This Tauranga kitchen was a finalist in Your Home & Garden’s Kitchen Awards, in association with Blum. Read about how it achieved its fresh look on a budget
Meet + greet
Erica Wilson, 32 (photographer), Colin Wilson, 36 (ultrafast fibre technician), Kyla, 9, Leon, 7, and Mahli, 1, plus dogs Luna and Min.
Key trades/suppliers
Plumber Dart Jackson at Smart Plumbing
Electrician Nico Hendrikz at Hendrikz Electrical
Cabinetry Mitre 10 and Project Kitchens
Total spend
$12,000
What was the inspiration for your kitchen?
Erica: The kitchen-dining area was in desperate need of an update – it was 90 percent green! We were going for a ‘modern art deco’ vibe with a hint of bohemian. We saw some beautiful black overhead cabinets at our local Mitre 10 showroom and decided to combine them with kitset cupboards from Project Kitchens.
With native timber floors, we wanted something simple, so white, black and a Caesarstone benchtop were what we decided on. As we were on a budget, we tiled, plasterboarded and put together the cupboards ourselves.
How did you want your kitchen to function?
We had to combine our kitchen with the dining space, so opted not to have a breakfast bar to save some room – that way it’s nice and open. It’s definitely both a family and an entertainer’s kitchen; we recently had a great Christmas breakfast there with the fam.
Did you have any setbacks during the build?
It did take longer than anticipated; we were using our barbecue for all our cooking for almost a year. We also had to replace a part of the floor extension that had been patched with plywood.
Where did you shop for decor?
Our dining furniture is from Farmers and all the smaller items have been collected by myself from various op-shops.
What do you love most about your new kitchen?
It’s one of the sunniest rooms in the morning and I love the huge window bench as it contains my house plant collection.
Is there anything you’d change if you could?
One thing I totally missed was a rubbish drawer. We’ve since cut down on rubbish by recycling and composting all our food waste so we hardly need one!
Words by: Sally Conor. Photography by: Alice Veysey.
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