A kitchen makeover borrows from the past to forge a new, timeless way of living
Meet & greet
Tara Morrison (occupational therapist), Scott Jackson (CFO), and children Ronnie, two, and Margot, eight months.
The property
A renovated 1930s cottage in New Plymouth.
Tara Morrison just can’t get enough of her kitchen. “At night we sit and stare at the tiles over a cup of tea, they always look stunning,” she says. But the space didn’t always command such a level of devotion from herself or her husband Scott.
Moving to sunny New Plymouth in 2019 after living in Wellington and London, the couple fell in love with a north-facing weatherboard cottage with “oodles of character and charm”. Despite the outdated kitchen and bathroom, the heart-thumping potential could be felt throughout, from the mataī floorboards under the well-worn carpet to the rimu cupboards in the kitchen. “We knew it had great bones and structural integrity,” Tara says.
Falling pregnant with Margot propelled the need for a more serious renovation and an overhaul of the kitchen. Today, the home is now a warm and contemporary space that pays homage to
the history of the house and a shared love of all things vintage. It’s the perfect forever home for a young family.
What was the inspiration for your dream kitchen?
Creating a space that reduced all the frustrations from our existing kitchen. Our Formica table is really special to us and we needed the space to match the yellow table; it was a challenge to ensure we had the right combination that was complementary. I looked through magazines and Pinterest for ideas and we were able to take some concepts we liked and incorporate them into our kitchen. For example, it was important to have some open shelving to display our pottery.
Going into the reno, what was on your list of priorities for the space?
I was pregnant was when we first started the design process. We wanted cosy nooks and intimate spaces but also wanted to have visibility of our children, as well as connection to others and the outside while preparing food. Our architect, Melissa O’Keeffe from Etch Architecture, is my cousin so it was great to be able to discuss the realities of parenthood and what we would likely need in the future for the various stages of their development.
We love the modern finger tiles paired with such a striking colour scheme. Can you talk us through your thought process behind the tiling?
This is all due to our incredible interior designer Gina Fabish. Her ability to elevate a space through simple design is limitless. I would never have looked for this colour or thought it could marry everything together as well as it does. I had chosen the green cupboards, narrowed down the benchtops and showed Gina these samples. I love colour and, in our mind, we would have chosen a pink tile, she added an additional colour that is extremely effective.
What’s one of the most valuable lessons you’ve learnt in this process?
Good design is key and take some time to ponder each design phase. This was frustrating at times, as it felt slow, but it was so essential upon reflection as we made last-minute changes that I am so grateful for. We were fortunate we had a master plan from Melissa, which we based the kitchen around and gained additional width from relocating the toilet elsewhere, reducing the size of the bathroom and increasing the width in our kitchen/dining/lounge area. I think it is a misconception that good design and interior design input can be too expensive – we were really clear with our budget and in the long run I think it has saved us money.
We adore the fluting on the kitchen island. What’s the story there?
I wanted texture and knew we needed some type of feature. Mark Hoffman from Kitchen Draw really understood my vision and we had our initial consult at home so he knew our style and love of retro/vintage pieces. Partway through the design process, Mark rang me and was excited to share this new product from Laminex, which could be colour matched. There are different styles and I chose the curved style to create a different visual effect and love the contrast it provides.
What are some of your favourite small details?
We love the pine tongue-and-groove ceiling. I wanted to zone the kitchen to try and create a feeling of difference and intimate spaces. Plus, the aged brass tap, the barstools from Facebook Marketplace, and the pantry handle from The Arc Dept. Making the benchtop 30mm instead of 20mm cost slightly more but was more effective at making it look more consistent with real stone.
Is there anything you wish you’d done?
Had less power points. Everyone we talked to emphasised the need for power points. We could have possibly reduced this by removing the one above the dishwasher and next to the window. However, this is not a biggie.
How do you and your family enjoy the space?
We love the open plan and indoor-outdoor flow. We have loved hosting gatherings for friends and family, with up to 50 people, including kids. It is so easy to always have eyes on the children while maintaining adult conversations and being a part of the children playing.
Words by: Caroline Moratti. Photography by: Gina Fabish
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