The brief for this new kitchen for a large family with four children was for it to take centre stage in a large extension to an original cottage that sits on the shore of Lake Taupo. Our clients had had traditional kitchens in their previous homes, and wanted to keep with a classic theme for their new one. The client is also a big fan of Kinloch Lodge, so wanted something that had some drama and presence. Before the design had even begun our client had purchased a large freestanding range, which he loved, and a large French-door fridge-freezer. Other requests were for an integrated dishwasher and space for second oven for when entertaining. No space for microwave required, as they don’t ever use one.

To give the classic looks and the drama our clients requested, we proposed to use dark-stained, solid oak cabinetry. The deep brown colour also helped to ground the kitchen in a big open space with lots of light, and the mixture of knobs and pull-handle details helped to generate visual interest. We wanted to make a prominent feature of the beautiful freestanding range our client had purchased, so we designed a custom rangehood with a metallic fish to draw attention to it. The benchtop depth was increased around stove, to help pull it forward as feature and create a point of interest on what would be otherwise just a very long run of bench. Crackled subway tiles for the splashback finished the look. As requested a second oven was specified, but integrated into the island so not to compete for attention. Spatial planning allowed the large fridge to be tucked away, out of sight, but not difficult to reach or intrusive to anyone using the space.