Priestley Renovation | Before + Afters

August 22, 2024

One of our favourite things to do is to work with returning clients. It means we’ve already developed a relationship, learnt how they live and what they like, and that a trust has formed between us. We had designed a dining room, living room and sunroom for this family five years ago, so it was wonderful to be called back when they were ready to renovate their kitchen and a small living space off the kitchen.

The clients’ brief included a more functional kitchen space where they could have more than two people in there at a time, and an allocated area with power for their coffee machine. They also said the current desk off the kitchen wasn’t working with the curved top, and the living space was used all the time but they knew it could be better.

The space plan we designed shows the removal of a door into the dining room to allow for an extra large pantry. To the side of this we left an area for the coffee machine, and the existing window was to be replaced with a longer picture window creating a more balanced and aesthetically pleasing look. Although our clients were initially unsure about removing the dining room door, they now fully appreciate having much more storage space, and it’s only an extra few steps to use the neighbouring door.

Our 3D visual made it easy for our clients to imagine their new kitchen

The kitchen before with a smaller window and bench top and exposed rangehood

A progress photo shows the new window installed

The clients liked the colour of their old walls but we decided to use that as inspiration for the lower cabinetry and keep the walls and upper cabinets white for a lighter, more spacious feel. We replaced the exposed rangehood with a powerpack concealed behind a cupboard with additional storage cupboards either side. By painting them white and keeping them handle-less they almost disappear making the newly enlarged view the hero. We worked alongside our joiners, Classic Kitchens, who created and installed the kitchen and living room bookshelf to their usual high standard.

Previously the coffee machine took up precious workspace on the bench

The removal of the dining room door made it possible to fit large pantry storage next to the fridge and still leave a space for the coffee machine. Tucking it around the corner leaves plenty of room on the main bench for food prep and dishes, and it’s a lovely space for our clients to make their coffee while taking in the amazing view outside.

The door to the left was removed leaving the door to the right as the remaining access to the dining room and hallway

We removed the existing flooring of tiles and carpet and ran wood flooring throughout the kitchen and living room. By having the same flooring in both spaces it creates a much better flow and sense of spaciousness.

The existing kitchen had a small desk running between it and the living room, but the curved desktop meant it wasn’t terribly practical. We had the option of using the space for an additional storage cabinet, but the clients decided that they would like to keep it as a desk if it was more usable.

The desk before, and then removed awaiting an upgrade

The living room is a lovely space with an existing deep built-in window seat. Despite having two other living areas, the family spend a lot of time in this room. We knew we could make it more inviting and functional with the right furniture and layout.

The old furniture felt a bit disconnected, we immediately wanted to pull everything closer together

We recovered the window seat in a smart olive green indoor/outdoor fabric, as it gets a lot of sun, and placed a comfy two seater sofa opposite to create a cosy social setting. A custom wool rug was made to fit the space and ground the furniture so it didn’t feel like it was just floating in the room.

We included lots of curves in the furniture to help with the welcoming, cosy feel. The wooden coffee table and side table both have a gorgeous chunkiness to them. Although it might sound counterintuitive, overscale furniture, art or fixtures can actually make a space feel larger rather than smaller, and they evoke an air of warmth and comfort.

In the living room before everything was pushed to the edges of the room leaving a large empty space in the centre.

On the back wall there was a recessed nook which our clients had filled with a freestanding bookshelf. We designed a built-in bookshelf to replace this. Built-in cabinetry will always look more polished and purposeful and will elevate your room. We kept the cabinetry consistent with the adjoining kitchen for a sense of cohesion.

The freestanding bookshelf fit the space quite well but looked a wee bit messy

Having cupboards at the bottom allows practical storage for items our clients don’t necessarily want on display, with the top shelves perfect for displaying some favourite pieces.

The finished result is a space that is highly functional for the family of four (plus the four legged family members). But it’s not all about practicality, you also want your home to look great and be inviting. As we like to say… A well-designed home sets the stage for a life well-lived. It promotes well-being and allows you to relax, recharge, and re-energise.

Goldsmith | Before + Afters

March 23, 2022

We recently finished an amazing kitchen/dining room project. Despite having to deal with lockdowns, supply delays and shortages, it was a fantastic project to work on. It helped that our clients are two of the loveliest people, and we had a great team helping us create our vision.

Our clients have a beautiful architecturally designed home and the kitchen was still in pretty great condition, even after 17 years. But they were ready for a re-fresh and more storage was on the wishlist.

The original kitchen was a U-shape tucked into one end of the room with the dining table taking up a large part of the open-plan space. They have a magnificent view over Napier on the opposite side of the room and the first thing we wanted to do was to capitalise on that by spinning the kitchen around to face the view, also giving our clients a more spacious kitchen to work in.

Because we were proposing quite a radical change to the layout, it was helpful to show our clients 3D renders so they could clearly see our vision, and there was no guesswork involved. It’s also a very important part of our process as it’s a lot easier (and cheaper) to make changes to the renders rather than making physical changes once construction has started. You can see more of our renders here.

Because the kitchen was the first space you see as you enter this open plan living area we wanted the joinery to feel like built-in furniture. When the teak veneer that we wanted to use wasn’t available our joiner, Kakapo Joinery, took an oak veneer and created a series of test pieces with different stains to create the richness we were after for the back lineup. The island has a black stain and we fluted this to add subtle texture.

Because there are a lot of architectural details in the home we wanted to keep aspects of the design clean and simple so we opted for handleless, push-to-open drawers and cupboards. The large pantry required handles, though, as it has pocket doors that can be opened and pushed right in so as not to interrupt flow in the kitchen. So we asked Kakapo Joinery to create gorgeous handles from solid oak that ran the entire height of the pantry for an inconspicuous solution.

In the original design the dining room took up a lot more floor space. Our kitchen design ate into that floor space quite considerable and so required a clever solution.

The hutch dresser could go as the large new pantry and multitude of wide, deep drawers provided ample storage. We then gained valuable space by designing a dining banquette along the back two walls, flowing seamlessly onto the kitchen cabinetry. A new, custom made table could then tuck right up against the banquette.

As we progressed with the dining area we asked Robin from Kakapo Joinery to make a dummy table top to try in-situ on the base so we could get the size and scale just right. Again, it’s more cost effective to make a change to the ply ‘dummy’ top than the real oak top.

Dael (below) is trying it out for size. Note: she is sitting on a cushion to make sure she’s getting a more accurate feel for the finished design. How many cafes have you been to where the bench seating feels too high for the table? That’s because it seems to be a common mistake to make the bench the full height not taking into account the cushion or squab. We use a 100mm thick foam in our squabs, so we need to make the base of our banquettes 100mm shorter.

One of the architectural details of the home was a shelf that ran along the back of the room. When it came to our banquette design we were able to run the back support directly under this so that the shelf could still be used. The upholstery was made by the amazing team of Martin & Ivan and is a gorgeous faux leather.

Another of the home’s architectural features was a lot of angles with different levels and depths. We wanted to simplify this slightly and so the back cabinetry hides a lot of that with a bulkhead above.

We didn’t want to completely loose the subtle angle of the back wall, but we were also trying to avoid any further sharp angles. So Kakapo Joinery created a really beautiful subtle curve in the lower cabinetry, which you can see in the progress image below. In fact all of the curves in our design were introduced to contrast and soften the various angles in the architecture.

We chose to use Corian® as the benchtop material for a number of reasons. We loved the gorgeous organic swirling pattern in caramel and cream tones. It’s a great product to use on curves, and it offers nearly seamless joins.

With the focus on the kitchen being the back lineup in the warm teak-stained oak, we wanted the overhead cupboards (which include a hidden powerpack) to sit quietly. By painting them the same white as the walls they don’t demand too much attention.

The finger tiles are Japanese inspired and we love the repetition of texture and clean vertical lines.

A couple of hidden features we love in the kitchen design, along with the pantry pocket doors, are the interior of the drawers and cupboards which we made black instead of the usual white for an elevated finish. And the hidden corner cupboards on the island. Check out our Instagram Story highlights to see more.

To our clients… thank you so much for allowing us to share these photos and our journey. But most of all for being fabulous clients and trusting us even when we pushed you out of your comfort zone. We recently learnt that the feature that had most worried our client was the built-in banquette, but she trusted our design and bravely went there! Now (as we always find) the part she was most worried about is one of her favourite things. May all our future clients be as brave and trusting :)

Adding Character to a New Build

April 18, 2018

Building or moving into a brand new home is an exciting time, and there are so many advantages over an older home. But unless you're lucky enough to have had it architecturally designed, a new house can sometimes feel a little plain, lacking in charm, or, dare I say, soulless. At our recent styling evening in Havelock North, I was asked if I had any tips on how to add character and interest to a newly built house, so I have put together this blog post with some of our ideas.

There are actually plenty of ways to inject interesting elements that will add depth and interest to your new home, one of them is to add panelling to your walls. There are a number of ways to do this and it's amazing how quickly it will elevate a room with it's subtle layer of texture. Vertical panelling is a classic look that can be made to look both traditional or contemporary depending on how it's executed. Pictured above with lovely thick skirting boards, this panelling creates a classic look. Another fun way to use it is to run it part way up the wall, top with a dado rail, and either paint or wallpaper above. The powder room below has turned what was a small, plain room into a fun, personality-filled space. The thinner panelling is a nice contrast to the door and works well in a smaller space.

By square setting the panelling from the ceiling to the floor without any skirts or architraves, you create a contemporary look for your home. The entrance below has cleverly lined up the door and wall panelling for a clean, seamless look. This is trickier to execute, so although the first versions (above) are possible to DIY, I would recommend getting the experts to help you with this square set panelling. This look really needs to be decided on before the building stage, so talk to your builder early on in the process.

We often use vertical panelling in our kitchen designs. With very little fabric or furnishings in a kitchen, it's a nice way to introduce texture. The home below uses the panelling in quite a contemporary fashion, also running it up the walls and on the door in the hallway to create a sense of continuity.

Below are more examples of vertical panelling, this time using it in natural wood for a hit of warmth as well as texture. This sort of application doesn't have to be used everywhere in your house, instead use it to create a feature in key areas.

Another form of wall panelling that you're probably familiar with is board and batten. It features wide boards covered by long flat strips (battens) about 5cm wide. This is one of the oldest, most traditional style of panelling and is often used on the exterior of houses. If using it on the interior of your house you can create the same look by just attaching the thin strips over a conventional wall. I love the character it adds, and it can also be used on just the lower half of your wall with paint or wallpaper above.

One of my favourite wall features is box moulding. This is something you can do yourself if you're a clever 'diy-er', or have a handy man in the house. Keeping it white adds subtle texture, or paint it dark to make more of a statement.

Built-in furniture pieces are not for the faint hearted, as they become a semi-permanent part of your home once installed, but they help to add that architectural detail that may be lacking in your new build. If well designed and built they will be a fantastic addition to your home and are often great for utilising otherwise unused or awkward spaces. Built-in bookshelves are the most common piece we're asked for by our clients. The one below is so handy for storage and display, and they've included box moulding - win, win!

When you're installing a new kitchen, the cabinets are custom made to fit. But there's nothing to stop you fitting cupboards similar to the ones below along a hallway, in an entrance, or a kids' play room for valuable extra storage. If possible, take them to the ceiling so they look like they're supposed to be there and not an after thought that has just been tacked on.

The bookshelf below is our ideal living room built-in piece. Open storage for books and favourite pieces, closed storage at the bottom for things you don't want on display, and a space for the TV. This setup is also great for ensuring that the television is disguised a bit and not the centre of attention in your living room.

One of our most favourite ways to add interest to, and elevate a space, is wallpaper. Powder rooms, laundries, and entrances are great spaces for wallpaper. Because you don't spend a lot of time in any of the rooms you can get really brave, go bold and wallpaper every wall. Of course, if you're open to wallpapering all four walls of your living or dining room we applaud you, but even a single wall, like the bedroom below will create a lovely feature. This grasscloth wallpaper provides beautiful texture but is otherwise quite subtle.

If pattern is your thing there are a multitude of gorgeous wallpapers to choose from and we're more than happy to help you choose - patterned or plain.

In any good design, contrast is a key component. When you have a brand new home, we like to add some vintage or antique pieces to give the place some depth. I love this little vintage table (below) against the crisp, new white walls. Have fun hunting on TradeMe or your local second hand shops, or if you're really lucky you may have one or two special pieces you've inherited from your parents or grandparents.

The antique dresser below has been repurposed into a vanity adding some weight and character to the brand new bathroom.

Interesting tiles in your kitchen and bathroom will instantly add character and style. I would strongly urge you to choose a beautifully tiled splash back over a coloured glass one. There are so many shiny, hard surfaces in a kitchen, and a glass splash back is just one more. Tiles can add texture and pattern, even a plain subway will be so much more interesting than flat glass.

The kitchen below belongs to our clients, and although they didn't build it, the house was still very new when they bought it. Because the kitchen was so new they didn't feel the need to rip it out and start again, but they did want to breathe a bit of life into it, and stamp their own mark on it. It was as simple as replacing the handles on the bottom cabinets with a more contemporary matt black version, and removing the top ones altogether for a cleaner look. We then replaced the glass splash back with the soft green subway tiles, and added the gorgeous fish scale tiles under the breakfast bar. You can see before photos in our previous blog post.

Below is the view from the above kitchen, where I can illustrate two more simple ways we added some character to the simple white interior. Other than the furniture and accessories, the two things we love about this space are the curtains and the chandelier. There were initially plain white roller blinds over the large bi-fold doors, but by replacing these with beautiful linen curtains it helped to soften the room and add texture. Fixtures like lights are a brilliant way to spice up a simple interior. We used the stunning chandelier to do just this, as well as to help zone the living room in the open plan space. A similar light was used over the breakfast bar above.

Lastly, paint is an oldie but a goodie... it is by far the quickest and most cost-effective way to change and lift a room. A simple colour can make the world of difference! The use of the multi colours below creates the illusion of an architectural feature.

In conclusion, not everything above will appeal to everyone, and you obviously don't have to include each tip into your new build. But we do hope that you have gained some inspiration to take your shiny new house up to the next level.

We always love your feedback, so feel free to comment below on ways you have added interest to a new build. And if there is anything you would like our advice on, let us know, it could be the next blog post we write.