Among our more modest kitchen upgrades, our BoxMakers renovation in Bucklands Beach saw the addition of several cabinets and drawers. These included new internals such as hinges and runners, to improve the overall look and operation of the kitchen.
New Centre Cabinetry
The bulk of our work involved the centre cabinet collection, which required more room to accommodate a fridge, as well as new appliances. BoxMakers carefully designed a new set of cabinets around the central need of having fridge housing. This resulted in a distinct three-stage layout, featuring (from left to right) the appliance column, refrigerator, and pantry.
Fresh Panels & Appliances
Our panel selection came in Quarter Thorndon Cream from Prime Panels: a slick melamine on MDF combination that serves as a fitting partner for the fridge’s glossy cool white. Starting from the left, the unit features a dual-drawer layout with an overhead cabinet. The oven was also replaced, which came in Bosch’s 8 Series.
Central to the unit is the fridge housing, which offers large enough dimensions to accommodate a variety of modern refrigerators. Overhead is a horizontal cubby, perfect for storing kitchen rolls and coffee capsules.
Premium Pantry Unit Hardware
On the right is where the bulk of the cabinetry rests. Featuring a double door pantry with Häfele hinges and 4 tiers of shelving, it offers accommodations for all sorts of groceries and sundries. Below rests a triple assortment of drawers, carefully put together with Häfele’s Luxe handles. Their drawer system also features for silky smooth handling and a flush, handleless exterior. This new cabinet unit interacts exceptionally well under the existing skylight. It soaks in natural light to make rummaging a breeze.
BoxMakers are confident that this new unit provides excellent appliance accommodations without sacrificing storage space, thanks to our efficient design and smart use of internal hardware.
With New Zealand’s reputation as one of the foremost countries for sustainability and environmental awareness, making your cabinets from eco-friendly materials can help play your part in keeping this country green. While wood and its products are quintessential across joinery, there are many ways to help make a difference.
Bamboo
Having risen in popularity over recent decades, engineered bamboo is fast becoming a top choice as a sustainable wood replacement. Technically a grass, bamboo is fast-growing and easily regenerative. Making appearances as cabinetry, decking, and even benchtops, bamboo is not only versatile, but also highly durable thanks to its multiple laminated layers of strips. The downsides are its higher cost and need for sealing. Also, exposure to sunlight and heat, plus natural aging can cause its colour to change over time.
Reclaimed Wood
Salvaged and reused without breaking it down, reclaimed wood is often claimed from old structures and repurposed. It’s used more or less in its original form, which comes with numerous benefits. These include keeping its original looks, retaining its natural patina, and inheriting the history carried by the piece. When it comes to sustainability, few options can come close: reclaimed wood is simply reusing what already exists, rather than consuming energy to create something new. For making something with a certain rustic charm while championing the environment, there’s no better option.
Low-VOC finishes
With many wood products in need of sealing for proper waterproofing and sustained durability, choosing a finish with low-VOC is an eco-friendly alternative. VOC stands for Volatile Organic Compounds, which create pungent-smelling finishes that release more harmful chemicals. Low-VOC or no-VOC finishes (paints, varnishes, sealants) often use a water base for reduced odour and fumes. The downsides of low-VOC are that they usually cost more and the application may not be as smooth.
Transport Emissions
Since New Zealand is not the only country actively pursuing environmentally friendly products, many international names offer sustainable materials created through eco-friendly processes. While they may offer production advantages compared to local materials, you should also consider the cost of transportation – not in terms of the shipping fee, but with the emissions and carbon footprint produced. Consider locally-made materials to keep emissions down. Even non-biodegradable materials such as MDF offer improved sustainability vs hardwood and are produced with increasingly sustainable methods.
Eco-Friendly Hardware
Even when accessorising your cabinets, there are environmentally friendly options. When picking your handles, for example, you can choose those made with reclaimed wood or recycled metals. Bamboo is again a good choice here. If it’s ornamentation you’re after, you’d be surprised with what you can find in local flea markets and op shops. Lastly, since modern kitchens are all about lighting, going with LEDs is more energy efficient, reducing both costs and extending its lifespan.
There are many ways to source environmentally-sound cabinetry, with the best methods being choosing bamboo and reclaimed materials. For sealants and paint, choosing low-VOC solutions is great for a less invasive option. Whether you’re looking to build new cabinets or accessorise the ones you have, there are always options to help the planet and look good while doing so.
For our very special homes in Mt Albert, BoxMakers worked hard to create specially tailored, form-fitting, high-performance kitchens. Our work in Lot 2 was aimed at answering a typical family’s requirements in a sleek and functional solution.
The layout took the form of a slim L-shaped design with an island. This arrangement allowed for practical intensive cooking sessions with all major working areas mere steps away from each other. This also gives extra room for family convening and dining. We built the main kitchen area with two distinct depths. The outer cabinetry is distinguished by its Melteca Storm Pearl finish, which blends the lines between brown and dark blue, and inner cabinetry came in simple white melamine. We recessed the white overhead the bench, matching the vein-streaked splashback and icy white benchtop.
Modern minimalism is the name of the game for kitchen style. Featuring handleless cabinets and stainless-steel fixtures, this kitchen prides itself on smooth lines and accessible function. This was achievable thanks to Fit NZ’s push-to-open mechanisms and Häfele’s Luxe hidden handles. Every cabinet from the VIBO bottle organiser, to the corner cabinet and Tanova pull-out bin offered handleless operation.
With numerous LEDs, power points, and stainless-steel appliances, this modern and effective kitchen sports a stylish triple-colour combo. The suspended pendant light adds further aesthetic character with its unique double helix design. Its intertwining nature provides both ambient and local lighting.
This kitchen offers the full experience while presenting it in a sleek, minimalist package, combining all with instantaneous access to the dining and living rooms.
While having a beautiful, attractive, and aesthetically refined kitchen is of course important, looks can often overshadow performance, which is becoming increasingly relevant in today’s bustling modern household. Often playing second fiddle to outward appearances, the practicality of a kitchen entirely affects its usability. If appliances are the beating heart of a kitchen, then ergonomics are the circulatory system. Find out the science behind fine-tuning a kitchen, and why you should apply it.
Layout
Within a kitchen, you’ll often find yourself bouncing between the three main working areas: the sink, cooktop, and fridge. This trifecta of pivotal roles forms the foundation of kitchen design and make up the aptly named “kitchen work triangle”. Make sure these spaces are 1.2 to 2.4 metres apart, with 4 to 8 metres as the total perimeter, without any other work paths infringing on its space.
This triangle cuts down transition time drastically, while also ensuring that the space is free from any obstructions. As for entry, make sure you don’t have to walk the length of the kitchen just to enter it. This can be a problem with G-shaped kitchens if the entry isn’t positioned conveniently.
Height
In the age of increasing heights and diversifying demographics, it can be rare to feel a perfect fit with a new kitchen. Since most benchtops aren’t adjustable like desks, taking some time to get it right can save you from a lot of backache. The typical working benchtop height is between 85 to 95 cm. See what’s suitable for your height below:
150cm – 160cm = an 84cm high benchtop
160cm – 170cm = an 88cm high benchtop
170cm – 180cm = a 92cm high benchtop
180cm – 190cm = a 96cm high benchtop
A good rule of thumb is to put your palms flat on your benchtop and see if your elbows are resting at a 45-degree angle with your forearms. If so, then that height is a good fit. For placing shelves, keep them around 45-60 cm above the benchtop, or 65 cm above the cooktop, with essential shelves no more than 1.4 m off the floor. Proper shelving balances working space, accessibility, and cooktop clearance.
Drawer Opening
It can be finicky having multiple drawers open, especially when going back and forth, bumping around the kitchen. At the same time, pushing them shut brings noise and possible damage. Consider self-close drawer slides to make closing worry-free, or soft-close systems, which dampen sound and minimise impact – all with just a gentle push.
For lift-up cabinets, look for those with a stay-open mechanism so that you can retrieve goods with both hands. You can use the drawer size to sort goods: shallow drawers for cutlery, medium drawers for bowls, and deep drawers for pots and containers.
Convenience Mapping
Unless you want to treat cooking like a marathon, aim at minimising the amount of movement needed to retrieve any and all goods. This includes your whiteware, appliances, and cooking tools. For example, keep your pans right by your cooktop at waist or shoulder height, keep your tableware cabinets next to your dishwasher, and avoid tucking away your favourites in bottom cabinet corners – your back will thank you for it.
Having smart storage solutions can be a lifesaver in this instance: base cabinet pull-outs can provide easy access to pantry goods, while pull-out bins make short work of disposal with none of the smell. Consider putting your cabinet corner to work with a carousel unit for further space efficiency.
Safety
When working around all sorts of sharp objects and hot surfaces, getting hurt is the last thing anyone wants. In addition to having drawers & doors closed, sound footing is also important. Check just how “non-slip” your flooring actually is, and how it works with footwear and socks.
For nighttime working, consider installing task lighting such as under-cabinet LEDs for a focused work area. Toe kick illumination can be especially useful when left on after lights-off, providing you and your family with a guide and saving many a pinkie toe from those pesky stubs.
Focusing on form over function is understandably popular, but it’s best to get a measure of your kitchen’s usability. While the effects of aesthetics are apparent immediately and fully, the effects of layout, height, and operability are often not discovered until later. Building your dream kitchen is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many, and getting it right is just as important as ever. Make sure you get the ergonomics you want and find the balance that’s just right for you.
One of the staples of modern minimalism, the handleless trend is undoubtedly an ideal option for achieving the cleanest look possible. With so much noise and complexity in the world, coming home to a smooth and simple kitchen can bring a much-needed reprieve.
Aesthetics
With a surge in popularity over the past two decades, modern handleless cabinetry is often found playing leading roles in minimalist kitchens around the world. They’re a great partner for any type of cabinet finish, but with a tendency to work better with glossy, single-colour panels rather than rustic hardwood or overly detailed patterns. Shiny or reflective cabinets can benefit from having nothing that interrupts the flow.
Handleless cabinets are an ideal partner for melamine, vinyl, and subtle veneers. They’re also great for redirecting attention, drawing eyes to the material itself, nearby prized pieces like a benchtop or display shelf, and enriching their colours. Without a handle, the panels can achieve an extremely flush look, with the bare minimum of gaps to discern between cabinets. While the physical space handles take up is minimal, you’d be surprised by how much visual clutter can be freed by a handleless design.
Practicality
The absence of handles is also the most magical part of these cabinets. In the kitchen, you will often extrusion profile handles being used. These aluminium handles are fitted over the top or side of a panel to create a recessed well in which you can grip and pull, often resembling the letters G, L, and U. J-pull handles work similarly, but instead feature the groove cut directly into the panel material itself. Another mechanism is push-to-open, which operates exactly as it sounds.
Even without noticeable handles, these panels are easy and intuitive to operate. It may seem hard to identify the grip location and opening direction, but these will come incredibly quickly and easily. Bereft of handles, you can also shed any worries of catching your clothes or bumping your hand.
Maintenance
Perhaps the best part of maintaining handleless cabinets, the surfaces are easy to clean with nothing in the way. They also don’t smudge as much due to where you grip them. Opening recessed handles only requires force from inside the groove, which means you can open it without ever leaving a fingerprint. That being said, the grooves themselves still need occasional cleaning. Horizontal designs should be cleaned more often than vertical or upside-down arrangements since they can collect debris easier.
Gentle cleaning with mild soap is perfect for keeping long term longevity of your handles. As far as durability is concerned, aluminium extrusion handles have next to nothing to worry about. Their recessed nature makes accidental damage next to impossible. For panels with recesses built into the cabinet material itself, harsh use can damage it over time, especially if cuts in the finish are left undiscovered, weakening the substrate.
With great aesthetics and easy maintenance, handleless cabinetry is a top choice for modern households. They can enhance kitchens, bathrooms, and living spaces alike, drawing or refocusing attention to different parts of your home. While they typically fetch a higher price than traditional handles, the upsides can be well worth it if you’re looking for a minimalist change. If you’ve been hooked by the Scandinavian, Japandi, or modern minimalist styles, look no further!
As part of a larger home renovation, this special Glenfield residence called for a kitchen to match. Citing aging hardware with mismatched appliances for their needs, the owner was keen to see a full BoxMakers makeover.
Surrounded by Features
Being the home’s pièce de resistance, special attention was paid to crafting this brilliant modern kitchen. Sporting a G-shape layout, this kitchen offers nearly 360 degrees of functionality, with an incredible amount of modern hardware and cabinetry, all with a perfectly positioned entry point for convenient access to the rest of the home.
The colours and themes revolved around the existing timber ceiling, which offered rich orange hues. To complement this, we chose a light colour palette across the board. The MDF cabinetry proudly features a light and breezy combination of Spanish White Velvet and Bleached Maple Woodgrain finishes from Prime Panels. We collaborated with Stone Space for a beautiful benchtop cut of Calacatta Bianco engineered stone, swimming with delicate flashes of gold and grey. When sunlight hits the room, the kitchen is positively glowing!
Advanced Appliances
New appliances were a core component of this upgrade. With ambitious levels of cooking in mind, we installed a 500-Series Induction Cooktop from Haier and FOTILE’s EMG-Series rangehood. Both are incredibly capable choices with a sleek, modern design chosen for their powerful ability to tackle the most complex of meals. Likewise, the Omison sink, Domenic Tap, FOTILE oven, and Bosch dishwasher were all versatile options. It even features an InSinkErator food disposal system, completing this comprehensive suite of fixtures and appliances.
Brilliant New Hardware
Behind the panels, you can find an abundance of kitchen hardware. Fit’s Tanova hidden bins and Duplo corner unit go hand in hand with Häfele’s pull-out set. Combined with BoxMakers’ abundantly positioned cabinets, the owner would want for nothing when it comes to storage space. Fleshed out with stunning LEDs, handles, and Häfele’s silky smooth drawer systems, every aspect of this kitchen is made for the modern power user.
Often notorious for being the most expensive amongst interior work, pricing a kitchen renovation can be a scary process, especially if your ambition outpaces your budget. This was the case for many decades, where it was only possible to get high-end looks with high-end spending – but no longer. Getting a film-worthy kitchen is more viable than ever.
Attaining a pricey-looking kitchen for cheap is all about distributing your budget. For a typical kitchen, you should put an emphasis on visuals. Walk through your kitchen as though it were an open home – what do you first see? The elements that take up the most visual real estate are the cabinetry and benchtop, then the lighting and splashback. A premium-looking kitchen revolves around aesthetic investment. This also works incredibly well for boosting your home value.
Here are some tips for the most essential parts of a kitchen:
Benchtop
Getting the look and feel of genuine imported Italian marble used to be a costly endeavour. With engineered stone, you get superior durability and usability while accurately replicating the mesmerising tones and intricate weaves of Calacatta or Statuario – all for a fraction of the price.
Cabinetry
Consistence and modernity are key to making your cabinets punch above their weight class. MDF is a reliable core material, and can support an incredible range of surfaces from realistic veneers to glossy laminates. It can be an affordable combination for shiny cabinets in your colour of choice.
Lighting
Often overlooked as an optional kitchen accessory, good lighting can practically transform your kitchen. Pendant lights, under-cabinet lights, and toe-kick lights can seriously give the impression of a premium kitchen while adding practicality. Even a handful of select, budget-friendly options can make a big difference.
Splashback
While acrylic splashbacks may be the most affordable, they may not pass the eye test when under scrutiny. Tile splashbacks provide a genuine look and feel with plenty of affordable options. Both offer high variety in terms of looks but tiles will hold up better over time.
Layout
The flow of a kitchen is essential to a “luxury” feel. Openness is king in the modern landscape. Layout changes, however, can be an unnecessary expense as it requires more work in design and service connections. You should consider a layout change if your kitchen feels obstructed. A good kitchen should never feel difficult to enter.
Hardware
Complete your kitchen with finishing touches. Among kitchen hardware, handles are the most visually prominent. They can be subtle, eye-catching, or anything in between – even budget handles offer premium aesthetics nowadays. Tactilely, soft-close mechanism can make cabinet operation feel premium, and in-cabinet storage solutions provide practical packing – their value is seen through daily use.
Appliances
Pick mid-range appliances from known brands. Don’t be upsold on rarely-used features offered by their flagship range. Realistically, their mid-tier offerings have a more than ample feature set for day-to-day use.
Luxury doesn’t have to be replicated through cost alone. Through careful selection and thoughtful planning, you can achieve the look of kitchens many times your budget while still having incredible performance.
This recently completed Sandringham kitchen renovation transforms a compact second-storey space into a sleek, modern hub designed for both style and functionality. The homeowner’s vision called for a striking Kombu green and stainless steel colour palette, paired with an array of smart kitchen storage solutions, and BoxMakers delivered every detail with precision.
Packed with Storage Solution
Overlooking the scenic suburbs of Sandringham, this modern kitchen combines clever design with practical storage. The base cabinets feature a Kesseboehmer dual-level pull-out set and Tanova Simplex dual pull-out bins, keeping daily essentials organised and easily accessible. Häfele extrusion handles and drawer runners were selected for a clean, professional finish that complements the kitchen’s contemporary look.
A standout feature of this project is the custom fridge-side cabinet, designed to match the height of the fridge enclosure. This tall pantry unit includes a combination of open shelves, mid-size drawers, and large handled drawers — 2 of each — using Harn Ritma drawer kits supplied by Fit NZ. This design allows for multiple storage options in a convenient, central location, perfect for everyday kitchen use.
Colour palette & Design intentions
The kitchen’s Melteca Green Slate Pearl cabinetry is paired with a stainless-steel benchtop from Classic Stainless, measuring 25mm in thickness. Rare in contemporary kitchens, this professional-grade benchtop offers heat resistance, durability, and hygienic performance while adding a sleek, industrial touch that complements the two-tone design.
With its combination of bold colours, intelligent storage solutions, and professional-grade materials, this modern Sandringham kitchen balances aesthetic appeal with unmatched functionality. It’s a space designed for the ambitious household chef — stylish, efficient, and built to last.
Running out of kitchen space is a familiar feeling for most homeowners: whether it’s crammed cupboards or a crowded benchtop, no one likes to see a kitchen littered with pots, cans, and groceries.
At BoxMakers, we’ve continually stayed on top of every new development in the kitchen storage space. In decades past, solutions such as pull-out pantries were expensive to implement and often featured a tedious amount of custom design work. Nowadays, storage systems can be installed in every corner of your kitchen, with incredible performance and affordability.
Tiered Corner Unit
We all know about awkward kitchen corners and especially how easy it is to get lost in there, knocking down bottles and pans. Thankfully, there are numerous solutions purpose-built for tacking the corner problem. As featured in our Remuera kitchen renovation, tiered corner units can be used to double the amount of practical space, with operation that brings forth everything that’s tucked away. For that, Fit NZ’s Giamo Magic Corner Unit made an appearance.
Pull-out pantry
Full-size pull-out pantries function similarly to a fridge, but feature intricate rail and extension systems that brings everything towards you upon opening. Our Murray’s Bay renovation featured this to address storage concerns. With Kesseböhmer’s Tandem Arena unit, BoxMakers are confident that those storage woes are thoroughly assuaged.
Pull-out Bins
Sight and smell are your worst enemies when it comes to chucking away kitchen waste. Under-bench pull-out bins are perfect for tucking away all those unpleasantries, and they come in all shapes and sizes. BoxMakers have been frequently impressed with Fit NZ’s Tanova series, which we recently used in our Sandringham project.
Under-bench Units
Make every inch count with an under-bench pantry unit. With different sizes to accommodate spices, bottles, and everyday groceries, these convenient units typically come in 1 or 2 tiers. Our Mount Roskill kitchen renovation featured a Sige Infinity Pullout Bottle Rack, supplied by Enko, which was perfect for complementing kitchen storage.
Lazy Susan Corner Unit
Another smart corner addition is the Lazy Susan style of storage units. Also known as carousels, these corner units feature rotational operation to ensure easy access, regardless of where your goods are. Supplied by Häfele, Kesseböhmer’s Revo 90° corner unit is a great example of this, and we recently used in our Mt Roskill project.
Storage solutions aren’t limited to the above either – new innovations are always being developed and BoxMakers are here to make sure that your kitchen has the perfect space-saving solutions tailored just for you.
For this kitchen renovation in Murray’s Bay, the end result is completely unrecognisable! Having inherited mediterranean influences, the home featured several indoor archways in both the kitchen and living spaces, but was long due for an overhaul.
Signs Calling For Renovation
The primary reason for renovation was aging hardware – in both style and performance. It was clear that the walls and floors were in rough shape from decades of use, and the open shelf cupboards were practically bursting at the seams. Citing clutter and wear, the client called for a modern, clean, and practical kitchen. One of the most notable changes required was the removal of the mediterranean brick-style arch that doubled as the kitchen entryway. This provided a seamless connection to the neighbouring room and allowed for an extra end of the kitchen bench to be usable.
Storage-oriented Kitchen
BoxMakers chose to keep the same U-shape layout as it was still a highly efficient way of arranging the kitchen and maximising space. This allowed for the easy connection of new appliances, such as the rangehood and cooktop. We noted that the original kitchen suffered most from a dearth of storage space, which shaped our decision to create a storage-oriented kitchen. This, of course, called for an abundant supply of cabinetry, including numerous floor-to-ceiling units.
The cabinets were MDF, finished in white melamine – a theme that was kept consistent across the entire kitchen. In place of the open cupboards, BoxMakers installed a full-height shelf unit covered by an elegant bifold door solution. Perpendicular to it, the fan favourite Kesseböhmer Tandem pantry unit made an appearance, right beside the fridge. Allowing for a gargantuan level of storage, the unit is complemented by additional cabinets and drawers.
Design and Materials
The benchtop was decided in close collaboration with the owner – Uniquartz’s Calacatta Grigio, a grey-based cut of engineered stone. It features a striking arrangement of stoney colours from marble white to dark slate. The patten is notable for resembling rippling waves against a temperamental backdrop of achromatic lightning – a particularly detailed piece evocative of the stormy Mediterranean Sea, which ties in perfectly with the home’s original style and the iconic Italian Carrara marble from which Calacatta Grigio is inspired by.
In keeping with the clean, modern aesthetic, Mardeco’s extrusion handles were selected, finished in simple white. These allowed for handleless designs across almost the entire kitchen, completing its unobtrusive appearance. Below the bench, Artia supplied the Italian-made Sige pull-out corner unit, while Häfele supplied the Kesseboehmer base pull-out set. For the appliances, the owner chose Asko, another European brand. This extended to the dishwasher, oven, and cooktop.
BoxMakers delivered on a highly capable modern kitchen that featured an incredible variety of storage solutions that is capable of sorting out any level of clutter. In close direction with the owner, we were able to install purpose-built drawers to contain what they wanted, where they wanted. While it may look like a simple modern kitchen at a glance, the renovation is packed with advanced storage solutions throughout, carefully interwoven with European influences.
