How to create the kitchen you've always dreamed of

Your kitchen is at the heart of the home and an investment not only in the value of your property, but in the way you like to live. 

When you’re planning a kitchen renovation, it’s practically your duty to dream big and look through all kitchen design ideas! Because no matter what size your space is, the kitchen is at the heart of the home and an investment not only in the value of your property, but in the way you like to live.

PlaceMakers kitchen category manager Liz Aitken says her team want people to really enjoy the process of designing a kitchen. Visiting a PlaceMakers store to explore the wide range of looks that are available, or booking a free kitchen consultation with an expert is a great way to identify the trends that reflect your personal style, and help you make the best use of the space you have available.

“A new kitchen should be the best of both worlds – on trend, stylish spaces that are also high quality, efficient, spacious and fit for purpose,” says Aitken. “We design, deliver and can install, customised kitchens with each customer’s personal style, needs and budget in mind.”

Aitken says PlaceMakers have identified two current trends that will do exactly that – Scandi and Hollywood Glam.

Both these trends were used in the 2019 series of Three’s The Block NZ and PlaceMakers was one of the show’s partners. Sophia and Mikaere choose a predominantly white palette to reflect the way Scandinavian design pays homage to the simplicity of life demonstrated in Nordic countries. While Lisa and Ribz went down the Hollywood Glam route with a more dramatic and opulent kitchen design style that uses dark colours with an industrial edge.

Once you have identified the style you want to follow, it's easier to narrow down the choices when it come to your kitchen key components; benchtops, cabinetry, tapware, sinks and storage. One of our PlaceMakers kitchen consultants can help you achieve the perfect combination of function and form. 

Although it’s simple and understated, Scandinavian furniture often feels like a work of art. In a kitchen that means Caesarstone Calacatta Nuva is the perfect material for a kitchen island. Its grey veins on a white base gives an elegant, luxurious look that contrasts perfectly with pure white cabinetry. Good storage is essential to maintaining a minimalist Scandi feel and Hettich have great options for concealed storage (with a lifetime warranty).

Hollywood Glam is at the opposite end of the design spectrum and the perfect combination of modern and traditional. The colour palettes are particularly bold, so consider black cabinetry combined with a Caesarstone raw concrete benchtop to introduce the archetypal industrial feel. Continue the mood with a black double sink and introduce the glam with statement chrome tapware and a mirrored splashback.

“Kitchens are hardworking areas, but also a space where you let your personal style show,” says Aitken.