Trends New Zealand Volume 33 No 3 | Page 35

Once the kitchen was nothing more than a humble workspace tucked away at the back of the home. Today’s kitchen, however, has really come into its own. Designed to stand out and be noticed, while offering every amenity, it has become the centrepiece of the home. Aurora Australis has earned a reputation for creating one-off, high-end kitchens that offer a dramatic wow factor. The designs respond to the owners’ every need and include every possible up-to-the-minute functional advantage – and this black beauty of a kitchen is a case in point. The designer kitchen’s jet black cabinetry is constructed in Superfinish Customwood board, finished in Resene’s Metallic super high gloss lacquer – a hard-wearing surface applied by MF Turnbull. To match the sleek, contemporary cabinetry, Aurora specified the engineered Spanish Neolith benchtop in Basalt Black, from stone specialists CDK, Christchurch. And the upmarket kitchen is equally well considered behind the scenes, too. In terms, of storage and accessibility, the spacious hidden pantry is finished with a granite top, while the Blum Legrabox Free system in black glass offers smooth-gliding operation and easy-access storage Above left: Gleaming cabinet faces, durable stone countertops and plenty of display space are just some of the stand-out features of this kitchen design by Aurora Australis. Above: While refined and glamorous, the modern kitchen is also well set up for day to-day living. For example, an in-island plate rack is one of many practical, close-to-hand features. search | save | share at