A busy family achieved their style and function goals in this renovation which saw an impractical kitchen and dining area transformed into an open plan, airy family hub
In a snapshot
Who lives here? David Kidd (works in banking), Kelley Kidd (stay-at-home mum), twins James and Ruby, Charlotte, and Hugo, plus Dotti the Cavoodle dog.
Where is it? Northcote Point, Auckland.
Lived here for? Six years.
Expert Q&A with designer Toni Roberts of Kitchen Architect
Toni, what was your brief for this kitchen?
Kelley and Dave wanted to create a new kitchen room that flowed exquisitely, enabled at least two cooks to work at the same time, looked fresh and modern yet had personality and was family friendly. It had to include durable surfaces to cope with four young children and be a backdrop to colourful, fresh styling. Their large family gatherings needed to connect better with a northwest-facing deck with views of the Harbour Bridge and the city lights at night.
Describe the design/concept you crafted to meet this brief:
I swapped the kitchen with the dining area and reconfigured the layout to allow spaces and room for the family to manoeuvre and grow. With poorly balanced window positioning and lack of natural light, we opened up the rooms and – ironically – removed a window, despite the owners’ initial uncertainty. (This particular dining window only looked into the neighbour’s weatherboarding anyway.)
With only one other ensuite toilet upstairs, I recommended the family bathroom be realigned while doing the renovation, to create a guest toilet separate from the sometimes toothpaste-smeared main bathroom. Adding this third toilet would make for a smoother morning rush with the kids and future-proof for their teenage years. To accommodate this, the new laundry room was relocated to the edge of the kitchen beside the stairs and was carefully configured to give a surprisingly generous space for the family’s washing needs.
Words by: Kristina Rapley. Photography by: Wendy Fenwick.
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“The kitchen space now seems huge in comparison. We can all be making smoothies, coffee and cooking at the same time and we don’t get in each other’s way,” says Kelley.
BEFORE. The existing kitchen looked good but it had very limited storage for a family of six and hardly any usable work surfaces.
AFTER. Walls were removed and the kitchen was moved over to the other side of the house.
BEFORE.
AFTER. A large downstairs bathroom was reduced in size and this space was added to a new larger dining area.
BEFORE.
AFTER. Old windows were taken out and floor-to-ceiling sliding doors were added.
The family achieved their desired look of classic with a touch of modernity and glamour with a colour palette of white and grey with silver accents and some bright pops of colour.
A favourite part of the kitchen renovation is the window seat. “We sit here a lot, read, have coffee, and it’s great for the kids as a reading spot – and the dog likes it, too!” says Kelley.
Kitchen designer Toni Roberts from Kitchen Architect helped with paint colours, tiling and choosing materials.
The large white pendant light is from ECC Lighting.
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