This Hastings kitchen, which was a finalist in Your Home & Garden’s Kitchen Awards in association with Blum, was designed for maximum enjoyment with friends
Meet + greet
Hayden Houghton, 34 (financial advisor), and Victoria Houghton, 31 (primary school teacher), plus Nala the cat.
Key trades/suppliers
Builder Sam & Shelley Lamborn from Dundeal Building
Electrician Bay Electricians
Plumber Advanced Plumbing
Designer Joy Whittington at Sophistication in Design, Rawcraft Kitchens
Total spend
$30,000
What was the design inspiration for your kitchen?
Victoria: We spent a year planning and gathering inspiration, but the purchase of our new dining table from Freedom was what helped us define the look we wanted – black and timber. We knew black would be a bold choice and possibly difficult to keep clean, but we knew we could pull it off.
We spent months measuring out all the parts of our kitchen with masking tape. Having this time to visualise the layout and size of our kitchen was helpful when it came to sharing our ideas and designing it with our designer, Joy Whittington.
We wanted a long island as the hub and a benchtop that looked like it floated. The pantry was something we thought a lot about; we decided we didn’t need another sink and instead opted for two benches, one on either side, so each of us could be baking or making drinks. We didn’t want the pantry to be too big, but ultimately we wanted to spend our time entertaining around our main island while also having the option to prepare dinner etc [in the pantry].
How did you choose your materials?
The selection was purely budget-focused and discussed with Joy. The cabinetry is Melteca ‘Black’ (in a pearl finish to avoid fingerprints) and our accent colour is Bestwood Melamine Southern Oak in ‘Wilderness’. This was a bit of a gamble, as we wanted it installed in large panels at the front of the island, but we’re thrilled with the result.
To ensure the kitchen wouldn’t look too dark, we chose a Laminex ‘Chalk White’ acrylic benchtop as it can easily be filled or repaired, unlike stone or granite. We didn’t want handles sticking out, so to keep a clean look we went for Furnipart handles in ‘Black’ from Heritage Hardware, positioned on top of doors and drawers (the top cupboards are push-to-open).
What do you love most about your new kitchen?
The flexible space, massive pantry and the dishwasher. Hayden’s thrilled with the size, placement and measurements as he did all that part!
Is there anything you’d change if you could?
Let’s just say I’ve learned to always check the fall of tapware before installing it to avoid lots of splashing.
Words by: Sally Conor. Photography by: Florence Charvin.
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