Regional Winner South Island Lydia Geerlings .

But the downside of the “if it’s European it must be great” mentality doesn’t take into account that Europeans live differently to New Zealanders, and this is especially noticeable in kitchen design.

Many Europeans live in apartments – often compact, open-plan spaces – that demand unobtrusive design for ease of living; and as Europeans don’t tend to cook as often as New Zealanders, usually, the less kitchen the better.

“In France, for example, it’s more common for people to pick up the evening meal from the delicatessen around the corner,” says Christchurch-based, award winning kitchen designer Ingrid Geldof.

“On the other hand, many New Zealanders still cook, and this makes for informed clients,” Ingrid says. “And similarly, I think New Zealand has very well-educated kitchen designers. They’re conversant with new materials and the Kiwis’ sense of practicality helps when designing kitchens that really do function well. I put this down to our farming heritage and our isolation – everyone had to be resourceful and this shows through in the work of our designers today.”

Ingrid visited the Milan Furniture Fair this year where she took in hectares of new kitchen designs and noted a big emphasis on aesthetics – the look of the kitchen – but to Ingrid how a kitchen functions is of first priority.

And her clients quickly find this out: “If they come along to our first meeting with colour swatches and material samples, I suggest they hold them to a future meeting. It’s easy to get caught up in how things will look, but focusing first on colours and materials just complicates things. My first concern is ensuring the kitchen will work well.”

Ingrid started her own design business in 1992, has won 30 prestigious kitchen and bathroom design awards, and since taking on extra designers, her staff are winning accolades too. IGD services now include full interior design. Prior to entering the kitchen field, Ingrid worked in administration, conference management, marketing and sales before studying interior design, a route she says has helped build a strong business.

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Images from Milan Furniture Fair.

With a mother an artist and father a founding tutor of the Christchurch Polytechnic Interior Design course, it’s no surprise that Ingrid eventually carved her own career in design. “I’d always been interested in spatial planning and joinery design, with a passion for achieving efficiency alongside aesthetics.”

Corner pantries were all the rage when Ingrid first set up shop, but now, she says, they split storage requirements to where the items are used. Smaller pantries positioned closer to various task zones are often more functional.

Today, the hottest thing in kitchen design is the inclusion of a butler’s pantry or scullery. “In open plan spaces, these allow work to happen behind the scenes while keeping the public face of the kitchen relatively clear and minimal.”

One of the most exciting aspects of Ingrid’s job involves working on designs for clients in collaboration with architects: “Kitchen and bathroom designers have more credibility with architects now and are recognised as specialists in spatial planning. While designing the functional spaces in the home we are working together with the architect to create the ultimate home, not only functionally but aesthetically too. It’s best if spatial planning is worked through in the early planning stages of a design. We find if we’re not involved initially, our work and that of the architect can end up being compromised.”

For example, architectural line-ups –dominant design features thatshould flow from space to space – often aren’t achieved due to lack of communication.

So where next for style? Ingrid is looking forward to a change. “Kitchen design has become a little predictable recently but I believe we’re on the cusp of a new, more innovative style of joinery design.”

She forecasts a slight swing away from the clean, clinical lines of Minimalism, with the addition of more texture and timber the next logical step to softening schemes.