Super Cool Idea: Colourful Kitchen Cabinets, Auckland
At the heart of this playful family home in New Zealand is a kitchen distinguished by warm wood joinery complemented by colourful cabinetry
Looking something like a Mondrian painting, but displaying the ethos of a Scandinavian designer’s love of ply, the kitchen joinery in this open-plan home in New Zealand is a study in functionality and artistry all at once. Bright blocks of colour, presented as cabinet doors, break up the timber textures of the design, enhancing the casual mood and fun family atmosphere. Here the architects explain why the design was integral to the kitchen plan.
What was the brief for the kitchen, and the cabinetry in particular?
We were given a strong visual brief with images of houses which the clients liked. Many of them featured timber and plywood joinery in kitchens that related directly to both indoor and outdoor living spaces. They also had open shelving units as a point of interest. The verbal brief was to provide a functional and social kitchen with slightly higher benches than usual to suit the clients.
How does the kitchen joinery work from a design point of view?
Aesthetically, we wanted to keep the kitchen in tune with the materially rich but unpretentious theme of the whole house, and so you can see plywood and bright pops of colour consistent throughout. The arrangement of elements within the kitchen was to keep it visually balanced while applying the ‘golden triangle’ rule. [This three-point rule considers the placement of the sink, fridge and cooking areas in relation to each other so that there’s easy access to each while cooking.]
We were given a strong visual brief with images of houses which the clients liked. Many of them featured timber and plywood joinery in kitchens that related directly to both indoor and outdoor living spaces. They also had open shelving units as a point of interest. The verbal brief was to provide a functional and social kitchen with slightly higher benches than usual to suit the clients.
How does the kitchen joinery work from a design point of view?
Aesthetically, we wanted to keep the kitchen in tune with the materially rich but unpretentious theme of the whole house, and so you can see plywood and bright pops of colour consistent throughout. The arrangement of elements within the kitchen was to keep it visually balanced while applying the ‘golden triangle’ rule. [This three-point rule considers the placement of the sink, fridge and cooking areas in relation to each other so that there’s easy access to each while cooking.]
Why did you use coloured panels (of red, yellow and orange)?
Pops of primary colour were the result of a collaboration between the homeowners and our project architect. This is a palette with an unmistakeable personality that not only reflects the ‘holiday-like’ nature of the architecture, but captures a playfulness that’s an everyday thrill for children and the young at heart. Determined shades of orange, red and yellow on doors, kitchen cabinetry and built-in furniture, are a delightful surprise within the otherwise pared-back design.
What are the materials used?
We used Gaboon marine plywood for the cabinetry and MDF spray-finished in bold colours of rich yellow (Resene ‘Supernova’), burnt orange (Resene ‘Chilean Fire’) and sports-car red (Resene ‘Monza’) for the cabinet door panels. The cabinet handles are finger pulls routed out of the cabinetry fronts.
10 stylish uses for plywood
Pops of primary colour were the result of a collaboration between the homeowners and our project architect. This is a palette with an unmistakeable personality that not only reflects the ‘holiday-like’ nature of the architecture, but captures a playfulness that’s an everyday thrill for children and the young at heart. Determined shades of orange, red and yellow on doors, kitchen cabinetry and built-in furniture, are a delightful surprise within the otherwise pared-back design.
What are the materials used?
We used Gaboon marine plywood for the cabinetry and MDF spray-finished in bold colours of rich yellow (Resene ‘Supernova’), burnt orange (Resene ‘Chilean Fire’) and sports-car red (Resene ‘Monza’) for the cabinet door panels. The cabinet handles are finger pulls routed out of the cabinetry fronts.
10 stylish uses for plywood
What were the challenges associated with the project?
It was a challenge to design a family kitchen that would sit well within this modest family home. It had to be built from humble materials and also work within a reasonably small budget without scrimping on comfort, aesthetic and family convenience.
Describe the success of the project. What do you and/or the client love about it?
The family is very happy with the result. They are very social and often entertain at home, and have described how their kitchen is generally centre stage when guests are over. But it also fulfils their needs for functionality, while providing a comfortable place for the family to gather.
It was a challenge to design a family kitchen that would sit well within this modest family home. It had to be built from humble materials and also work within a reasonably small budget without scrimping on comfort, aesthetic and family convenience.
Describe the success of the project. What do you and/or the client love about it?
The family is very happy with the result. They are very social and often entertain at home, and have described how their kitchen is generally centre stage when guests are over. But it also fulfils their needs for functionality, while providing a comfortable place for the family to gather.
TELL US
Is the cabinetry the star of your kitchen? If so, tell us about it in the Comments below.
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Browse more ways to use yellow at home
Is the cabinetry the star of your kitchen? If so, tell us about it in the Comments below.
MORE
Browse more ways to use yellow at home
Project name: Easterbrook House
The feature we love: The colourful panels combined with warm timber cabinetry in an open-plan kitchen
Architects: Tim Dorrington and Marie-Claire Henderson of Dorrington Atcheson Architects
Cabinetmaker: Sam Bethel of Dockside37
Clients: Mark and Susie Easterbrook and their two sons, Hunter and Jake
Location: Titirangi, Auckland, New Zealand
Timeframe: Design begun 2013, and completed 2014
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