A Contemporary Kitchen Revival in Mount Maunganui, Tauranga

A Kitchen Inquiry

‘Original’ can often indicate a bit of character in a home, but in the case of this late 80s kitchen, it simply meant ‘tired, dated, and difficult to work in’. For Mount Maunganui homeowner Bernadette, the layout had become impractical and the deep cupboards kept some items out of reach. 
Bernadette and her husband were ready to reclaim their kitchen and put a modern spin on it with a pop of colour, but they were less than confident with their colour selection abilities as they hadn’t been successful in the past. They weren’t even sure where to start with the renovation and they didn’t want the stress of managing the project themselves. So, they reached out to local Tauranga Renovation Consultant, Sharon Giblett.  

Concept and Costing

The preliminary planning phases are essential to any successful renovation, but even more so when working within a strict budget. After taking the time to understand the ideas Bernadette and her husband had for their kitchen redesign, Sharon enlisted the help of a kitchen designer to work closely with to keep costs as low as possible. Sharon took it upon herself to research and select fixtures and fittings that would ensure the design delivered on Bernadette’s vision while remaining cost-effective. When the design and budget aligned, the team began construction. 

Taking Shape

Bernadette and her husband were happy to stay in the home throughout the duration of the project, but Sharon wanted to keep disruptions to a minimum, so she lent out a few trestle tables and set up a makeshift kitchen in their garage.
Renovations began with demolition to remove cabinetry, flooring, and appliances. Electrical and plumbing came next as alterations were necessary to accommodate the design of the adjusted layout. New cabinets were installed, all with soft-close features, and a dedicated space within the cabinetry for the microwave creates valuable workspace on the new benchtops. 
Bernadette had noted that the old white countertops produced a blinding glare from the sunlight, a daily hindrance whenever she was in the kitchen. This functional issue was resolved with a touch of style in the form of a matte black bench (and sink). 
At this point, the majority of the project was finished. The last piece to install was the bright glass splashback; taking its measurements and installing the splashback accounted for the last week of the four-week timeline. Since this was the finishing touch to the design, the kitchen was fully usable and Bernadette and her husband were able to return from their temporary set-up in the garage. 

Finished with the Perfect Pop of Colour

Waiting the extra week for the glass splashback to be installed proved to be well worth it as the glossy persimmon orange colour is a vibrant focal point of the design — the reflective surface even showcases the mirror image of Bernadette’s garden. It’s an unexpected contrast to the rest of the neutral colour palette, but also brings out the marble look of the benchtops.  
One of Bernadette’s original complaints of her existing kitchen was the cabinetry being too deep to fully utilise. To remedy that in the new design, a carousel unit was installed in the corner cupboard so every nook is easily accessible. Another clever, space-saving feature is the underbench water filter which provides fresh drinking water straight from the tap without any extra accessories. 
Working closely with the kitchen designer allowed Sharon to deliver a spectacular transformation without a hint of budget-busting. The overall design is sophisticated with a little edge peppered in. Small tweaks to the layout made a big impact and created additional workspace without compromising storage. 

Final Thoughts

After living in their wonderful new kitchen, Bernadette and her husband shared some words of admiration regarding Sharon and their experience:
“We are so thrilled we had Sharon to project manage our new kitchen. From the consultation to the final sign off she was ‘hands on’, overseeing every aspect of the build. She kept our project on track and we have ended up with a beautiful kitchen in a reasonable timeframe and with very little stress. Many thanks, Sharon. We will be using you again and highly recommend you to anyone looking at taking on a house project.”

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