Softness & Strength in a School Kitchen

We had the opportunity to do up a fresh new kitchen for this historic North Shore school and of course, we didn’t pass it up! With an old, worn, and crooked kitchen, BoxMakers were brought in to thoroughly reinvigorate the space!

Notably in a state of disrepair, the panels were falling apart and well chafed. Our aim was to refit the entire kitchen with brand new materials while staying faithful to the original’s layout. After a careful strip-out and removal phase, we installed all the components we had meticulously ordered and assembled.

A key constant of this endeavour was the use of two different benchtop materials. We worked with Classic Stainless Steel for their prowess in their namesake. Featuring an anti-spill edge, upstand, and a weld-in sink, their stainless-steel benchtop is sure to handle any abuse thrown at it. Paired with the heavenly breeziness of Laminex’s Pietra Cloud Natural, we see both strong and soft appearances, yet both are incredibly durable.

Over our sturdy MDF cabinet bodies, we also collaborated with the school for its Southern Oak face panels from Bestwood – a rich and detailed selection with a thoroughly convincing natural appearance. We also used Compac Panels’ Slate in TruMatte for the side panels and toe-kick, bringing together a harmonious trifecta of complementary colours.

Knowing well the passion students have for intensive cooking, we fitted quality Häfele soft-close runners and sturdy Fit NZ hinges to our cabinets, including lock and key systems. Reflecting the benchtop, we installed stainless steel bar handles from Mardeco.

A crucial part of this renovation was the replacement of two floor panels due to damage, accompanied by the rerouting of the hot water system pipes so that they can be hidden within the wall.

BoxMakers have finished a splendidly polished kitchen for this North Shore school, with quality, durable benchtops in a union of supporting tones.