Top class butler
By JESMA MAGILL

Monday, 02 March 2009

The kitchen proper - the vital link between the living spaces in the home.
The kitchen proper - the vital link between the living spaces in the home.
Change is exciting, especially around the home. And a successful renovation immediately conveys that a whole new way of living can take place – changes that are better suited to the lifestyle and desires of the homeowners.

The peninsula bar.
The peninsula bar.
That’s the impression when visiting the Tam family home in Howick, where a dramatic transformation has recently taken place, especially on the second level where the focus is mainly on the kitchens (notice the plural). For some people, especially those serious about food, it seems that two kitchens have become essential. The Tams definitely fall into that category.

Their kitchen vision was that of a large, fully appointed butler’s pantry, which when in use could be closed off from the main kitchen. This would keep noise levels down in the living area and prevent cooking odours from travelling through the home.

The Tams formulated several aspects of the design themselves but called in Warren Smith from Kitchen Craft to add his expertise. They had worked with Warren before, enjoyed the process and appreciated the outcomes.  

Part of the house was extended 3m on the west-facing wall to accommodate the butler’s pantry measuring 2.7m x 3m.

It includes a double oven, five-ring gas burner, a powerful extractor fan, dishwasher, washing machine and a wall of windows that takes in views across the valley.

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The kitchen within a kitchen - a must for serious cooks.
The kitchen within a kitchen - a must for serious cooks.
The pantry benchtops are Vienetta granite. A grey-toned splash back adds to the gleaming, easy-clean surfaces and polished porcelain tiles cover the floor.

The Tams planned one door leading into the pantry from the kitchen (this is spacious too at 4.1m x 3.1m) and two walls of glass partitioning the two spaces. But Warren was concerned that pantry occupants would feel like fishes in a bowl.

He suggested adding a wall where the pantry meets the family room and installing two cavity sliders instead of one so when not in use for cooking the pantry would be easily accessible for its other functions. In addition, the glass wall between the pantry and the kitchen has a shug window (inspired by a visit to Burger Fuel), which opens up the cooking zone.

Large fridges are essential in busy households but with pantry space at a premium, the Tam cooks share the large four-door Electrolux fridge/freezer in the kitchen, which is in easy reach of the pantry.

The laundry-in-the-kitchen concept is mostly a northern hemisphere concept but it works superbly for the Tams. The laundry is now closer to the clothesline and the homeowners say it’s much easier having washing facilities on the same level as the bedrooms. 

Kitchen cabinetry has been taken to the ceiling, enhancing  the sensation of height. Bamboo was chosen for the flooring in the main kitchen area, which has a generous sized peninsula bar and appliance station, both in granite. The cook top is an induction hob and there’s space for an extra dishwasher.

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It sees the light - the spacious butler's pantry keeps cooking in the background.
It sees the light - the spacious butler's pantry keeps cooking in the background.
Great food deserves a decent dining table. Made from recycled rimu, this table comes with a coffee table, which ingeniously splits in two, the twin sections slotting into both ends of the table as extensions when needed.

New stacker sliding doors open out to an expansive deck area to make outdoor dining as easy as it is indoors.

This was a large project, with the result a source of pride for the family. The kitchen design was pivotal to the success of the renovation and the Tams say being able to see a full-sized mock up of the design in the factory prior to manufacture made it easy to visualise how the real kitchens would look.

Specialist flooring requirements

In a large open design such as this, the flooring choice was a major consideration. Hard flooring was preferred and ideally in a sustainable product.

“We liked the idea of bamboo. It has a reputation for warmth and durability but we’d heard that bamboo required specialist installation because damp substrates could cause issues. Then someone suggested we contact Just Hardwood Floors,” says one homeowner.

The bamboo flooring commences at the front entrance and leads up the stunning, wide and sweeping curved staircase. Upstairs, the flooring then flows smoothly into the living spaces, creating continuity through the dining areas and kitchens too; simply another feature of the renovation that has met and exceeded the clients’ expectations.