Kitchen week is notoriously one of the toughest weeks on The Block NZ and for good reason – it's one of the biggest boxes for prospective home buyers to tick. Family dinners, school lunches, leisurely breakfasts and wind down wines - it all happens in this space often dubbed the 'heart of the home'.
Christchurch couple Quinn and Ben took out their first win for the season for their kitchen in House One, thanks to well-chosen appliances, great spatial planning and stunning design choices.
We chatted to the experts at Resene, Samsung, and The Tile Depot about which elements pull a kitchen and dining space together, whether you're building, giving your kitchen a much needed zhuzh or preparing a house to sell.
Warm the cockles of the heart (of the home)
Yellow Team Maree and James almost came first equal this week for their warm, welcoming kitchen, which showed this pair have taken judge Jason Bonham's colour recommendations to heart. They won big points for their bright and welcoming space, especially through their use of soft moss green cabinetry and accompanying gold accents.
Resene Marketing Manager Karen Warman says while all-white kitchens are still common in Kiwi houses, many decorators are looking to add a little more personality and colour into these spaces.
"If more time spent at home and lockdowns has taught us anything, it's that colour and variation provide more joy to most of us than everything being all white," she told Newshub.
"The kitchen is where you will tend to spend a lot of time, especially if you are the main chef in your household. Bright, invigorating colour schemes can boost energy levels when there is a lot of cooking and cleaning to get through."
Warman suggests letting your colours reflect the food-based role of the space.
"Citrus tones are perennial favourites as feature colours in kitchens – from bold orange Resene Adrenalin to greens like Resene Wasabi through to yellows like Resene Turbo. These are most commonly used on kitchen splashbacks and then added through small accessories. Remember to add a new colour in three places in a space to help it belong – like a splashback, a fruit bowl and a kitchen appliance."
Create a sense of calm
If you're someone who finds the kitchen to be a little too chaotic, a neutral colour scheme helps to bring a sense of peace to this busy hub.
Stacey and Adam — our 'masters of neutrals' — were praised by judge Shelly Ferguson for their "beautiful, calm and inviting" kitchen, decorated in soft grey and stone. But both judges did think there was a missed opportunity in using colour and texture.
Warman says these qualities can still be achieved with a neutral scheme.
"For those who prefer a more neutral palette, stained timber using near charcoal wood stains, uber natural colours, blonded and colourwashed finishes with Resene Colorwood is a popular way to bring nature indoors while avoiding the yellow tone that many timbers bring," she says.
These are teamed with a gamut of neutrals from blackened whites through to charcoals, with hues like Resene Black White and Resene Porter. Black has moved to more weathered paint hues and wood stains that allow the grain to show through for a modern yet slightly softer feel."
Make a statement with small
Much like in the family bathroom and ensuites, many of this week's teams opted for exciting tile designs in their kitchens using small tiles as a statement. Chloe and Ben particularly impressed the judges with their hand made Moroccan Bejmat Tiles wrapping around the kitchen bench, which offset their beautifully styled dining area.
Karen Syddall, Head of Design at The Tile Depot, says the lean towards smaller format tiles is a trend they're seeing in a lot of kitchens this year, particularly in kitchen splashbacks which have become "really focused on texture and colour".
She says three tile designs are particularly sought after: finger mosaics also known as "sticks" or kitkat tiles; subway tiles which are often vertically stacked, high gloss and colourful; and handmade-effect tiles, in both square and rectangular formats.
But when it comes to colour choice, let the rest of your kitchen — and indeed, your home — be the guide.
"There is no best colour. It’s entirely dependent on personal tastes and the wider interior design schemes such as the kitchen cabinetry and bench materials — as well as what colours are flowing throughout the home," she says.
Prep your kitchen for Masterchef antics
Like your laundry and bathrooms, kitchens are high wear and tear, moisture-filled areas that need to be prepared for all the kitchen antics you'll throw at them. Pasta sauce gets splashed, things are spilled, dishes are washed… you need a kitchen that can handle the heat (and water, and steam).
Warman recommends using the Resene Kitchen and Bathroom range of paints, which are made with antibacterial silver and MoulDefender to provide extra protection. She advises using Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen and Bathroom on walls, Resene SpaceCote Flat Kitchen and Bathroom on ceilings and Resene Lustacryl Kitchen and Bathroom on trims and cabinetry.
"As kitchens are dominated by cabinetry, benches and the floor, treat these elements as the starting point for your colour scheme. The appearance of colours in the kitchen will depend on the properties and textures of each of the surfaces," she says.
It's also important to get appliances that will last the distance. This week all four teams opted for sleek and state-of-the-art Samsung appliances from the Samsung Family Hub series. Quinn and Ben were praised for their dark stainless steel French door refrigerator, with a sleek flat-door design and inbuilt entertainment system.
Head of Retail for Consumer Electronics at Samsung New Zealand Angus Macmillan says these French door fridges with at least 600L capacity are what they recommend for big families.
"Specifically the Samsung Family hub series not only has a large capacity but also helps shop for groceries, track food expiry dates, get delicious recipes, organise schedules and enjoy seamless entertainment.
"It’s why we call our smart fridge the Family Hub."
If you really want to level up your cooking game, make like this week's winners in House One and install wifi-enabled Dual Cook ovens.
“Samsung's Dual Cook technology gives the option to utilise two separate cooking zones simultaneously for the ultimate cooking flexibility," says Macmillan.
"With these Samsung appliances working seamlessly with the SmartThings app, you can keep track of your smart kitchen appliances from wherever you are."
Eat with your eyes
It's not just on your plate that presentation counts – a good dining area calls for surroundings that accommodate good food and conversation. If the last few years of lockdowns have taught us anything, it's to cherish time spent together as family.
Warman says striking Resene wallpapers and more use of colour is becoming a feature of dining rooms as homeowners make more of these spaces.
"Where once we would have been rushing in the door from work and perhaps rushing back out again, now more families are finding work from home options allowing them time to sit together and enjoy meals — and this is reflected in dining spaces becoming cosier and more personalised," she says.
She recommends enhancing your dining space with Resene Wallpapers.
"If you use your dining space for short periods, you can go brighter and more zany with the design. If you are planning on long dinners with candlelight, it’s best to choose a more subtle or deeper design with a less frenetic pattern."
And don't forget the ambience — Warman says you might need to use multiple light sources to achieve the mood you are after.
"When you’re making darker Resene wallpaper and paint choices remember to review your lighting. Soft lighting will encourage guests to linger longer than harsh or glary lighting."
This article was created for Resene, The Tile Depot and Samsung Electronics.
