Location: Mount Eden, Auckland, New Zealand

Architecture/Design: Micaela Wynne, Yellow Fox Auckland

End date: 2023

Material: Dekton, Silestone

• Colour: Radium, Nolita
  Thickness: 12mm, 20mm
• Application: Kitchen bench, splash back, upstand, bathroom vanities

When renovating a central Auckland house for a client and her two teenage boys, Yellow Fox designer Micaela Wynne was tasked with creating a kitchen that first and foremost was fabulous to cook in.

“The homeowner was specific about her love for baking and cooking, and how the current kitchen made her feel,” explains Wynne. “From that conversation I understood her brief clearly, that her kitchen was an escape of sorts and she wanted to spend time in a functional, streamlined and inviting space.”

Although the home was relatively new, Wynne renovated the kitchen and three bathrooms to refresh the spaces. In the kitchen, wall tiles were removed to expose the original brickwork, while Dekton by Cosentino in Radium was specified for a brand-new benchtop, splashback and a feature upstand.

“The existing architecture really dictated what we did with the interiors,” says Wynne. “Dark steel elements combined with red brick on the exterior of the house, and utilised internally, inspired a New York loft feel. It’s not a style often seen in Auckland, so I was pleased the client trusted me to accentuate these features rather than run from them.”

Radium, a dark surface that evokes rust-tinged steel, added to the modern, industrial vibe, and complements the red brick, thanks to its orange detailing. Made from 80% recycled materials and specified for this kitchen in 12mm thickness, it fit the bill for a functional cook’s surface.

“Dekton was a no-brainer,” says Wynne of the ultra compact and completely carbon neutral product. “In a high-traffic kitchen catering to not only adults, but also teenage boys, we needed a surface that was extremely durable. It had to be stain-resistant, able to withstand extreme heat, scratch-resistant and also UV-resistant, because there are skylights running the length of the kitchen.”

In the bathrooms, limited space and raked ceilings meant that the vanities had to be light and bright and create an illusion of openness. Silestone, Nolita was selected and specified in three rooms, because of its neutral tones.

“Silestone is a much-loved product in our studio,” says Wynne. “It’s an easy to maintain product and non-porous with a beautiful range of colourways. “Nolita is such a beautiful off-white, contributing just enough texture and interest to the bathroom spaces without being too overpowering.”

Explore the full range of colours across Dekton®, Silestone® and Sensa® here.

Photography by Stephanie Creagh.