Fitting
response
This kitchen nestles snugly
into its designated space,
while a close work triangle
makes life easy for the chef
Positioning the living spaces at the upper
level in this new home allowed architect Frans
Kamermans to introduce higher ceilings and a
twisted plane roof to optimise solar penetration
where it was needed most.
“This is the second house I’ve designed for
the owners and as such I had quite a free rein,
including with the design of the kitchen,” says
Kamermans. “The crisp, clean-lined kitchen has
a sloping cabinetry profile matching the line of
the raked beech wood ceiling.
The colour palette is dramatic yet simple.
The warmth of beech, a favourite wood of one
owner, on the floors and ceiling, meets powder
blue, the favourite colour of the other owner.
These hues appear throughout the home, with
the front door also in the same blue. White
veined granite benchtops complete the picture.
Kamermans is from the Netherlands and
says that, unlike with most New Zealand homes,
kitchen space in the Netherlands can be limited.
“However a modest kitchen area also allows
for a work area triangle between pantry, hobs,
fridge and sink which makes life easy for the
chef, who barely has to take a step to reach the
fridge one way or the pantry the other.
“And for this reason, I like to create kitchens
here also on an economical footprint.”
And with the compact footprint comes a min-
imalist aesthetic. The pantry is integrated in one
corner, the hood is also integrated and the hob is
flush in the rear benchtop. Plus cabinet handles
are either discreet or push or pull to open.
Features of the kitchen include the waterfall
island countertop, the reflective glass splashback
and the under-cabinet and under-bench strip
lighting which shows off the cabinetry surfaces
and doubles as a night light for the wider space.
Left: Finished in powder blue and
defined by the warm tones of a
Southland silver beech wood ceiling
and an American oak floor, this
kitchen by whole-house architects
Kamermans Architects exudes a
serene, tranquil air.
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