Author: vbxmeditor

BoxMakers’ 2025 Auckland Home Show Kitchen

The centrepiece of our BoxMakers stall at the Auckland Home Show is designed to cater to everyday New Zealand homeowners. The aim is to showcase a kitchen that strikes a delicate balance between aesthetics, affordability, and practicality, with features that can benefit the modern New Zealand lifestyle.

Our Home Show display was inspired by the idea of a crafting a space that acted not simply as a kitchen, but as a common space for everyday activities. Its range of purpose extends outside that of a highly capably cooking space, but as a place to gather with limitless possibilities for activities. We took inspiration from the flexibility of open-plan layouts, aiming to create a space that was not only practical for general use, but also aesthetically adaptable – pleasing in a diverse range of home environments.

Sustainable production techniques and enhanced element resistance made MDF our material of choice in balancing compatibility and longevity, not to mention its diverse propensity for finishes.

We chose a deep walnut colour, which carries a timeless essence that stays relevant even as trends come and go, combining functionality with a refined visual presence. Our goal was to represent top-tier balance that is in line with everyday New Zealand considerations.

The kitchen island is a core component of completing this communal area, acting as a second hub for the home – with room to eat, play, and dream. Finished in a refreshing white, the island provides a crisp and welcoming contrast against the deep wood cabinetry. The colours are incredibly accommodating, and are easy to compliment a wealth of home aesthetics.

BoxMakers’ has meticulously put together this kitchen with the goal of embodying our core values: balancing aesthetics with practicality, durability, and affordability. We wanted to create a multifunctional kitchen that New Zealanders can be proud to own, with endless potential for growth.

Designer: Mona Simathamchai

September 5, 2025
Freeing Up a Remuera Kitchen

One of our most recent kitchen renovations, this stylish project in Remuera was commissioned with the purpose of renewing, revitalising, and also expanding this aging kitchen. Aside from the broken hinges and general wear, the project sought to ambitiously relieve the kitchen of an aesthetic column that the owners found obtrusive. BoxMakers aimed to perform a comprehensive kitchen upgrade centred around the newly freed space.

While the existing column served as aesthetical divider for the kitchen, it also doubled as a barrier, both physically and visually.

Interconnectedness was a key priority of BoxMakers’ plan for this project, aiming to free up both working space and visual clutter, as well as generating an enhanced sense of connectivity to the living space, as befit the home’s open floor plan. Great care and effort were taken in removal and preparation. The result was an unobstructed sightline into the kitchen and much more room for the new benchtop – which also meant more kitchen at no cost to space.

In addition to the column removal, a comprehensive renovation was also performed on the kitchen space itself, significantly replacing the joinery, benchtop, and fixtures. The new U-benchtop was of engineered stone, finished in Carrara Gold by Horizon Stone: a glossy white finish with fine veins of gold weave sewn into its design. The splashback featured the same design, extending up to the custom cabinetry.

With an emphasis on “shiny and new”, the main cabinet faces were finished in glossy White Swan by Decorpanel, bringing an unmatched level of sheen and polish to the kitchen. We chose a minimalist style of handles by Enko to support this design. Beneath the benchtop, we installed a dual-tiered Magic Corner unit from FIT’s Giamo series, as well as a hidden dual-bin from their Tanova series. The rest of the custom cabinetry featured a melamine finish of Prime Maple by Primepanels, which housed a tandem pantry unit by Kesseböhmer – and if that wasn’t enough storage, the under-sink cabinetry also featured a pull-out unit, likewise by Kesseböhmer.

The majority of the appliances were also replaced, such as a new Haier oven and a new Bosch cooktop and rangehood. A broad array of LED lighting was also installed, completing the new and modern look of the kitchen. BoxMakers was able to achieve this dazzling result thanks to a diligent understanding of the client’s vision, combined with our experience in designing any type of kitchen aesthetic – whether it’s matte and traditional, or glossy and modern.

September 4, 2025
An Elegant Townhouse Kitchen – Sunnynook

To fit out one of our Sunnynook townhouses, we called upon the services of our brilliant BoxMakers team to design and execute a perfect kitchen and cabinetry solution. In a home designed by our architectural counterpart, VIKON Construction, BoxMakers sought to deliver a size-appropriate yet featureful inclusion that worked in tandem with the surrounding open floor plan.

Featuring a combination of Scandinavian design cues and modern farmhouse aspects, this highly functional kitchen leans heavily on creating a cosy and inviting atmosphere. The woodgrain of the cabinetry and gloss of the subway tiles create a striking balance of texture and polish, while also fusing styles for a multilayered kitchen appearance. Finished in Melteca’s Aged Ash Organic melamine, the cabinets evoke a certain sense of naturalness – perfectly complimented by earthly accessories such as potted plants.

The sink unit and cooktop are placed perfectly opposite one another, on separate benchtops, and are both finished in White Sand Engineered Stone by Uniquartz. The subtle gloss gels charmingly with the subway-tiled splashback, completing the white and wood aesthetic.

Our custom cabinetry features a handless design for the overheard units, complimented by a quaint three-shelf display and a convenient extended-base cupboard. The rangehood is also subtly hidden away beneath the main cabinet. Likewise, a Tanova pull-out bin is tucked away within the bench. Our bench cabinets feature Mardeco’s 4045 handles finished in black, and are also used on the accompanying fridge cabinetry, generously sized to accommodate a wide range of refrigeration units. Unlike the rest of the cabinetry, these MDF panels are finished in embossed white, easing the aesthetic transition into the living space.

The combination of these elements creates a curated and functional meld of both form and function, while taking up only a modest amount of room.

August 28, 2025
Why Proper Cabinet Alignment Matters

Installing cabinetry is more than just adding pretty shelves and drawers to a home. On top of having a deft pair of hands, technical knowledge and component awareness is required to make both the operation and alignment not just smooth – but just right.

Why It Matters

Proper cabinet alignment is imperative to achieving a uniform, flush look that allows the unit to stand out because of its cohesiveness as a whole, rather than jutting doors and crooked panels. Improper alignment can cause door sag, mismatched handle positioning, and a shelving arrangement that simply… looks off. It’s not just an aesthetic issue either: substandard work can lead to excessive wear on the hinges and drawer runners, resulting in noise, stiffness in operation, and undue stress on the cabinet frame.

Our Process

Applying our team’s storied experience, we are able to deliver a comprehensive service that covers not only design, but also the expert installation of kitchens, cabinets, and much more. We start with meticulous measurement of the site – including wall dimensions, curvature, and anomalies. Our use of laser measures and levels allow for incredible accuracy when planning for what goes where. Our design team takes these measurements and plans out a solution using modelling software. This facilitates our selection of the optimal material thickness, frame arrangement, and unit positioning to maximise space efficiency.

Work in Action

For one of our cabinetry jobs in Remuera, we applied our handcrafted process to deliver a set of stunning and matching cabinets. After a highly involved measurement and design stage, we began work on the physical cabinets. Making them to our exact requirements – from dimensions, to materials, to hinge holes, we were able to deliver cabinets that were compatible with our desired handles, hinges, and latching system.

Delicate care was taken during this process, such as ensuring consistent hinge recesses and level installation, as well as avoiding excess screw tension – this was to curb any potential droopiness or misalignment. Handles were installed flush and level with each other, and symmetrically when required. In the end, we delivered a stylish and sophisticated finished product.

In creating flush sets of cabinets, proper proactive measurement is key to saving considerable stress in the future. DIY projects may benefit from shims and filler panels, but the biggest selling point of custom cabinetry is that the work is destined for your home – and yours alone.

August 27, 2025
Plentiful Pantry Storage in Avondale

One of our more recent projects, this Kitchen renovation in Avondale called for an extensive facelift, including brand new custom cabinets, kitchen fixtures, and a slew of storage additions.

This renovation was performed primarily to tackle the shortage of space in the original kitchen which resulted in a cramped layout with no room for appliances. This spurred the need for new cabinetry units, especially across the kitchen overhead.

Our cabinetmaking team carefully selected embossed melamine for the new units, settling on Prime Panels’ Prime White for the colour, a clear choice to compliment the walls. Installation called for the removal of a tall double-door cabinet that took up far more storage space than it provided. This freed up room for the new benchtop to continue around the corner, granting valuable oven-space.

The renewed space also opened up room for a collection of overhead and bench unit cabinets, making storage and accessibility far more accommodating than before.

Above the new Bosch cooktop, a hidden rangehood is accommodated by the overhead cabinetry, significantly reducing visual clutter while also contributing to the sleek, featureful nature of the kitchen.

That’s not the only hidden feature either – a pull-out Kesseböhmer pantry is built into the bench cabinetry, and dual Tanova soft close bins are tucked away down beside the kitchen sink. Behind the kitchen corner, dual pull-out shelves by Artia allow for seamless kitchenware storage.

On the other side of the doorway is the fridge unit and accommodating cabinetry. The top level features a dual-door cabinet with custom notched shelving for accessible rear access. Beneath it lies a rolling door unit by Sage Doors – also finished in matching white, used to prevent dust accumulation on dormant appliances and dampen visual clutter.

The benchtop is White Ice Engineered Stone by Uniquartz, which completes the white-themed kitchen. Providing a sleek accent are the Mardeco cabinet handles, finished in Brushed Nickel, with a colour-matching kitchen mixer by Galaxy Homeware.

To top it all off, the overhead cabinets are equipped with undermounted warm LED lighting strips, making for delicate nighttime illumination, and introducing a sunny accent to the cool-white kitchen.

August 21, 2025
Letting Nature In: The Growth of Biophilic Design

One of the most prominent design trends that have emerged from the past decade is the embrace of nature’s very own palette. Being even more relevant in New Zealand, the appeal of a naturally themed home has been embraced by many – with homeowners seeking a return to the very style perfected by Mother Nature herself.

The palette itself is a soft mixture of earthy browns and gentle sand, accessorised largely with natural greens, evoking a brisk walk along one of New Zealand’s myriad natural trails. Among its many selling points is the ability to bring nature indoors – with one of the trend’s primary traits being an abundance of potted plants and indoor flora – Plant-lovers rejoice! Previously, biophilic design was practically limited to commercial buildings and large spaces, but emerging trends have fostered more variety in home-cultivation.

A carefully curated experience can bring back the best that nature has to offer. Natural incense, earthy tones, and extensive exposure to air can breathe new life into your home. If you’re really feeling ambitious, water features and indoor gardens can contribute to a multi-sensory approach. As a highly complementary colour, natural green pairs perfectly with woven browns and pale tan for an old-fashioned look, or with stone grey and marble white for a modern take.

With the increasing relevance of sustainability over the past two decades, combined with broadening ecological awareness and the work-from-home era, many homeowners found that bringing nature to their house was one way to get the best of both worlds. Pinterest’s 2022 trend report noted significant interest in biophilic design, with more users yearning for therapeutically conductive homes. Taking a break amidst nature is one of humanity’s timeless escapes, but with increasing urban sprawl and transportation woes, it comes as no surprise that many have opted to bring nature to themselves, instead of the other way around.

Sources:

https://linkmix.co/42488677

August 20, 2025
A Stylish Kitchen Packed With Features

In mid-2025, the BoxMakers team were called to deliver a kitchen and bathroom renovation project in Mount Roskill. On top of delivering custom shelves and cabinetry, the project also called for the installation of a variety of modern kitchen features, such as a rotating corner solution, hidden kitchen bins, and a pullout bottle rack.

Sleek and Subtle Cabinetry

For the kitchen cabinet face panels, the project called for melamine MDF in a white finish. The overhead panels operate on a handleless design, adding a smooth, flush, and contemporary aesthetic to the upper strip of the kitchen. Underneath, the base cabinets feature sleek angular chrome handles which add a clean and contemporary accent to the kitchen.

Featureful Living

Beneath the new 30mm Cararra Gold quartz benchtop, a range of unique kitchen amenities are tucked away. While they may seem like simple cabinets at first glance, the units in fact sport a variety of hidden solutions. The corner unit is a two-tiered revolving carousel featuring ample room for pots, bowls, and trays. Beside the stovetop, a convenient double-bin drawer rests along soft-close slides, providing generous room for waste disposal without the sight and smell. Also present is a pullout bottle rack, which adds liberal storage for cooking ingredients without having to walk across the room.

An Enhanced Bathroom Experience

As with the kitchen work, BoxMakers also performed significant work on the bathroom, replacing the tile shower base, shower glass, and handling tile installation across multiple rooms. In addition to this, we also undertook electrical, carpentry, and plumbing work. A range of new fittings were also installed, such as toilets, bathtubs, and vanities, their selection carefully curated by the owner. The backlit LED mirrors provided a futuristic touch to the vanities. These renewed bathrooms sported superior watertightness, functionality, and overall polish.

We are proud to have finished work on a highly capable kitchen and bathroom renovation to create something that is more than what meets the eye. The refreshing aesthetics and featureful inclusions are sure to carry this home well into the future.

August 14, 2025
Designed for Watching, Built for Living: The 4.3m TV Cabinet That Doubles as a Library Wall

Rethinking the TV Wall in a Renovation

In most renovations, the TV wall ends up as an afterthought. A screen, a tangle of wires, and maybe a floating shelf. But when we were asked to design this 4.3-metre-long cabinet, we saw an opportunity to create something far more considered, a piece that anchors the room, balances form and function, and quietly elevates the everyday.

The Cabinet That Does It All

The idea was to create a feature wall that didn’t shout. Horizontal lines draw the eye across the room, making the space feel wider and calmer. Integrated lighting interacts with the surface throughout the day, creating movement and warmth. With no handles and barely visible joins, the shelving appears seamless, a quiet, intentional rhythm that holds both books and screen without either dominating.

Designed for Daily Life

We set the TV height precisely to match seated eye level from the sofa, an ergonomic detail that makes a surprising difference. The bookshelves soften the visual presence of the screen and turn the wall into more than just a place for tech. It becomes part of how the family lives, reads, and relaxes.

Material That Tells a Story

To edge the cabinet, we used recycled native New Zealand timber, chosen for its character, sustainability, and connection to place. It gives the piece warmth and story without demanding attention. Combined with invisible joinery and a matte finish, the cabinet feels built in, not added on.

A Renovator’s Perspective

If you’re renovating, this kind of detail matters. Planning cabinetry early allows you to consider sightlines, storage types, lighting effects, and proportions. A well-designed TV wall won’t just hold your screen — it shapes how you feel in the room.

Planning a renovation? We design and build integrated cabinetry that transforms spaces from cluttered to considered.

Book a free design consult here.

August 5, 2025
A Reimagined Island Getaway

In a trip across the Hauraki Gulf, our BoxMakers team was called to renovate a beautifully situated residence on the southwestern tip of Waiheke Island. We were adamant on delivering a product that could not only compliment, but elevate the stunning views of the island’s flora.

The project called for extensive cabinetry and joinery work across multiple rooms, including the fireplace, laundry, office, and more. Our work in the living room featured a TV unit made of stained American Oak panels and cabinetry, which sported concealable asymmetrical shelving and large sliding panels, which part to reveal space for a genuinely enormous television. Situated above a modern fireplace, extensive care was taken to ensure the longevity of both the woodwork and the items they housed.

For the office, BoxMakers delivered high quality, height-matching cabinets complete with finger pull-handles and soft-close drawers. Subtle LED accent lighting was applied to the overhead units, providing an elegant touch of light that accentuates the cabinetwork. Similar work was applied to the full-height entrance storage units, which featured a diverse range of joinery work, offering everything from shelves, to drawers, to sitting spots. The L-profile handles and warm white toe-kick LED lighting adds both convenience and accessibility while matching the home aesthetic.

The master ensuite also featured a wide range of cabinetry work, featuring floating drawers in black stained oak, tastefully contrasting the eggshell walls while preserving the natural yet modern tone of the home. The soft-close drawer systems minimise noise disruption when opening and closing, especially during times of peace and quiet. Also receiving an upgrade was the laundry room, which was renovated with premium birch plywood and a wide array of drawers and cabinets, eliminating any storage issues. The cabinetry was made to perfectly accommodate the two laundry units, serving as a prime example of space efficiency.

With splendid views overseeing Te Wharau Bay as well as vast stretches of the lush Waiheke greenery, BoxMakers elevated the residence with complementary natural colours and extensive functionality, making the home a luxurious getaway with plenty of room to grow.

July 31, 2025
Flat-pack or Custom: Which Cabinetry Option Suits You Better?

When outfitting your kitchen with a suite of new and shiny equipment, the choice between flat-pack or custom cabinets can be especially tough. The opportunity for renovation doesn’t come often, and you’re deciding on what you’ll be swinging open for the foreseeable future.

Price: In preparing for a renovation, you’ve probably spied some of these modestly-priced cabinets in home improvement stores, weighing the savings against a set of custom cabinets, and that much is undeniable; flat-pack units are produced with the goal of providing serviceable, low-cost units. Additionally, more cost can be saved if you choose to fit the unit yourself, saving yourself valuable installation fees. Custom cabinetry, on the other hand, is pricier, with installation included as part of the service but can very well be worth it.

Quality: In comparing quality between ready-to-assemble cabinets versus a custom job, it comes as no surprise that the latter scores a decisive victory. Flat-packs are reliable for the most part, but are commonly manufactured with materials such as particle board, which is vulnerable to moisture and can prove difficult to repair. With custom cabinetry, you’ll often see premium wood and long-lasting materials. The premium you pay for custom includes the service and expertise of professionals, ensuring perfect installation and compatibility, in contrast to flat-packs; where further work is required if the dimensions or accommodations are off.

Identity: Flat-pack cabinets are designed to accommodate a wide variety of homes, offering a degree of versatility, but this also means they aren’t perfect for any one in particular. Catering to a broad variety of homeowners comes with compromises in identity. Custom cabinet services consider your kitchen as a whole, and tailor their work to you and your home specifically, providing a solution that compliments and elevates your kitchen, while also contributing to your home’s value.

If you’re handy with a toolbox, flat-packs can give you a set of new cabinets the same day you get home from the shop. There’s no doubt that the savings and convenience can be highly appealing, but when it comes to kitchen cabinetry, you certainly get what you pay for. It all comes down to your budget and vision for your kitchen.

Resources

July 18, 2025