Old meets new in contemporary open-plan kitchen

Capturing the feel of an old London apartment, this kitchen still feels fresh and modern. Designed for entertaining and with plenty of storage, it's functional as well as aesthetically pleasing

The owners of this home wanted a kitchen cabinetry, countertop, cuisine classique, interior design, kitchen, gray — The owners of this home wanted a kitchen with traditional panelled doors, steel and brass finishes, and open shelves for everyday items to hang on display.

There's a seamless flow from the kitchen space countertop, interior design, kitchen, property, real estate, gray

Space for entertaining, with casual seating for guests, countertop, cuisine classique, interior design, kitchen, real estate, gray

A beverage-making area away from the main work countertop, cuisine classique, interior design, kitchen, gray

Katie Scott's design evokes the traditional old-world feel countertop, cuisine classique, interior design, kitchen, gray

The new kitchen has more efficient food storage cabinetry, countertop, cuisine classique, home appliance, interior design, kitchen, major appliance, refrigerator, gray

Designed by Michelle Gillbanks of Kitchens By Design

Designer statement:

The homeowners wanted to re-create the look of their old, central-city London apartment in a new, upmarket, three-storey townhouse in central Auckland. They talked emotively about traditional panelled doors, steel and brass finishes, and open shelves for everyday items to hang on display – and more importantly, to be on hand when needed, ensuring efficient easy flow within the limited space.

Space for entertaining, with casual seating for guests, was also asked for, as was a beverage-making area away from the main work zone. And, most importantly was having a seamless flow from the kitchen space through to the living dining areas.

The resulting design addresses each of the owners' needs, all wrapped up in an elegant package that evokes the traditional old-world feel that they requested, but in a modern way, through innovative use of lighting and layers of texture and materials.

It also makes a stunning statement in their open- plan living space.

Their new kitchen has more efficient food storage and larger preparation areas, and incorporates the latest technology in a full and matching suite of appliances.

Technically, the existing space also threw up some challenges around services that couldn’t be moved. But these were dealt with in an effective and aesthetically pleasing solution by using existing bulkhead line in the family area to introduce a continuation of the lower ceiling height through the kitchen. This houses the new ducting and other electrical equipment for the LEDs surrounding the hob.