top tip Always check your colour choices with a Resene testpot before you commit. Paint an A2 size card, leaving an unpainted border, and move the colour around the room at different times of the day and night to see how it looks. found easy to create. “I’m not a joiner, but I was able to make them with help from a joiner. He cut the parts and I installed them,” he says. Thanks to its simple layout, the birch ply was an inexpensive material option for a cool detail while also breaking up the Resene Black White cabinetry. The polygonal ceiling, which is also made of birch ply, took time to get right – especially when it came to fitting the lighting into the interesting form – but the end result is striking and well-worth the effort. A dark exterior inspires drama inside Emboldened by the decision to use a strong colour on the exterior of their 1950s home, Metua and Merv Parr found it easier than most to take the plunge into an even more dramatic scheme when renovating their kitchen. Debra Delorenzo (www.debradelorenzo.com), who did some design work for the couple a year earlier, says they’d decided on a white-grey look, but after their bold new exterior colour turned out so well, “they liked the idea of using some deep colour inside as well. “Metua was happy to have a bold colour and she was up for a black kitchen, but Merv was a bit reticent so we compromised with dark grey and, in the end, they were both thrilled with it.” With Resene Double Alabaster walls anchoring the space, their kitchen cabinetry in deep Resene Half Fuscous Grey makes an impressive statement. Previously, a half-wall divided the kitchen from the rest of the living space, and the U-shape was tight. Since the family is very much into socialising together casually, Debra’s spatial plan removed the wall and inserted a wall of cabinetry along the back. Moving the doors along on the side made additional space for a large display shelving unit with extra storage. “We gained a whole lot of space and it works so much better. Basically we opened up the room to make a big living, dining, kitchen and family room. The clients are not uber-modern. They like a slightly industrial traditional look.” Debra says the big pendant lights add presence to create a visual division between the kitchen and living. “Dark grey grout around the splashback tiles is an easy way of linking the colour back and the different styles of handles make it look smart, especially against the rimu timber floors, which warm the dark colours.” words Vicki Holder Resene Half Fuscous Grey Resene Double Alabaster Resene Black White Left: New built-in cabinetry in Resene Half Fuscous Grey provides ample storage space while also allowing the wall between the kitchen and living areas to be opened up. The walls surrounding it are painted in Resene Double Alabaster. Above: Metua and Merv brought some serious drama into their kitchen with Resene Half Fuscous Grey cabinetry, which looks especially striking in contrast to the Resene Double Alabaster walls. Featured kitchen designed and installed by Mastercraft Kitchens. With Mastercraft Kitchens, creating or updating your kitchen is a breeze. We do all the hard work, including design, production, and installation. Plus we guarantee your dream kitchen – for ten years! Go easy on yourself with a quality Mastercraft Kitchen. See us online for the showroom closest to you. Easyelegance 1842 Habitat © Mastercraft Services Limited See us online at www.mastercraft.co.nz or call 0800 67 67 67 Get our inspirational 2019 Look Book delivered FREE! Visit: www.mastercraft.co.nz/kitchens/hab Looking forideas? See the Resene Whites & Neutrals collection, available in palettes or as a fandeck, for a range of neutrals from black and near-blacks through to off-whites. 53 kitchens