KITCHEN IDEAS

Clever storage solutions and creativity with colour are two key elements to designing a kitchen that looks good and works well

Satisfying storage

When it comes to the right recipe for kitchen storage, think like a chef. Avoid chaos and clutter by dividing your kitchen into zones, storing like-with-like. Stash your utensils together, have a space packed with cooking condiments near the stove, and store your plates close to the dishwasher. Unlocking the secret to a tidy and organised kitchen is all about creating an efficient work zone. Cluttered countertops will be a thing of the past once you’ve conquered your drawer space by dividing it.

Cut the clutter

Blum’s AMBIA-LINE inner divider system is the ultimate kitchen storage solution. The elegant slimline cross dividers will add design flair to your kitchen drawers, and different options allow for personal style. Choose from terra black, orion grey or silk white matt. Blum’s drawer divider system has a flexibility that allows you to customise the layout to suit your utensils. If you prefer the warmth of wood, the Tennessee walnut drawer inserts will beautifully frame your cutlery and serving spoons.

Serene & clean

The kitchen is a lively social hub these days, the centre of everything from noisy celebrations with family and friends to gatherings of hungry children after school. But when it comes to opening and closing your kitchen drawers, the less noise the better. Maintaining order and efficiency in your kitchen is easy with the right storage solutions.

Hide & seek

Blum’s soft-close BLUMOTION will give your kitchen a winning edge. Developed to last the lifetime of your kitchen, Blum’s European-designed soft-closing storage system is engineered with durability in mind. Designed and made in Austria, the softclose system works, no matter how hard you slam drawers, doors or pull-outs.

For more kitchen ideas go to Blum.com and @blumnewzealand. Or visit Blum’s Auckland showroom on Rosebank Road.

Opposites attract

Once you have your storage sorted, the two other elements of a well-designed kitchen are colour and composition. One way to inject personality and flair into a kitchen is creating a collage of colours and materials, culled into coherence with well-considered composition. Combine contrasting colours or textures, painting a ceiling in a striking dark tone and contrasting that with crisp white walls and the warmth of timber. Tie the look together by repeating the dark colour elsewhere, in cabinetry or bar stools. Or you could go in another direction, taking your inspiration from forests and foliage, highlighting the organic grain of plywood by pairing it with a shiny green splashback.

What lies beneath

Take your design theme to the ultimate level by lining your drawers with beautiful wallpaper. Transforming functional drawers into a creative space adds another layer of personal style to your kitchen.

For more wallpaper ideas head to resene.co.nz/wallpaper or your local Resene Colorshop.

Clockwise from top left, Blum’s LEGRABOX drawers in terra black matt; AMBIA-LINE dividers, in steel design with terra black matt finish and wood design with Tennessee walnut finish; Blum plate holders can store up to 12 plates. Adaptable in size, they also have handles so you can lift out a stack of plates ready for a meal. Savvy storage in your prep zone is the secret to efficient workflow. Blum’s TANDEMBOX drawer with ORGA-LINE bottle storage.

Colours are as close as the printing process allows. Always try a Resene testpot or view a physical colour sample before making your final choice. Resene Wasabi Resene Armadillo Resene Grey Seal Resene Soulful Resene Sunbaked Resene Birthday Suit

Main image: Green splashback Resene Wasabi and plywood finish Resene Colorwood Rock Salt and Resene Aquaclear. Kitchen designed by Studio of Pacific Architecture, photography by Terry Hann. Inset: This striking grey and white kitchen features Resene Armadillo and Resene Quarter Rice Cake. Kitchen designed by Nobbs Radford Architects, photography by Katherine Lu.

The pale and pretty top drawer features Resene Wallpaper Collection 219280 and the dark and glam bottom drawer features Resene Wallpaper Collection 525359.