Before & After
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Before & After: From Old Closed-Plan to Modern Open-Plan Kitchen
This NZ kitchen's rebirth began with the removal of a wall and ended with a friendly style update
In a Q&A format, we talk to the designers – and examine the creative thinking – behind some of Houzz’s most loveable rooms.
The view into the kitchen before works
Brief
The brief was to give our client a kitchen that would be in proportion to the other spaces of their home. Their kitchen felt small and was hard to work in.
Brief
The brief was to give our client a kitchen that would be in proportion to the other spaces of their home. Their kitchen felt small and was hard to work in.
The kitchen after works, with the dividing wall removed
By opening up the space (removing the wall that divided the kitchen and dining areas) and adding a bathroom to the kitchen space, we created an open-plan kitchen/dining/living environment that the family loves to congregate in. Simple clean lines with a little (very subtle) Japanese influence follows the theme set in the rest of the house. White and timber with black accents creates a timeless look.
By opening up the space (removing the wall that divided the kitchen and dining areas) and adding a bathroom to the kitchen space, we created an open-plan kitchen/dining/living environment that the family loves to congregate in. Simple clean lines with a little (very subtle) Japanese influence follows the theme set in the rest of the house. White and timber with black accents creates a timeless look.
The kitchen before works
What wasn’t working for the client in the original kitchen?
The oven was squashed into the corner and hard to access. Most of the cabinets were cupboards, which did not provide practical storage, as there was no consideration for the items that needed to be stored.
The existing pass-through window from the kitchen to the dining area created a block between the spaces and made them feel small and disproportionate to the other well-proportioned large spaces of the rest of house.
What wasn’t working for the client in the original kitchen?
The oven was squashed into the corner and hard to access. Most of the cabinets were cupboards, which did not provide practical storage, as there was no consideration for the items that needed to be stored.
The existing pass-through window from the kitchen to the dining area created a block between the spaces and made them feel small and disproportionate to the other well-proportioned large spaces of the rest of house.
Starting point
The owners have visited Japan, and many of their furniture pieces and their garden show Japanese influences.
Browse more beautifully designed New Zealand kitchens
The owners have visited Japan, and many of their furniture pieces and their garden show Japanese influences.
Browse more beautifully designed New Zealand kitchens
Key design aspects
Colour palette:
Colour palette:
- White, timber and black accents.
- Prime Stone Athena Honed 20-millimetre engineered-stone benchtop.
- White and timber-grain Melteca joinery.
- Cabinetry in Acrymatte in Snow White.
- Shoji cupboard in 30-millimetre tawa timber with a concealed panel and LED lighting.
- Häfele Blanco Naya 8 sink.
- Miele dishwasher.
- Westinghouse fridge.
- Geo White Gloss mosaic tiles.
The kitchen before works
Thinking behind the arrangement of furniture/fixtures
- The existing block wall was painted black to create a feature backdrop for a casual seating area at the end of the space.
- The timber ceiling is a feature in the living space and provides a warm feeling.
- The kitchen cabinets are arranged to provide a sense of space.
- The high walls are ‘hidden’ behind the timber feature shelving unit and towards the end of the bench.
- We used extrusion handles so they wouldn’t protrude from the cabinets and to create additional horizontal lines, giving the appearance of elongation.
Challenges you worked around
- We had to keep the location of the existing hot-water heater.
- We recommended keeping the powder room so guests still had a bathroom to use, as the other family bathrooms are in the opposite part of the house.
- The client also wanted to keep the existing veneer wall in the dining room and the existing heat pump.
The layout after works
Why do you think this room works?
The client now has a kitchen where the pantry and appliance cupboards are hidden behind a feature display shelving unit and very practical and functional storage solutions have been incorporated.
The client now has a kitchen where the pantry and appliance cupboards are hidden behind a feature display shelving unit and very practical and functional storage solutions have been incorporated.
We created a light, bright and clean look that the client really loves and is in keeping with the rest of the house.
I would have loved to see the Japanese-inspired bench seating and table arrangement as well as the shoji screen to the in-built cabinets, but I am very happy with the overall outcome.
I would have loved to see the Japanese-inspired bench seating and table arrangement as well as the shoji screen to the in-built cabinets, but I am very happy with the overall outcome.
Your turn
What do you love about this kitchen? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images for inspiration, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Craving more great interior makeovers? Don’t miss this Before & After: A Dated City Terrace Made Modern & Enticing
What do you love about this kitchen? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images for inspiration, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Craving more great interior makeovers? Don’t miss this Before & After: A Dated City Terrace Made Modern & Enticing
Answers by Nicole Wood, interior designer, Spin Design
Who lives here: A family with two children
Location: Auckland, NZ
Room purpose and size: A 35-square-metre kitchen and dining area
Approximate budget: NZ$60,000
Is your kitchen in need of an update? Find a specialised kitchen designer near you on Houzz