The act of cooking is one full of habits and ceremonies. This South Island kitchen takes the ritual of preparing gin-based drinks for visiting friends as one of its main design cues.
It is theatrically lit from above and is generous with its task lighting, way-finding is assisted through shin-high LEDs, and lumens are even used to frame certain parts of the cabinetry to “create a floating look onto the textured bulkhead,” according to its lead designer, Wanaka’s Melanie Craig.
There is a hero cabinet specifically designed for the owner’s spirits, and created in such a way that has practicality in mind as much as entertainment. “Large black-steel framed doors complete with a punched-clover mesh pocket back reveal [a] brass-clad interior, which celebrates the client’s gin collection,” says Melanie. “When the doors are closed, it creates a clean finish featuring the perforated steel with brass detailing shadowing behind”.
Add to this solid brass handles by Buster + Punch — the London-based homeware company that describes itself as “home fashions” — and you have a recipe for ‘fab’ with a real sense of catwalk oomph and flair. There are also other more structural elements that add to this sense of luxe: “A large brass column works its way from floor, stamping through the [Corian] benchtop, creating a feature to sit around,” says Melanie.
A well-appointed scullery and loads of moody darks continue this theme of theatre and ceremony. Sure, this kitchen is opulent, perhaps in a way that many might find a tad in-your-face, but it is that same assertiveness that gives it a sense of boldness and individualism that works well here.
