from the chosen few.

This coastal kitchen is a great case in point.

Architect Darren Jessop was engaged to design a contemporary new home on an elevated 5ha site overlooking Waipu Cove.

“The home’s rather restrained material palette of concrete, cedar and aluminium was chosen not only for its simplicity, but also for its durability within the harsh marine environment,” says Jessop. “And this palette extends into the kitchen.”

The kitchen sits in a large, open-plan living space that can be fully opened up on two sides to access the home’s main deck on the eastern side and a sheltered outdoor dining and barbecue area on the western side.

This arrangement puts the kitchen at the heart of the modern home.

“We designed the kitchen with ceiling-height cabinetry, finished in a dark wood stain, and this is complemented by a white stone island benchtop with waterfall ends."

“The darker wood cabinetry and white benchtop give the kitchen its identity within a room finished in a paler wood.”

For symmetry, an integrated fridge tower and oven tower flank the rear bench.

The large island contains the kitchen’s sink and also provides seating for guests. Behind the kitchen, a walk-in butler’s pantry offers extra storage and a prep area.

A continuous LED strip ceiling light runs from the butler’s pantry out into the kitchen above the island benchtop and down the east wall of the main living area. This provides task lighting and also adds visual interest to the space.