Kitchen makes it easy to roll out the dough
With German heritage, and a grandfather who owned a bakery, the owner of this home inherited a love of baking and that influenced the design of her new kitchen.
Designer Jenny Holmes of DesignMarked in Cambridge says the former kitchen in the Hamilton home was very enclosed and functionally inadequate. “It was dark and it didn’t work well for the client. There was not enough storage or bench space, and the height of the island was too low for her.” Not only did the owner want a lighter, brighter kitchen, she also wanted benchtops that were the right height for baking, with a surface that would be ideal for rolling out dough.
“She has a love of Mid-century design and has inherited a collection of lovely ceramics, so we took these into account also,” the designer says. “And she expressed a desire for the island to look more like a piece of furniture than a block of cabinetry.” With this in mind, Holmes specified Dekton Nilium benchtops with a matte finish, teaming these with Prime Panels natural veneer in Walnut, and Laminex acrylic panels in Meringue. Shelving in the reeded glass cabinet is Laminex Melteca in Aged Walnut.
There are also blackened steel shelves set against the tiled splashback that help to showcase heirloom items and crockery.
The island stands on narrow turned timber legs, with one end creating a table for casual dining. The designer says Dekton island top is a cold material, which makes it ideal for baking dough.
“We borrowed space from the living areas, and the island was extended to its maximum length and width to provide ample working space and the seating,” Holmes says.
Given the small footprint of the internal pantry, it was designed for storage only, with a shallow benchtop required mainly for the coffee machine.
Other small appliances are used in the kitchen.
Neff ovens are teamed with a Miele induction cooktop and Miele integrated dishwasher. “The hide-and-slide component of the Neff oven along with the steam function, were a considered ergonomic choice for an avid baker,” Holmes says.
The silent undermount rangehood is by Schweigen, and the integrated refrigerator is Liebherr. Another key change to the kitchen is the huge, deep skylight that ensures the space is bathed in natural light.
• Designer: Jenny Holmes, DesignMarked, Cambridge
• Cabinetmaker: Wackrows Joinery, Hamilton