Designer: Nicola Ross

Photographer: Avodah Photo and Cinema

The Concept: A dark kitchen with soft and natural elements.

The Requirement: A well-planned layered kitchen that uses colour and smart joinery to open up space.

This Palmerston North home sits on a rural setting with city views and beautiful natural lighting streaming through the full-length windows. Esteemed interior designer, Nicola Ross used vertical battening on the kitchen island and warm soft tiles and materials in the scullery to complement the dark matte kitchen. 

Contrasting kitchens can prove challenging, so planning ahead and committing to one 'must-have' can help get you the kitchen of your dreams. Matte finishes have become extremely popular over recent years, choose a material that is easy to clean without having to worry about fingerprints and scratches (Nicola uses the brand Purematte). Using the colour black instantly adds drama and gives a daring and bold feel to your space. Use accent colours, materials and textures like the vertical battening of this Palmerston North oasis to to keep your kitchen interesting.

About the Product:

InnoTech Atira drawers are the perfect balance between practicality and functionality. Paired with Hettich's Quadro runners that are concealed and have integrated soft-closing capabilities for peace and quiet around the home. A great drawer for everyday use. Nicola has opted for handle less drawers with a negative rail to create a seamless look. It is particularly useful for families that find handles bothersome and opens up space.

Sensys hinges provide a unique 35 degree closing angle and an impressive workable temperature range (5 - 40C). That means less effort needed to close your drawers and an incredibly soft-closing function, which keeps noise down in an already potentially stressful area like the kitchen. A great way to ensure no startling interruptions for a great flow of conversations around the table.