I can see why you are retired Sophie, your arrogance is noted. Your invalid assumptions and snipey tone suggest it may be time to take up knitting or at least find another forum? We have several professionals involved on this high end project. All of whom understand ergonomics. Nevertheless, I was interested in other opinions as there is still an acceptable range within expert views and average heights are on the rise. That said, from a stylistic point of view there is often a push toward lower. Further, the huge range of heights in ready made furniture shows just how much variation there is. Some of it is ergonomically designed, some is not.

With the pantry being located where it is, it provides a opportunity to make it inbuilt and continue your bench top along. This would then provide more bench space and would make sure you are using that wall to its full potential. However for space and flow and to make your kitchen more ascetically pleasing, we would suggest keeping the island bench and making the appliances integrated. This provides opportunity to make that far wall a feature wall, which can be as simple as a blackboard or pictures, to making it a colour feature (depending on you cabinetry) or even to make it high class you could create a wood paneling feature. I hope this helps, either way you can add bonus features to your kitchen, you can create more storage and bench space with changing the pantry, or you could make a design feature out of that wall. It is up to you and where you design flair may take you. Good luck! :) If you would like to see these designs with a quote please call us on 03 423 9067 and we can organise a free one for you. Below are some pictures - in built pantry vs. feature wall. (making where the appliances are a low bench top with below cabinets). (goes beautifully with a black and white colour palette).

An avid reader and a keen photographer I wanted to create a room for this 17yr old teen, that reflected what she loves. As you can see the before image, of the room is not recognizable. There was a small window where the beautiful window seat now resides. The windows were all placed side by side as they came from other parts of the house, to form the corner window look. This room needed as much light as possible being on the south side of the property. Before: After: The wall shelving was put up at the time of the renovation, the floors sanded and new cupboards installed (Terranova Building and Renovation Services). The beams and ceiling were stripped and painted Resene standard white. Before: After: Apart from the wallpapering which I had an installer put up, the rest of the room was painted by myself. The Curtain Lady, (Cambridge) made the window seats. Overall the room is very pleasing to the eye and has a lovely calm feel about it. Natasha the proud owner of this room is very happy in her special space, and now the problem is... is it too nice to leave home now? After: See entire project here!

A professional couple in beachside St. Heliers wanted to breathe some new life into a kitchen that was not just dated; its tired layout was preventing the leveraging of their gasp-worthy stunning views. They love entertaining so one of the cornerstones of the project was carving out an area around the island that would beckon people to linger, chat and nibble while looking out over Rangitoto. Before: After: The first step in this full redesign required the removal of walls to open up the space which meant the installation of a new support beam that was later skillfully integrated into the subtle white paint in order to not interrupt the clean lines. A palette of oak, greens and gray was selected as a nod to the couple’s personal style that was weaved into other rooms to give a consistency in colour scheme throughout the property. For the kitchen, tiles and carpet were done away with and soft hued timber flooring was laid that will promise durability over time. An island with oak lines to integrate with the flooring and a white stone benchtop was selected to compliment the walls and ceiling for a bright and airy feel. Sliding doors were installed to bring the outside in and invite ocean breezes indoors during warmer months. Olive coloured subway tiles along the backsplash blend beautifully with the pendant lights in the same tone. The wine fridge and a large refrigerator will mean ease of entertaining to hold plenty of goodies for guests. Before: After: In the lounge, existing awkward angles presented a design challenge so it was decided that a reconfiguration was necessary. A custom cupboard answered the need for non-existent storage along with a walk-in wardrobe. A sleek oak bookcase and timber floors connected the room to the kitchen and allowed for elegant storage and display of personal items. The hearth has tiles in soft grey hues of concrete that connect to the kitchen. They are taken up the wall inconsistently to add visual variation. The custom ordered large oak dining room ties the spaces together and seats 8 -10 people making large dinner parties a possibility. The previous peach bathroom was a serious nod to the 1980’s. A single glass paned shower brings convenience without blocking light and the gun metal sink will allow for lots of wear and tear. A large white bath with gun metal fixtures was added and the oak cabinet under the sink completes the look. In the powder room, olive coloured patterned tiles lined the bottom half of the walls and an oak shelf and floors again kept the look and feel cohesive throughout. Before: After: Check out the entire project here!