Our clients were undertaking an extensive renovation project which included opening up the existing kitchen space to create an all-inclusive living and social hub within their home. The home is family focused but with their adult children having moved out, it was time for them to create their own space to enjoy for the years to come.

SMJ were approached by our clients to design and manufacture their new kitchen. They were undertaking a new home build for their retirement with views directly south over Lake Taupo towards the mountains. This was their ‘dream home’ build and they were wanting the kitchen to be the focal point, with a strong connection to their dining and living spaces. Their kitchen needed to have an overall look of simplicity with flush clean lines, but also send a statement of elegance.

Our client felt like she was cooking in a cave. It was dark, dingy and depressing. She rarely entertained as she felt isolated and shut off from her guests. There was inadequate bench space and a lack of kitchen storage. With limited opportunities within the house the laundry needed to be incorporated within the kitchen.

She also wanted a space that was soothing and tranquil. Somewhere she could feel calm and peaceful...

Our clients came to us with an architects’ pencil drawing of rectangles for the design of their new kitchen. Having recently built a house, they were very aware of what products were on the market. They had a vision on what the finished kitchen would look like which involved the use of colour and different textures. For ease of access they wanted a strong focus on drawers throughout the whole kitchen. Our brief was to incorporate as many of these features in the design of their new kitchen.

This project started as a renovation and refresh of a kitchen, but after chatting with the SMJ team, it was decided that a completely new kitchen was needed!

Our clients envisioned a kitchen that respected their stunning architecturally-designed home.

The essentials were...