Suzanne Dale

Writing about food, reonvating kitchens and cooking in her own, the writer lends many skills to our kitchen pages (p.146).

You’ve written your first kitchen pages for us this issue. Was there something that tied them all together?

Yes, good planning! Because they are all new kitchens, each has been tailor-made to meet the lifestyles of the current homeowners. Also, texture and natural materials have been carefully used in rooms, which were designed to read almost as pieces of furniture – something a couple of the architects themselves noted. There is lots of timber, marble and brick, for instance, providing interest, warmth and detail in otherwise clean spaces.

Tell us about your own kitchen.

We live in a 1915 terrace house and our kitchen is one that has evolved over time. The floor is matai, the walls are exposed brick and painted tongue and groove. We moved in seven years ago, replaced the tiny pantry with a much more serviceable one, chiselled away at brick to accommodate a larger fridge and pulled out the original coal range so we could fit in a big second oven. It's a small room but we think it's cute and it works for the two of us cooking there most nights. There's an island bench that provides extra workspace but it becomes more of a hindrance when friends come for dinner – I try to steer them into the adjoining dining room but invariably they won't budge. The cooks are forced to suck in and dance around them.

What else are you working on at the moment?

Much of my week is spent working as a contributor to a weekly newspaper food magazine – I never seem to be able to escape the kitchen. That and writing freelance lifestyle stories – but always after a walk and a leisurely breakfast.