Kitchen of the Week: High Marks for a 1920s Schoolhouse
After 30 years of cooking for the family, these New Zealand empty nesters treat themselves to a beautiful new kitchen
Many years ago, a 1920s schoolhouse was transported by barge from the city to a country site with a view of the Weiti River, north of Auckland in New Zealand. Eventually it was converted from classrooms to a family home. After 30 years of family meals, baking and preserving, and with the children now grown, the owners were ready to graciously improve their kitchen for the years ahead. They commissioned designer Toni Roberts to create a kitchen that welcomed visitors with improved light and easy connectedness. The enthusiastic bakers and entertainers wanted lots of storage and counter space for spreading out, and they had gathered plenty of ideas on the style they were after.
Kitchen of the Week
Who lives here: A pair of empty nesters who love to bake and entertain
Location: Outside Auckland, New Zealand
Designer: Toni Roberts of Kitchen Architecture
BEFORE: The original kitchen was dark, dated and moody. It was tight on space, with not much more than a sink counter and lumpy tiled countertop to work on, and the fridge poked into the room. However, the space opened to sunny decks, and there was a glorious view of the river (and sunsets) from the kitchen window. It had potential.
Who lives here: A pair of empty nesters who love to bake and entertain
Location: Outside Auckland, New Zealand
Designer: Toni Roberts of Kitchen Architecture
BEFORE: The original kitchen was dark, dated and moody. It was tight on space, with not much more than a sink counter and lumpy tiled countertop to work on, and the fridge poked into the room. However, the space opened to sunny decks, and there was a glorious view of the river (and sunsets) from the kitchen window. It had potential.
AFTER: The “aha” moment came when Roberts juggled the floor plan to knock a door through to the laundry behind. This area now houses the fridge, a second sink for messy cleanups and plenty of storage.
Roberts relocated other doors for a better flow (the new porthole door provides easier access to the guest bathroom) but made sure to work with the quirky original schoolhouse features, including blackboard walls and horizontal match lining (tongue-and-groove boards).
A pantry work area is the baking center, with open shelves to house serving dishes and condiments, and deep drawers to hold bulk flour and supplies. Roberts specified special adjustable bottle drawers, a second sink and homes for appliances.
Cabinet hardware: Häfele
Cabinet hardware: Häfele
The owners didn’t want a twee cottage kitchen, but they did want to respect the history of the schoolhouse. Roberts created three zones in the main kitchen: the stainless steel sink counter beside the range, the hutch-style cabinets for dishes beside the wood stove, and the generous island work station. She mixed shiny and satin textures, glass and wood, steel and tile. The cook can now enjoy the ever-changing view of the river.
The stainless steel counter is a nod to the one in the old kitchen and reflects light into the room. Open plate-rack shelves display china and accessories. Roberts used white paint to distinguish the kitchen from the connected dining room.
Paint: Half Parchment (cabinets) and Moonstone (walls), both Resene
Paint: Half Parchment (cabinets) and Moonstone (walls), both Resene
The wood-burning stove is framed in the same tile as the backsplash, with the original wood match lining left in its original shellacked finish.
Industrial-style stools: CC Interiors
Industrial-style stools: CC Interiors
Roberts kept the finishes pure and simple, using texture to create interest. One of the owners had her heart set on a 36-inch-wide range, settling on a Richmond model from Belling, with three electric ovens and five gas burners.
To create a strong vertical line at this end of the room, which has a lowered ceiling, Roberts recommended a matching black Belling range hood and a wall of handmade glazed tiles laid in a vintage brick bond format. To create as much counter space as possible, and still allow easy access to the fridge area, she designed an angled corner cabinet.
Tile: Designa Ceramic Tiles; faucet: In Residence
To create a strong vertical line at this end of the room, which has a lowered ceiling, Roberts recommended a matching black Belling range hood and a wall of handmade glazed tiles laid in a vintage brick bond format. To create as much counter space as possible, and still allow easy access to the fridge area, she designed an angled corner cabinet.
Tile: Designa Ceramic Tiles; faucet: In Residence
Roberts specified unusually deep panels on cabinet and drawer fronts to get the look the clients were after. Special hinges were needed to hold the inch-thick doors with a careful taper at the back to maintain the narrow door gaps. Sustainable laminated bamboo counters were chosen to make the island and hutch-style cabinets look more like furniture.
Pewter cabinet hardware: Mardeco
Pewter cabinet hardware: Mardeco
The island is the first thing visitors see when they enter the kitchen, so Roberts called for open shelves and legs to enhance the furniture look and to give the owner more display space. French doors open to an east-facing patio.
Handblown glass pendant shades: CC Interiors
Handblown glass pendant shades: CC Interiors
The original school blackboard is a favorite with the grandchildren. The schoolhouse wood match lining was left on the dining room too.
The owners are still telling Roberts how delighted they are with their new kitchen. The connectedness with the dining and outdoor areas add further joy to cooking and entertaining for the owners and all who are warmly welcomed into the space.
Tell us: Do you have a kitchen renovation you’re proud of? Share your photos in the Comments below.
See more Kitchens of the Week
Tell us: Do you have a kitchen renovation you’re proud of? Share your photos in the Comments below.
See more Kitchens of the Week
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