Kitchen Architecture Ltd

This is the second kitchen Toni Roberts has now designed and managed the fabrication of for us over the last 10 years. It is located in an second-story, eastern-suburb apartment that was very dated and needed to be totally gutted. There were some difficult challenges of working within fixed building structures and the kitchen space was small and constrained. Having Toni’s expertise on board provided us with confidence and options when designing our kitchen. We got the functionality of a working kitchen, technical knowledge of products and their purpose, what is good quality and enduring, an eye for detail and execution, and a creativity we love. She also draws on her architectural background to enhance the flow and connection with adjoining rooms. What worked well yet again was the communication process at each stage with Toni and her colleague Julie. They listened to our needs and lifestyle, identified what we needed, complemented those needs with new ideas, proposed beautiful products to choose from and provided a quality check of the final kitchen and bar in the factory and on site. Toni helped steer us stress-free through the whole project. The final result is stunning. Every day we are wowed by what we have achieved and how wonderful it looks and truly functions. How good is that! Stuart and Maree Shepherd 12 February 2021

We engaged KAL to design for us a new kitchen and Toni came back with two designs. We settled on a design which was close to the existing layout as it has always worked well. Although the new kitchen follows almost the same footprint, clever design elements has given us more space and much better organisation. Several meetings over the following months ensured there was a home for everything that belongs in a kitchen. We added a bar area which cleverly increased the size of the kitchen area and now guests congregate around the bar , instead of the kitchen work area. The overall look of the kitchen has a 'wow' factor due to materials used and our friends are suitably impressed. The communication always flowed between us, with Toni always on hand to discuss any little thing along the journey. Thank you Toni and Julie, we love our new kitchen!

We are very happy with our new kitchen. Kitchen Architecture are very much into detail which gave us a lot of comfort in such an important and intricate process, given we hadn’t renovated before. We worked together with them to come up with an end result that works well for us and our home. Also, their choice of cabinetry, Corian and timber suppliers were excellent with their work being of fantastic quality. The finished product is a great layout with a place for everything. The look is more modern yet still feels like ours and it’s so nice that the little irritations of our old kitchen, are no more. Christmas entertaining was a breeze.

When it came to renovating our large dated kitchen and family area in our French Provincial country home, I did a lot of research into kitchen designers. This wasn't my first rodeo so to speak - I knew exactly what I wanted and I needed someone with the vision and style to help me achieve it! I found that in Toni. She quickly cottoned onto my aesthetic (classic but contemporary) and her perfectionist and detail-oriented design was amazing. I really enjoyed planning and designing my dream kitchen with Toni and her team, and I really appreciated her expertise and knowledge. It also helped that she only uses the best - products and people. Toni shows enthusiasm and passion for her job and gets excited about finding a beautiful product or item to make a design just perfect. My project went off without a hitch, she was a great communicator and problem-solver, and I couldn't be happier with the end result - a beautiful French styled kitchen and family room that definitely has the WOW factor. My one regret is that I don't have any more kitchens to work on with Toni!

Toni Roberts designed me a richly textured, beautiful kitchen in keeping with my living and dining areas, resulting in a unified whole. She accomplished this feat by carefully considering my living and dining room furniture, colour palette and furnishings, alongside several oil paintings and objects that had special memories. Toni also investigated how I operated in the kitchen and what I liked. At all times, we worked collaboratively on the kitchen project with different options discussed. Taking cues from my wooden sideboard, chest and dining chairs, Toni reflected their design in the kitchen cabinetry by using wooden cabinetry at the end of the galley kitchen and a classic herringbone floor as transition features from kitchen to living area. Effective lighting was used to highlight a special picture and a carving. From a 30-year-old basic, washed-out kitchen, the result is transformational, giving me a kitchen that is a pleasure to work in. It is highly functional with many features such as a lazy Susan, a spice drawer, and microwave placed at a suitable height–a reflection of Toni’s attention to detail. Toni also designed my powder room, laundry and bathroom, each of which reflect her creative flair and unique approach to producing high quality designs that are sympathetic to the character of the home and client. It was a pleasure to work with Toni and her team.

After spending hours pouring over beautiful kitchens on Houzz I realised that a few that I liked in NZ were designed by the same person . . . Toni! I gave her a call and so enjoyed the enthusiasm Toni showed for my ideas that I looked no further. I gave Toni access to my ‘kitchens’ folder on Houzz and she was able to very quickly get a sense of my style. Toni was brilliant to work with and I loved the real sense of collaboration there was between us. Toni picked up on my individuality and the importance of this to me and was able to suggest great design touches to reflect this. There are too many magical touches in Toni’s design to list them all but a couple of standouts were the special little cubby hole for my dog’s food and water bowls - no tripping over pet bowls in this kitchen - and the special ‘laundry drawer’ which works brilliantly in conjunction with my laundry cupboard (housing my washing machine and dryer). I also love the big circular door handles that really give the kitchen it’s identity. My kitchen is the envy of all my friends who not only love the way it looks but are extremely jealous of the huge amount of storage Toni was able to wring out of the space. I am loving cooking up a storm in my beautiful new kitchen and it brings a smile to my face every day. Thank you again Toni!

Having decided to renovate the kitchen, dining room, lounge, laundry and one of our bathrooms we realised that we would need someone special to advise and assist us. Looking back, we could not have chosen a better person than Toni. From day one Toni was fully committed investing time and energy into ensuring a successful result. Her attention to detail, creative ideas and patience made this an a very enjoyable project delivering an outcome we are exceedingly proud off. Extremely functional with a real Wow factor. Toni organised a team to support her and they were always cooperative, sympathetic and very professional. Thanks Toni it was a joy working with you. Marian & Brian Blake 1 November 2018

We were recommended by a friend & I'm so pleased we chose Kitchen Architecture. Our kitchen fits so well with our semi-industrial design and textures within our new home, it is gorgeous, functional and so in tune with how our family utilises the space. We had a vision for our kitchen to have a raw steel frame and also to maximize the block wall in the kitchen, Toni took this all on board & worked with this in the design. Communication & professionalism was fantastic every step of the way, the entire process was seamless. We get so many comments from people who come to visit, they comment on how beautiful the kitchen is and how integrated it feels in our home. Plus it is award winning - Supreme Kitchen Design Runner-up in NKBA Awards 2018. We absolutely love it!!!

We met Toni at one of her seminars and so loved her enthusiasm for kitchen design, she was the only designer we talked to about our project. Toni designed our kitchen-dining area and also spaces for our home organisation, drinks/bar, laundry and bathroom all of which have totally changed our family living and entertaining. We knew the overall style and function that we wanted from our spaces and Toni interpreted our general concepts perfectly, presenting us with options for surfaces, hardware and appliances that we love, taking the hassle out of what could be endless choices. We couldn't be happier with how everything turned out. Toni’s attention to detail was impressive! We really appreciate that all of our appliances, pots, plates, trays etc have their dedicated spaces so that every last centimeter of storage is used effectively, and it is now very easy to keep our spaces clean! Toni was also able to recommend a draughtsman and builder-team who she has worked with for many years which made the entire renovation go really smoothly. Rachael and Andrew Bull, St Heliers Feb 2018

We met Toni (by pure chance) at the Auckland Home Show in September 2015. At the time, she was already booked out till the following year 2016. We’re weren’t in a hurry so we waited and then promptly forgot all about it until she contacted us in February to start the consultation process. I have never met such an efficient well organised person! Toni has thought about everything and her attention to detail is impressive. We are both busy people and I am not the type of person to hunt around for tiles and door handles, that’s what I get someone else to do. Toni has worked out what suits us and presented us with options that have worked, it has been a smooth and painless process to get the kitchen designed and built. It is now just over year since the kitchen was finished and I still stand in my kitchen and feel like I’m in a new show home. A year later, there is actually nothing in the kitchen that I feel needs to change or should have been done differently. My favourite little things are the 5 pullout rubbish bins (yes 5) – a big bin for blue-bin bulk recycling, and 4 small bins (2 up, 2 down) for plastic bags storage, soft plastics recycling, general rubbish and then last bin I use for the onions and potatoes. Recycling is a real priority to us so having the specific space in the kitchen has made it so easy to do now. I also love the specially measured space for my cake mixers and food processor (a breeze to use) and having lots of plugs and USB sockets in accessible places. I have referred some friends to Toni and they are also very happy with their new kitchen.

It’s one thing to arrange cabinetry for a new kitchen. It’s another to completely re-imagine a space and improve the lifestyle of a family. Toni Roberts did the latter for our family – creating a smart, spacious design in what was once a small kitchen, hallway and bathroom - something we never thought possible. From start to finish Toni's vision, professionalism and positive attitude made us feel confident and comfortable in having her on our team. She understood how our needs for the new kitchen, laundry and bathroom in our beach house differed from those in our city home and tailored the design and her recommendations accordingly. It was a joy to work with Toni, who looked after all the little details to ensure our finished home was amazing! We’re now looking forward to many years relaxing in our beautiful home. Thank you Toni!

Toni designed a tiny kitchen for me over 20 years ago, and I always knew she would be my choice for designer when we renovated the kitchen of our current home. When I saw an award-winning kitchen by Toni in a 2014 Kitchens & Bathrooms Quarterly issue I was very excited, and kept the magazine as a reference. I contacted Toni early in 2016, and it is a testament to Toni’s connection to, and rapport with her clients, that she remembered us, and fitted our project into her very busy schedule. The project grew from a kitchen, to a kitchen plus a toilet reinvented as a “powder room” and a workable laundry. After the initial consultation, Toni came back with “A”, “B”, “C”, “D” and “E” concept designs. “E” was the most ‘out there’ concept, and the one we went with. I am so glad that Toni was brave enough to put it in front of us. Toni ‘sees’ how you live and what colours and textures you want to live with. Every one of her recommendations was inspired, thoughtful or helpful, whether it was: a granite that she had seen previously, and was just waiting for the right client for; the wonderful manufacturers, suppliers and tradespeople that she has worked with over the years and built relationships of trust and service with; the use in her design of every bit of available space, without sacrificing beautiful design; her perfect selection of colours, materials and finishes; or her ‘accessorising’ choices. We could not be happier with the result. And we got a “Wow, this kitchen rocks” on Facebook! And did I mention that Toni is a joy to work with. Her enthusiasm and passion is infectious.