Trends New Zealand Trends Volume 31 No 12 New Zealand | Page 124
Preceding pages: It’s sleek, simple
and all white – this new kitchen
enhances the contemporary remodel
of a 1950s house owned by architect
Francesca Franchi of FCFranchi
Architects. The kitchen was originally
part of a showroom kitchen at Boffi
Georgetown.
Above: The island features a matte
lacquered finish with a continuous
stainless steel top, while the tall
cabinets are a high-gloss polyester
that helps to reflect light.
Modern architecture is all
about creating a seamless flow,
and that was precisely what
was missing in the former
kitchen in this 1950s home.
The owner of the house,
architect Francesca Franchi of
FCFranchi Architects, says the
space was broken by a peninsula jutting out at right angles
to the perimeter cabinets.
“The kitchen, built in the
’50s and renovated in the ’70s,
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was uncomfortable to work in.
The circulation was interrupted
and it had a poor relationship
with the outdoors. We could
see the continuity of the space
could be greatly improved.”
Franchi found the perfect
solution by chance, in the
kitchen showroom at Boffi
Georgetown.
An
existing
kitchen, built expressly for the
showroom, caught her eye.
“It had an extra-long island
and tall modular cabinets
with sliding doors that hid
everything, even the large
appliances,” she says. “It fitted
with my desire for a very clean,
white, minimalist space – and
it was no longer needed for the
showroom.”
Serendipity also played
a role when it came time to
install the kitchen.
“There was a low soffit
right around the kitchen.