Eight Trends in Coromandel kitchen and cabinetry design from Kitchen Dynamics

Colin's story didn’t start in kitchens. He wanted to be a farmer but as he says, 'my business-minded parents told me that it would be a long road to farm ownership'. So while farming never came to fruition a pre-apprenticeship course in joinery did. This kickstarted Colin's love of seeing ‘the job finished properly’, and, combined with his business skills saw him establishing Kitchen Dynamics. 

Over the decades Colin and wife Ange have steered the Kitchen Dynamics business from humble beginnings into a thriving enterprise with a solid support team of 16 professionals to enable them to offer design, production and installation services.  Colin and Ange enjoy the connections they have made in the Coromandel community and spend a lot of time in their Cooks Beach home. Their experienced Production Programmer, Cabinet Maker and Installer, Norm Taylor, is permanently based in Cooks Beach and is supported by dedicated design staff who work with Coromandel Peninsula clients.

The Kitchen Dynamics team have worked with clients who either live full-time or have holiday homes on the Coromandel Peninsula. Recently we’ve undertaken kitchen and cabinetry projects in Matarangi, Optio Bay, Whangapoua, Cooks Beach, Hahei, Hot Water Beach, Whitianga and Pauanui. We always encourage our clients to experience the quality of our workmanship first-hand, and in addition to having these completed Coromandel projects available to view, and encourage clients to come and view our comprehensive Waiuku showroom.

Colin Drummond - Owner, Kitchen Dynamics

Colin and Ange believe having great relationships with clients and a thorough planning process makes for the best project outcomes. Their team makes scoping the needs of each client a priority at the start of the design process. Colin is proud that his design team works so closely with individual clients to make the process easy and transparent, and importantly to produce a detailed scope of works. This ultimately results in providing a clear understanding of each individual project and the budget required from the very outset.

We have a genuine commitment to quality and in providing a personalised service for our clients. A key benefit of working with our team is that each project is treated as a collaboration between client and designer, ensuring that individual preferences and requirements are seamlessly integrated into well-crafted cabinetry that use great products, and that our clients love. And of course all of this is backed by our 10 year warranty. 

Ange Drummond - Owner, Kitchen Dynamics

What's trending in Kitchens and Cabinetry

New choices and trends in interior décor styling, products and appliances are regularly available to home and bach owners on the Coromandel Peninsula. 

With a multitude of completed kitchen and cabinetry projects under their belt the Kitchen Dynamics team are experienced in understanding how kitchens work, what materials to use, how to make them practical and aesthetically pleasing for their clients needs. 

With this in mind, the Kitchen Dynamics design team shares their top topics and trends discussed with clients this year.

1. What's trending in New Zealand kitchen design?

Our national Kitchen and Bathroom Design Association (NKBA) recently surveyed all members, including the Kitchen Dynamics team and results showed a growing trend for timber cabinetry over bold colours, even if used as a feature in client’s kitchens with floating shelving, select cabinetry units or island bar-back detailing. As a company we’ve seen a growing trend for clients to use timbers such as Walnut, Oak and Ash in their kitchens, selecting grains and tones that are sympathetic to their home’s architecture, flooring materials and furnishings. Light, pale cabinetry colours will always remain classic, however matte and textured finishes are more popular than gloss.

Porcelain or sintered stone benchtops are definitely growing in popularity over engineered stone for several reasons – heat resistance, stain and scratch proof, non-porosity and UV stability. Fabrication costs for porcelain or sintered benchtops are becoming more economical, as well as client’s growing awareness of supporting low or no-silica benchtop options.

Entertainment kitchens with allowances for guest seating and generous islands remains a key trend in kitchens when space allows. Seamless splashbacks and benchtops help create a spacious and contemporary aesthetic, and when budgets allow, we’re seeing more and more clients incorporate integrated appliances such as dishwashers and fridges.

With client designs in the Coromandel Peninsula often drawing inspiration from the coastal location, this is often achieved through subtle use of colour and materials, sympathetic design elements, and ensuring views and entertaining spaces nearby are incorporated into the kitchen design.

2. What's trending in cabinetry?

Widely recognised as the ‘heart of the home’, our kitchens are always tailored to meet the evolving needs of modern households. Incorporating innovative hardware features that maximise storage efficiencies and workflow within the kitchen area is something that drives our kitchen designers, as well as creating kitchens that reflect both the home’s style and character, and the client’s functional and aesthetic needs.

We’ve seen more textural and visual contrast introduced into our designs in recent times through the use of timber elements, feature cabinetry, sleek and minimal shadow lines, and tactile neutral benchtops with subtle patterns and movement. Designing kitchens that are contemporary in their functionality and style whilst being sympathetic to their surroundings is integral to our team’s design approach. Adding character and focal points through select materials and finishes, whilst ensuring the design is balanced and ergonomically practical are all keys to our design success.   

3. What materials and finishes do you typically recommend to clients?

Hard-wearing and practical materials and finishes for both cabinetry and benchtops are highly valued by our team. Whilst classic products such as melamine cabinetry (low pressure HPL) and laminate benchtops have their place, exploring the use of products such as sintered stone benchtops and acrylic cabinetry ensures our clients beautiful new kitchens are easy to keep clean and free of scratches, fingerprints and stains.

Talking our clients through the merits and considerations of lacquered cabinetry vs thermoform cabinetry if they’re after a profile kitchen is really important as each client’s needs and living situations are different. There are many options when it comes to cabinetry, benchtops and splashbacks – our qualified design team can confidently talk clients through what their options are and what will work best for them. 

4. Flatpack versus bespoke kitchen?  

Kitchen Dynamics is building your cabinetry and Kitchen Dynamics is installing your cabinetry, we’re taking all the hassle and pain away! Our team is customising your design and every individual unit within your kitchen to ensure everything fits perfectly. There are no modules so we can guarantee it’s going to fit. Never underestimate how difficult it can be to put a flat pack together. In many cases a flatpack can end up costing more once install costs and unplanned adjustments have had to be made.

5. Are their new ways clients are incorporating cabinetry into their homes?

We often find clients go through the design process for their kitchen and then realise how easy and stress-free it is to have other areas in their home fitted out with custom cabinetry such as a media Room, home office or entry Areas. To ensure a cohesive look and style throughout your home, as well as taking advantage of cabinetry and benchtop efficiencies, it makes sense to talk with Kitchen Dynamics about areas beyond your kitchen when you engage our design services. There are many hardware options available from our reputable suppliers which mean storage, access and functionality can really be maximised with your new cabinetry.

Creating flexible cabinetry areas is always highly desired, such as a home office area next to or part of a kitchen design with the use of Blum’s locking shelf and Revego pocket doors. Master wardrobes or laundry areas with hanging space, customised shoe storage, hidden ironing boards and pull-out shelves for folding washing – all great cabinetry features that help client’s enjoy their homes with tailored solutions.

6. What challenges do clients commonly face when redesigning their cabinetry?

We see a range of issues that clients face when embarking on a new kitchen project, oftentimes around what layout and style will suit them best, which products and materials to select and knowing the value of what they’d like versus what they can afford. As experienced and qualified Designers, it’s our responsibility to fully understand where our clients are coming from with their needs and wants, budget and timeframes. Helping clients make decisions around materials and associated costs is part of our design process and spending time in our dedicated showroom viewing the options together really helps with these decisions. A comprehensive initial consultation with clients, whether on site or at our showroom means any challenges or concerns are dealt with early on and clients have confidence in their final design.

7. What are the critical things to know before designing a kitchen?

Deciding on your appliances early on in the process is really critical as items such as the fridge and type/number of ovens will dictate how the layout will be designed. Even if you don’t purchase these items up front, knowing the models/codes you’re after is really helpful for your Kitchen Designer. Considering your existing kitchen and what works/doesn’t work is helpful, as well as any key ‘must haves’ such as ‘seating for up to four people’, ability to interact with guests whilst cooking etc.

8. Is it easy to replace or retrofit an existing kitchen?

Our feelings are that the cost of retrofitting a kitchen can be quite expensive and can sometimes give clients a bit of a fright. There is a lot more going backwards and forwards when doing a retro fit vs the kitchen being made in the factory and delivered to site. By the time that you replace doors, drawer fronts, we also like to replace hinges and drawer runners if we are doing a retro fit. Then the benchtop is replaced so you only have the carcases left which is probably the least cost in the kitchen. 

Kitchen Dynamics – design, production to install 

Kitchen Dynamics offers a comprehensive range of services tailored to meet the unique needs of their Coromandel Peninsula clients. From the initial free consultation to the design, production, and installation stage , Kitchen Dynamics offers a ‘one-stop-shop’ for all kitchen and cabinetry needs.

The Kitchen Dynamic team are geared up to be flexible to suit the needs of Coromandel clients. The design team are available to meet on the Coromandel, and some clients have found it more convenient to visit the Auckland workshop as it’s in easy proximity to their permanent home base in the Auckland or Hamilton region. 

In addition to kitchens, Kitchen Dynamics also specialises in cabinetry for various interior spaces, including media rooms, bars, bathrooms, laundries, wardrobes, offices and hobby nooks.

More about Kitchen Dynamics 

Contact Colin, Ange and team to learn more about Kitchen Dynamics via the link below.