Shining examples

It can take an outsider to see the true potential of your home. A fresh set of eyes and a wealth of experience and knowledge can make all the difference to your kitchen project, as these award-winning kitchens show.

The designers of these kitchens were all winners in the last annual National Kitchen & Bathroom Association Kitchen Awards.

Top honours went to New Plymouth designer Glen Johns CKDNZ of Glen Johns Design. His entry (above right) is a modern kitchen featuring a long island with space for cooking, eating and entertaining. Tall cabinets fill the rear wall, concealing an existing staircase and providing a soffit for the lighting.

In place of a standard rangehood, Johns designed a cantilevered glass light box containing an extractor fan.

The judging panel says the project presents an unrecognisable transformation, with the repetition of forms adding visual consistency.

"The design also makes the most of the dramatic stony river outlook. And the cantilevered extractor is an unusual and creative solution to the ventilation requirements."

Leanne Larking of Quattro Uno in Havelock North was National Runner-up and Hawkes Bay Regional Winner. Her design (above left) features a restrained palette of materials, including light oatmeal veneer cabinets.

The judging panel says the design takes full advantage of the views and allows for social interaction.

"This new kitchen radiates refinement and restraint, and is evidence of great attention to detail. The light timber and the abstraction of the back wall cabinets create the sense of a line drawing."

Robin Caudwell of Designer Cabinets in Hamilton won the Creative Excellence Award, and was the Waikato Regional Winner. His kitchen (right) includes an island with unusual detailing. The island incorporates a large detachable Corian table on wheels.

The judging panel praised the kitchen's garage-workshop look, which complements the raw architecture of the house.

"The island detailing and versatile dining table that can be rolled outdoors deserve special mention, as does the use of colour and materials. These contribute to the room's distinctive cafe look."

Auckland Regional Winner Suzanne Allen, who designed the kitchen on this page, won the award for Best Kitchen $15,000 to $50,000. Cabinetry is integrated into the walls for a seamless, uncluttered look.

The judging panel says the kitchen, in a traditional villa, is a good example of smart planning, sleek, clean lines and the subtle use of materials.

For further information, contact the NKBA, phone 0900 4 NKBA. Or visit the website: www.nkba.org.nz.

Glen Johns Design, New Plymouth: phone (06) 759 0940; Quattro Uno, Havelock North: phone (06) 877 8603; Designer Cabinets, Hamilton: phone (07) 849 3757; Suzanne Allen Kitchen Design, Auckland: phone (09) 361 6182.

Story by: Trendsideas