Designing clever kitchens

Press, 5 March 1988, Page 16

Designing clever kitchens

Home Line

with I ;

Bill Harrison

This week I I had intended to launch my Boring Bathrooms Awards, butl I have been upstaged by ; Gordon Dryden’s announcement I of the winners of “Trends” 198788 Kitchen Design Awards. j

Christchurch designer, Deane Martin, has been named New Zealand’s Kitchen Designed of the Year and winner |of the top prize, a return trip to the seventh annual Kitchen and Bathroom Industry Show in i Washington, D.C. ' Travel is sponsored by the "Trends” publishers, $lOOO cash is given by the National Kitchen and Bathroom Association of New Zealand, and a “Trends” Designer of the Year Trophy is awarded.

Deane and his wife Geraldine leave on;March 14 to attend the Washington show, and start a sixweek study i tour that will include visits to Boston,

wide range of materials at his command. I

He frankly admits ito using other (people’s special skills to build his kitchen designs. He finds no shortage of skill among the city’s tradespeople. 1 A local metalworker produced the ! special handles required for ‘his winning kitchen > to such high standard; that they were thought; to be (imported. 'LI Deane, very cautiously, confesses to being j an Aucklander, but insists Christchurch ! people should realise the skills in their own community;and stop imagining products built somewhere (else must be better.l j

Personal experience is always the best teacher, Deane says. Designing, buying, and installing a kitchen in the 60-year-old Aikmans Road house that he and Geraldine are renovating provided some of his best lessons. I

‘Personal experience is always j the\ best teacher.’

■ I ! New York,) San Francisco, and Los Angeles. i Deane is a designer in the true j sense |Of the word, having studied apparel design and ‘ trained as a fashion designer in the tailoring trade. After a I brief spell selling men’s) wear, when he enjoyed contact with the public, he; took the opportunity only 18 months ago to use his design skills in the growing kitchen industry. The first six months were an! intensive learning period. Deane frequently ended his working day with a headache as he strove to understand the complexities of cabinetry, and appreciate the

Installing the I sink ; bench precisely level was j achieved by scribing the toe space to the floor. An admiring glance revealed > the horrifying truththe window above had not been installed, with the same level of care. “The hardest decisions to make are those you’re paying for out of your own pocket,” admits Deane. .if

Integrated ; appliances are a key feature, of his winning design, built by Carlsson European Kitchens Limited for Mr Ken and Mrs Meryal Wall as part of the refurbishment of their Christchurch home.

Dean worked on the

design in consultation with Mr Wall, who ■ is an architect. ' Cabinetry in this; quite large kitchen is finished in folkstone grey lacquer, and the bench tops are neutral white Formica. Cooking fumes are removed via the down draft system in the cooktop. I

Entrants for the Kitchen Design Award are required to submit la written summary of the home-owners’ needs, any problems, anad how these were overcome, i

Perspective drawings, as well as plans and elevations, must be presented together; with photographs showing colour co-ordination and styling.

The professionalism of the total kitchen concept is then assessed by a panel of five judges, two people from the Society of Certified Kitchen Designers,l two executives of "Trends,” and an architect. |

l After spending only a brief time with Deane, it’s obvious he’s very much a people! person. He has the ability Ito accurately interpret his clients’ requirements,! and then personalise | a kitchen just for them.

Deane’s message to clients seeking a consultant’s advice is to be honest about their requirements! and to give the consultant as much information as possible, particularly about how much they are prepared to spend. Deane’s success, and

the high standards of the entries for this year’s awards, is indicative of the I success and growing influence of the National Kitchen and Bathroom Association. ‘The formation of the NKBA in New Zealand received a real boost when Ellen Cheever, toulred New Zealand in

1983. At that time Ellen was introducing the Certificate in Kitchen Design to those interested in studying to become qualified kitchen consultants; and designers. Her rapid fire lecture delivery and| depth of knowledge still extends her American in-J fluence over today’s de- t signers.