An open-plan renovation on the North Shore, Auckland

Renovation Specialist Johannes Jacobs’ (JJ) supported these homeowners in personalising their North Shore property into their dream family abode. As the family wanted to carry out significant renovation work across their entire home, using the Refresh Renovations process allowed them to carry on with their day-to-day life while JJ managed every stage for them. 
A large focus of the project was on updating the home’s kitchen and downstairs area for improved modern family living. Following an initial consultation, JJ worked with the family to create a design that suited their needs and budget. This meant looking at different approaches to modernising the kitchen and improving the functionality of the home’s bedrooms, rumpus room, two lounges and entranceway.

“Downstairs, the living spaces were all north-facing and connected to the large deck and outdoor living area”, explains JJ. “But the family living spaces were disconnected - lots of walls and doors interrupted the flow. The clients wanted the area to be more open plan.” 
Once a clear design was established and high-end appliances selected, JJ provided the homeowners with an approved quote and scheduled in his team of tradespeople.
One of the first areas addressed was the kitchen. JJ’s team moved it from the corner of the living area to the centre, demolishing a wall in the process and setting the scene for the home’s central gathering space. The kitchen was then reconfigured and a scullery was built - giving the homeowners more flexibility with cooking spaces. A central island bench was installed, along with engineered stone benchtops in both the kitchen and the scullery. Above the island, dimmable pendant lighting was installed, complete with automatic timers. 
White subway splashback tiles were installed in both the kitchen and scullery, consistently maintaining a modern and sophisticated design across the new spaces. Attractive new cabinets were also installed, with sensor LED strip lighting underneath to add functionality to the preparation areas. 

Every aspect of this new design has been considered with family living in mind. From the dimmable sensor lights (ideal for young children who tend to leave lights on) to the scullery door (which makes it easy to hide any clutter and messy dishes when guests are over). 
“The scullery is great for family living”, says JJ. “The kids can prepare their school lunches away from the main kitchen at breakfast time.  The cavity slider door was chosen for the scullery as it took up less space than an opening door and was hidden away when not in use.”
As was the family’s brief, their home’s living areas are now much more functional and suitable for a young family.
“The central island is perfect for busy breakfast times when the kids can be in the kitchen but not in the way as the household gets ready for the day”, adds JJ. “The new design provides easy access to the family dining area alongside the kitchen, formal dining area (which has sliding cavity doors for separation between adults and kids) and the generous outdoor living area directly off of the kitchen space. It has made this area a magnet for people to gather in.  It’s an entertainers dream space!”

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