Light and bright but not white on white. That was what Selma Erasmus wanted from her new kitchen.
Mrs Erasmus describes it as a simple but functional design, adding she was after a classic look as the house was built in 1915.
She and her husband, Dr Jan Erasmus, bought the Maori Hill home last year after migrating to New Zealand with their three children.
Mention of piles had her picturing haemorrhoids rather than foundations and more was to come.
"He said there were Batts in the roof but they hadn’t been put down."
"We thought we had an infestation of bats and they hadn’t been killed," she says, laughing.
"Then we started reading up and realised he was talking about [insulation]."
Given the couple are from South Africa and their first language is Afrikaans, the confusion was perhaps not surprising. They were also familiar with bats roosting in buildings, particularly around Kruger National Park, where they help to curb mosquito numbers and reduce the spread of malaria.
Misunderstandings ironed out, the couple moved in and planned a large rear extension, which includes an office and a second living area.
However, their first priority was to replace the kitchen, which had had only minor updates since being built in about the 1950s.
Mrs Erasmus says the home’s former owners had thought about moving the kitchen but she and her husband liked its location, tucked out of sight of the living area.
Designer Alison Chisman describes the new kitchen as transitional in style, with a mix of contemporary elements and classic heritage features.
"The curvaceous range hood is the key focal point, flanked by beautiful solid oak cupboards and floating shelves.
"We hid the power points on the underside of the overhead cabinets, so unsightly power points wouldn’t [detract from] the beautiful grain on the stone splashback.
"We consolidated the wash zone — bin, sink and dishwasher — which previously was quite broken up.
"And we added ... wall sconces for both added task lighting and late-night ambient lighting."
Having stayed in a house with a black kitchen that was easily marked by fingerprints, Mrs Erasmus wanted the Shaker-style cabinets to be off-white: "I know the trend is for darker, more moody kitchens ... but we needed something more forgiving and that would go with the style of the house."
The only problem was there were "a million off-whites on the market" and she was not acquainted with local paint brands.
But Mrs Chisman suggested Resene one-eighth Spanish white for the walls, architraves and cabinets, knowing the room got a lot of sun and a stronger tint could look too creamy.
Another must-have for Mrs Erasmus was continuing the smooth engineered stone from the bench top up the walls to form the splashback — she is not a fan of grout lines that attract dirt, or glass splashbacks that tend to show smudges and streaks.
The zero-silica engineered quartz stone has brown tones that tie in with the timber upper cupboards and floor, as well as grey hues that pick up on the colour of the stainless steel appliances. Initially, she wanted a stone with less prominent veining but she was glad Mrs Chisman encouraged her to "go bolder".
Choosing a custom-made, spray-painted range hood over a stainless steel one, softened the look of the kitchen. Different tasks were divided up across the corners of the room — for example, the coffee maker is in the opposite corner to the toaster and jug — so family members are not in each other’s way, especially in the mornings. There is also a cupboard designed to hold the cake mixer, with storage for baking utensils and dry ingredients close by.
Removing the old cabinets, straightening the walls with new plasterboard and installing the new kitchen took six weeks. It was an "interesting" time, during which they had a portable hot plate in a bedroom and washed dishes in the laundry sink, Mrs Erasmus says.
But that disruption is behind them and they are excited about the prospect of summer entertaining.
"Now it’s time to look forward to inviting friends over and just enjoying the space."
The look
Hardware and tap: from ABI Interiors in brushed brass colour.
Benchtop and splashback: zero-silica reconstituted quartz stone from Prime Panels, in Olympia colour.
Cabinets and walls: painted 1/8th Resene Spanish white.Timber upper cabinets and shelves: solid American white oak.
Wall sconces: Hinkley from the Halstead Collection, supplied by Gordon Crichton Lighting.
Flooring: original rimu floor.
Builder: Todd Ford Builders.
Kitchen supplier: Steadfast Joinery.
Designer: Alison Chisman.
