softly softly

From Habitat magazine - issue 21

Soft whitewash-effect cabinets and a shot of green give this kitchen natural good looks.

From amidst the grunty robustness and honesty of a house sculpted from concrete and finished with sweeping plywood walls, a bright pop of Resene Wasabi green springs from the kitchen.

It's a fitting colour, matching the sweeping grass pastures outside the large windows in the adjoining living room. Used sparingly, it freshens the kitchen&'s glass splashback as well as an upstand at the end of the island bench.

Joining it, the plywood cabinets have a soft whitewash-effect finish, created by using the pale Resene Rock Salt stain from the Resene Colorwood range, which is then topped with protective coats of Resene Aquaclear. Pine battens decorate one wall of the kitchen, and were given the same treatment.

Says homeowner Ann: I did not want the typical blonded ply finish... We wanted the timber grain to still be obvious but with a white background." She and husband Noel had the perfect person to discuss their desires with – their niece Tessa Macrae, who worked at the local Resene ColorShop in Masterton for several years. Any walls that aren't ply, and the ceilings, are painted in Resene Quarter Tea.

Aside from the green touches, a feature of the kitchen is the unusual Elica extractor fan, which looks more like a light fitting. It has an extensive filtering system so doesn't need to be vented.

The kitchen layout was included on the house plans, from Studio of Pacific Architecture in Wellington, with input from Ann. At one end of the kitchen a walk-in pantry has a second sink.

Ann has a dislike of stainless steel appliances so chose white instead. When it came to the bench, however, stainless steel won out for its durability and resistance to heat and staining.

Accessories: Benchtops: 2K Design & Manufacturing Engineers, Masterton. Kitchen joinery: Prestige Joinery, Masterton.

pictures: Terry Hann
words: Sharon Newey