Kitchen distinction $25–$40k

Colour excellence First time entrant

THE WINNER

Nicola Manning Nicola Manning Design

THE DESIGN

The renovation of this penthouse apartment aimed to create a luxurious city retreat, with the kitchen setting the scene for the rest of the home. Access to the laundry had been through the kitchen, so the laundry was relocated to an adjacent storage room and the space used to enlarge the kitchen and create entry points at both ends. To achieve this, the water feed and waste pipes had to be brought across into the new island bench, which necessitated accessing the ceiling cavity of the apartment below. It was a major undertaking, but the improvement in the accessibility, function and aesthetics of the kitchen was well worth the effort.

Dark cabinetry and benchtops create a luxurious and moody feel and are a strong anchor at one end of the large living space, complemented by the warm tones and texture of brass mosaic tiles, a richly coloured splashback and walnut veneer enhanced by LED strip lighting. •

THE SPECS

Cabinetry Resene Half Bokara Grey in Satin finish G50. Above hob Bestwood Walnut Veneer with LED lighting strip. Drawers Blum Blumotion and Legrabox with Ambia-Line inserts. Hinges Blum soft-close. Overhead lift system Blum Aventos HK. Pantry bi-fold Hettich WingLine. Handles Mardeco Arezzo 4030. Flooring Vitality Deluxe 909 Washed Oak. Benchtops Caesarstone Vanilla Noir. Sink Heritage Hardware Aoraki 790-10 Nero.

Taps Hansgrohe Focus. Splashback Formica Dolce Vita in a Satin finish. Bins Enko Gollinucci. Oven, microwave/combi oven, hob, dishwasher, fridge, freezer, rangehood and waste disposal Miele.