Tag: Modern kitchen

5 Forms of Kitchen Lighting and How They Enhance Your Space
It comes as no surprise that the kitchen sports incredible potential for diverse lighting arrangements. Often the centrepiece of one’s home, it’s vital to get the right lighting setup if you want to make the most of your kitchen.
Each piece contributes to layered lighting through a trinity of purposes: ambient, task, and accent. Ambient lighting provides general light, task lighting provides more focused light for particular roles, while accent lighting highlights details and adds drama. Here are five popular kitchen lighting fixtures, and how they contribute to your kitchen.
Pendant Lights
Typically hung over islands or dining areas, pendant lights provide both accent and task lighting. Perhaps the most eye-catching form of kitchen lighting as the focus isn’t just the light itself but the fixture in which they reside. They can come in any form: from simple bulbs and globes to intricate crystal arrangements and stylised clusters that are more akin to chandeliers.
Toe-Kick Lights
Installed at the base of cabinets, toe kick lights highlight the profile of your cabinets and provide nuanced illumination in dark environments. An elegant form of accent lighting, it provides a subtle complement of light that doubles as a navigational aid while also adding drama and complexity to your cabinets.
Under-Cabinet Lights
Mounted just under overhead cabinets, these provide lighting for your benchtops and workspaces – a convenient form of task lighting. Under-cabinet lights are ideal for food preparation work and often work well independent of general ambient lighting. Another effect of this lighting is that is highlights your benchtops and splashback, which is perfect for showing off gorgeous arrangements,
Recessed Lighting
One of the many forms ambient lighting can manifest in a kitchen, recessed lighting resides within the ceiling cavity itself, and offers a flush, uniform look to your ceiling. It pairs well with modern themes and low-ceiling kitchens to provide general illumination for your kitchen. A 3000K colour temperature is typical for a warm and inviting kitchen.
Cabinet Interior
Primarily serving as accent lights within glass cabinets, these inner-cabinet fixtures can come in a surprising number of forms. From LED strips, to puck lights, to mini spotlights and more, this diverse genre of decorative lighting serves perfectly to accentuate and highlight your displays.
Whether you’re after bold new pendant lights or practical and reliable ceiling lights, find the perfect balance between ambient, task, and accent for a smart, layered kitchen.
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October 8, 2025
A Lush Green Sandringham Kitchen Renovation
Major Kitchen Renovation
For this exciting BoxMakers kitchen renovation in Sandringham, our team were called to transform a decades-old space into something modern and fresh. Notably unique about this project is the client’s special vision for their kitchen – with every material, colour, and fixture meticulously curated to bring their idea to life.
BoxMakers are always excited to carry out passion projects, and this one is no different. We know the importance of personally-chosen components as they can mean more than just a colour; it is a unique expression of personality and serves as an extension of one’s character. When the owner’s original kitchen was faced with aging joinery and loss of function, BoxMakers were called upon to carry out their fresh and original vision.
Unique Colour Palette and Materials
The highlight of this new kitchen is the colour scheme, with the cabinetry featuring Melteca’s Green Slate Pearl. It is an elegant hybrid of naturality and modernity – blending the best of both worlds in a revisionist-retro theme. This is exemplified by the plan for a stainless-steel benchtop – a staple of the late 20th century, now revived with modern features and design sensibilities. The stainless-steel theme extends to the Mercer Pressato sink and the Westinghouse fridge, the latter of which sits side by side a full-height pantry unit.
Häfele’s Luxe extrusion handles were also hand-picked by the owner. Their hidden nature allows the green of the cabinetry to be presented with a flush and uniform view. Also present is the Kesseboehmer pull-out set, perfect for oils and bottles. Fit’s drawer kits and pull-out bin were chosen for their smoothness of operation and quality materials.
So how is this project coming along? BoxMakers have recently finished the cabinetry fit-out and have prepared the benchtop template. Our next step is installing the sleek stainless-steel benchtop. We are excited to see this verdant kitchen to completion and can’t wait to see the finished job!
Designer: Mona Simathamchai
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October 3, 2025
Cleverly Concealed Kitchen Conveniences
White Motif and Clean Lines
One of our recent projects in Cockle Bay, this shiny new kitchen was designed around a central white motif in keeping consistency with the rest of the home. This snowy design language extends to almost every corner of the positively glowing kitchen. Designed and crafted by the BoxMakers team, this cooking space exudes confidence and personality.
Aside from the colour uniformity, the Cockle Bay project also features a focus on clean lines and space-efficiency. The island runs parallel to the perfectly flush handleless designs of the main benchtop. This level design extends to the overhead cabinets, whose hidden handles and integrated rangehood provides a sleek, minimalist look. The cabinetry body is made from Prime Panels’ Melamine Embossed MDF range, while the face panels feature Decorpanel’s Matte Snow White.
Aesthetic Yet Practical Cooking Area
The benchtop is 30mm Uniquartz Engineered Stone, finished in Plain White, and the splashback features a delicate arrangement of subway tiles that sport a glossy and grooved texture – built around a modest sliding window. Aesthetically, it adds character and depth to the kitchen while practically, it provides both natural light and ventilation, dispersing cooking smoke and odours. Underlining the overhead cabinets is a subtle stretch of iLLUMAX’s LED lighting, which comes in a warm 3000K temperature.
Storage Highlights
One of the highlights of this kitchen is the large pantry unit, built into what was once a storage closet. It comes complete with a set of 90-degree shelves, three drawers, and a small benchtop to mirror the kitchen. It allows for perfectly concealable and convenient food storage while making the most of the room provided.
Häfele, once again, was our choice for the drawer runners. This time however, we sought to include their Cooking Agent base cabinet as its feature-set aligned perfectly with our vision. Their AGO-vario cutlery trays also proved a convenient addition, and their subtle extrusion handles allowed for a uniform, invisible-grip design. Another base cabinet secret was the dual kitchen bin by FIT’s Tanova line. These features combine to make the kitchen appear as clean and simple as possible, while hiding an exceptionally versatile feature-set.
This Cockle Bay project serves as a great example of BoxMakers’ design philosophies in maximising both practicality and aesthetics by applying innovations in materials, fixtures, and techniques.
Designer: Mona Simathamchai
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September 30, 2025
A Special Scandinavian Kitchen in Mt Albert
Our ongoing work at this Mt Albert home is helping bring to life the owner’s visionary passion project. Envisaging a crystal-clear idea of exactly what they wanted for their family, the owner worked closely with BoxMakers to ensure part of the kitchen and cabinetry was how they dreamt it to be.
Core Philosophy
The core design philosophy behind this project is to create a minimalist, clean, and airy kitchen that feels simply freeing the moment you step in. A simple and light Scandinavian-style kitchen was the goal. The colours were selected to mirror this relieving nature, being a warm beige and gentle white. Melteca’s French Cream was chosen as the primary colour, a decadent tone evocative of elegantly-presented desserts.
Palette and Materials
Prime Panels’ Embossed White fills out the rest of the scene with hints of levity. Beneath the melamine colours, the cabinetry’s core material is a sturdy MDF – a versatile substrate for hosting such a palette. Uniquartz’s Sparkling White makes an appearance as the benchtop’s finish. The textured grey of the engineered stone strikes a perfect midpoint between the cream and white.
For the handles and drawer features, we found Häfele to hit all the right notes for the owner’s vision. Their intricately engineered drawer runners, sides, and faces made storage both satisfying and accommodating. In keeping with a flush, minimalist design, Häfele’s Luxe series were chosen to serve as hidden extrusion handles, hiding away even the slightest amount of visual clutter. The theme continues with Enko’s Vibo Pull-Out Bottle Organiser, and FIT’s Tanova Dual Pull-Out Bin.
Cohesive Entry Way
The centrepiece of the cabinetry, however, is the full-height glass display cabinet, right beside the kitchen. It comes complete with a full set of per-shelf LED lighting, primed for figurine display.
BoxMakers’ work continues on another home in the same complex, with much of the same principles carried over, such as a clean, minimalist design, and a feature-set designed to cater to all generations of a growing family. The project’s tenets of simplicity, durability, and versatility can be seen in both lots, but the former is undeniably something special.
Designer: Mona Simathamchai
👉 Get in touch with us today to book your first free consultation.
September 26, 2025
Engineered Stone Benchtop Trends in New Zealand Kitchens
When it comes to kitchen design in New Zealand, the benchtop often becomes the heart of the space. It’s where meals are prepared, family gathers, and friends linger over coffee. More than just a work surface, a benchtop sets the tone for the kitchen’s look and feel.
Engineered stone benchtops continue to be one of the most popular choices for Kiwi homeowners thanks to their durability, low maintenance, and range of stunning finishes. But within this category, there are plenty of design directions you can take. Here are five engineered stone benchtop trends shaping kitchens across NZ right now:
1. Veined Patterns
The marble-look trend is here to stay. Engineered stone with soft or bold veining offers all the elegance of natural marble without the upkeep. It’s an ideal choice for New Zealand families who want luxury but also need practicality. Whether paired with classic white cabinetry or darker tones, veined surfaces add depth and character that feel timeless.
2. Matte & Honed Finishes
For years, polished high-gloss stone was the go-to. Now, Kiwi homeowners are gravitating toward honed or matte finishes. These surfaces have a softer, more natural texture, reducing glare from sunlight (especially in bright, north-facing Auckland kitchens). The look is contemporary, understated, and pairs beautifully with timber accents.
3. Neutral & Earthy Tones
In line with the wider movement towards calming, nature-inspired interiors, more neutral and earthy engineered stone benchtop colours are being chosen. Warm greys, taupes, and beiges create a softer backdrop that feels inviting and versatile. These tones work particularly well in open-plan NZ homes, where the kitchen flows seamlessly into living and dining areas.
4. Extra-Thin Profiles
Minimalist design has been steadily gaining traction in New Zealand, and benchtops are following suit. Slim profiles, often between 12–20mm, create a sleek, contemporary look that suits European-inspired or modern Kiwi homes. Thinner benchtops are especially effective on kitchen islands, giving them a refined edge that still feels robust.
5. Waterfall Islands
Few design features make as strong a statement as a waterfall island. By continuing the stone down the sides, the kitchen island becomes a true centrepiece. In NZ homes, where the island often doubles as a dining or entertaining hub, this detail makes the space feel cohesive and luxurious. Waterfall islands also highlight the natural beauty of veined engineered stone, turning the benchtop into a feature in its own right.
Engineered stone benchtops in NZ kitchens offer the perfect balance of performance and beauty, which is why they remain a top choice for both new builds and renovations. From timeless veined patterns to modern thin profiles, today’s trends allow you to create a kitchen that’s both practical and striking.
At Boxmakers, we design and build kitchens tailored to the way New Zealanders live, combining craftsmanship, thoughtful design, and quality materials.
If you’re considering a kitchen renovation or new build in Auckland, our team can help you explore the right benchtop choice for your home.
👉 Get in touch with us today to book your first free consultation.
Resources:
https://www.realsimple.com/nkba-2026-kitchen-trends-report-11813491
https://archant.co.nz/blog/articles/5-impressive-benchtop-surfaces-for-2023-and-beyond.html
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https://linkmix.co/44079347
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September 20, 2025
A Subtle Yet Modern Kitchen in Hobsonville
In 2024, we designed a kitchen and wardrobe solution for a new townhouse development in Hobsonville. Given the brand-new nature of the home and surrounding buildings, BoxMakers aimed to deliver a kitchen that not only matched its contemporary counterparts, but exceeded them in terms of performance and efficiency.
Housed on the second floor, we aimed to design and deliver a kitchen that had the key themes of modernity, subtlety, and capacity. With two tall vertical windows on either side of the kitchen, each cooking session is accompanied by tranquil views overlooking the neighbourhood.
Palette and Materials
The kitchen’s primary colour is white, in matching with the interior colour scheme. For the cabinets, we chose a core material of MDF, finished in embossed Prime White by New Zealand’s Prime Panels – a durable and versatile choice. Keeping with the theme of modernity and efficiency, we have selected a range of handles and fixtures that reflect the progressive nature of this home. Mardeco’s Aseda 4024 handles complete the base cabinets. Their Satin Chrome finish effortlessly complements the white surroundings. The overhead cabinets sport a handleless design, which allow for a uniform display of the face panels’ colour.
Completing the white theme is the benchtop, which is a slab of 30mm engineered stone by Uniquartz, finished in White Ice. The subtle texture of the glossy benchtop is matched by a softly patterned splashback featuring light streaks of grey, resembling trails of freshly-trodden snow. Above the kitchen island, a double-edged pendant light provides illumination to both the sink and surrounding area.
Custom Wardrobe
For the wardrobe, BoxMakers provided an expansive solution that featured triple garment rods alongside a quintuple set of cubbies, two of which feature a drawer design using Häfele’s Alto Soft Close runners. The white MDF mirrors the kitchen finish and provides a robust solution to clothing storage.
BoxMakers are proud to have contributed to this lively Hobsonville neighbourhood with a highly capable kitchen and wardrobe. We delivered on our target themes of modernity, subtlety, and capacity – all in a cool, light package.
Designer: Mona Simathamchai
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September 19, 2025
Dazzling Kitchens & Wardrobes for a Howick Townhouse
In 2024, our BoxMakers team was called to deliver unique kitchen & wardrobe solutions for six different units in a Highland Park townhouse development. The project called for a range of modular solutions; each tailored for their specific space in every home.
No Two Kitchen Are The Same
No two homes were exactly the same, and the challenge of tailoring each kitchen exactly was an effort that BoxMakers proudly took on. One consistent element was the colour scheme across the units. Maintaining a glossy white look provided excellent synergy with the white tiled floors. This finish came in the form of Arctic Ice Gloss Plus for the centre residences, and Ultraglaze Alabaster Gloss for the end homes, the latter of which also featured laser-edged sides.
Materials
Classic features such as Häfele handles and drawer runners were implemented across the cabinetry for a smooth and modern experience. Many units also featured handleless designs for a highly flush finish that highlighted the glossy polish. The splashbacks featured a subtly-tiled design with graphics reminiscent of wintery trees, while the kitchen pendant lights resembled a collection of linked crystals, quite evocative of glistening icicles. These designs collaborated seamlessly with the frigidly finished cabinets and pale-patterned benchtops to paint a vivid picture of treading through sparkling snow on a sunny winter morning.
Appliances
The kitchens featured a thorough compliment of Bosch devices, such as the ovens, cooktops, rangehoods, and dishwashers. Within the cabinets, you can also find pull-out bins, and easy-access pantries. This equipped each home with a highly-capable roster of tools for any cooking endeavour.
Wardrobe Work
The BoxMakers team also took great care in planning out the wardrobes. Featuring walk-ins and double-doors, we implemented both variety and capability into each and every one of our creations. A consistent element was our box-shelves, which we always came alongside a selection of soft-close drawers. This provided easy storage for folded garments and accessories, and made deciding on your daily attire a breeze. The firm MDF with a white embossed melamine finish made each unit incredibly sturdy and aesthetically-adherent.
BoxMakers have displayed incredible range in providing visually resplendent solutions across a wide range of homes – treating each with special attention and care.
Designer: Mona Simathamchai
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September 12, 2025
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.
Design intentions
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.
Colour Palette
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.
Center piece – Kitchen Island
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
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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.
Design Intentions
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.
Smart Storage System
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.
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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.
Cabinet Finishes
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.
Appliances and Engineered Stone Benchtop
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.
Storage Solution
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.
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August 28, 2025