This striking kitchen in a semi-rural area of the north island needed to maximise the views out of surrounding wall to ceiling windows. This means keeping clutter out of sight — especially when entertaining on the large deck the space faces. But as an entertainer’s kitchen, it was also important to ensure maximum usability. The solution is this sleek design with integrated appliances and hidden working spaces.

The space is designed and manufactured by Cube Dentro, an influential and award-winning business based in Auckland who are recognised for their sophisticated interior design and reputed for working with high-end materials and finishes. Hettich's German-engineered products perfectly serve their desire to create a durable and impactful living space.

The owners of this home are avid entertainers with a family. The kitchen is set within an architecturally designed home with a crisp, modern interior and featured some strong rural cues.

The concept

The design aimed for a kitchen that could hold its own against other strong aspects of the surrounding living space, including a feature barn door. It needed to complement the view, work in a long but narrow room, and cater to the strong linear design preferences of its owners.

The requirement

Appliances, working spaces and finishes needed to be compatible with the clean, strong lines in the design concept.

The shape of the room dictated an island kitchen layout, and a cantilevered kitchen island and scullery have been leveraged to make the space as useful as possible.

Handleless, push to open drawers and cupboard doors are chosen to contribute to the strong lines carried throughout the interiors, including in the vertical timber panelling on the kitchen island and ceiling treatment. Large sized pocket doors are used to hide and expose the working spaces as required, without impacting the usability when opened.

Other cabinetry considerations include an integrated refrigerator to blend with the pocket doors.

About the Product

ArciTech drawers are a high-end drawer selection. With most elements in steel, this drawer has a weighty, luxurious feel and sits atop one of the smoothest running drawer runners on the market — this means it has an unparalleled feeling when opened and closed.

In this project, Hettich’s Push to open Silent functionality is also fitted to the ArciTech drawers. Push to open allows handleless design, a mechanism that pops open the door or drawer when a slight pressure is applied. The ‘Silent’ refers to the soft-closing function, where the drawer catches and softly pulls itself shut towards the end of the closing action — no slamming, no clinking.

Hettich has a range of cabinetry hardware to support similar, modern, sleek designs, with both push to open functionality in all of its drawers and hinges, as well as mechanical openings for integrated refrigerators.