Cooking with sunshine

Kitchen ideas from Dish magazine

When Ann Hay was choosing colours for her revamped kitchen, part of a major makeover of her deco-style home in Ngaio, she knew she wanted bold colour, with mustard golds and navy blues, near the top of her list.

“I knew what colours I liked but didn’t know how to put them together.” For help, she turned to designer Katie Peck from Kurio who helped Ann refine her ideas with a Pinterest page that featured a lot of colour combinations and put the finished look together with Resene Thumbs Up and dark cabinetry in charcoal-blue Resene Possessed.

A bold and colourful kitchen

Yellow walls in Resene Thumbs Up with a textured white tile splashback turns a typical kitchen colour palette inside out paired with dramatic cabinetry in Resene Possessed.

“I love these colours,” Ann says. “Initially I was going with a mustard tile splashback and white walls. But I couldn’t find a tile I liked, so we went with mustard yellow painted walls. To me the colours represent warmth, cosiness and happiness. I smile when I look at my kitchen!”

Ann also loves the way the colours add warmth to the natural wood trim areas like her new bench, making it glow.

As well as changing the colour scheme, the kitchen renovation included adding sliding doors to connect the space with the neighbouring living room, painted in lighter grey Resene Trojan, and a butler’s pantry.

“I really wanted a walk-in pantry that I could close off, and be able to keep a relatively clear bench space.”

Top tip: Protect timber flooring with Resene Qristal ClearFloor 1K. This satin finish waterborne urethane is extra durable to handle foot traffic and wear and tear. To add colour and enhance the timber’s natural beauty add Resene Colorwood Enhance to Resene Qristal ClearFloor 1K.

In Ann's words

Describe your cooking style.

Ann: My husband now does most of the cooking, but we are both fairly basic. I am messy and fast. Matt is methodical and slower. As a busy family we resort to quick and easy, which could be a mix of your typical meat and not enough veg, to home-made pizzas or burgers, curries or rice dishes, with some pasta (sorry not homemade) dishes thrown in for good measure. My favourite dishes would include lamb.

What is your favourite part of this kitchen?

Ann: This is a seriously hard question! I love it all. I guess the wooden bench top is pretty special with its unique shape. It creates a focal point and gathering point in the kitchen area.

Which recipe from this issue of dish would you like to cook and why?

Ann: The Classic Tomato Salad. Who doesn’t love fresh, sweet and juicy tomatoes in a salad. Quick and easy to make, and refreshing to eat.

What is your favourite Christmas dish to cook?

Ann: That’s a tie between glazed ham and pavlova.