Lee's kitchen makeover

Lee and Bryce wanted their kitchen to feel more modern since we were updating their interiors throughout their home. By getting clear on what was causing their dissatisfaction, we created a smart new look kitchen they really enjoy using - without changing or replacing things unnecessarily.

Before

Here’s what we started with…

An impressive kitchen in its day, this oak veneer had become dated and worn. Because the kitchen itself worked well - we thought carefully about what needed to be changed to make it feel more modern and to work well for Lee and Bryce.

The main things we identified were the dated timber veneer, the stainless steel drawer fronts which marked easily and were hard to keep clean, the perspex toe kicks which looked dated (along with the toe kick lighting which was ineffective), and the gas hob which was hard to keep clean.

WHAT WE CHANGED AND WHY

By only addressing the real areas of concern, listed above, we managed to completely transform the look and feel of this kitchen - as well as make it much more practical and functional - at a fraction of what it would have cost to build a new kitchen!

We had a specialty coating in Resene Double White Pointer applied to the cupboards - a fresh neutral that felt neither too cream nor too grey, and worked well alongside the timber floors. We decided to retain the timber trim which gave the kitchen a bit more originality.

The stainless steel drawer fronts were resurfaced in Resene Half Grey Friars which work well with the neutral and the remaining stainless steel (and tie in to the colour we used on the stairwell (more on that in another post). The drawers are also much easier to keep clean compared to the stainless steel which used to show every finger print.

A worthwhile investment was to replace the gas hob with an induction hob which has transformed the way Lee feels about cooking (and cleaning) in the kitchen.

Finally, the perspex toe kicks were replaced with durable melamine, and new LED strip lighting was run around the base which gives a nice ambient lighting in the evening.

“Thank you for all this. How on earth do people do this sort of thing without a Nicci?! “

Lee Wilkinson, Thorndon

I’ll be posting more before and after photos of this inspiring home transformation - every change we made considered their needs and wants, and worked where possible with what they already had.

This sustainable approach to interior design not only makes their renovation budget stretch further - but keeps unnecessary rubbish out of the landfill - win!