PlaceMakers kitchen dreams

Michelle and Greg Neville used PlaceMakers for their new kitchen because of a recommendation from their builder, and it couldn’t have turned out any better!

When Michelle and Greg Neville drew up plans for their brand-new kitchen, they weren’t sure who they were going to contract to turn dreams into reality.

Luckily, the couple didn’t have to think very hard before a solution presented itself.

“The builder we used for our house, Millstone Residential, uses PlaceMakers for kitchens, and as PlaceMakers came recommended, we had no issue going down that route.”

While Michelle and Greg designed the kitchen themselves, Greg says they took plenty of inspiration from PlaceMakers.

In-store inspiration

“We had about three or four visits to PlaceMakers Wairau, and, honestly, the hardest part was making up our minds with so many options available! Seeing the display kitchens really helped, as it allowed us to visualise everything.

“We also had a lot of help from Kenneth Calvo, who worked at the Wairau store. He recommended different materials and colours and came up with examples of what we could achieve when we discussed our requirements with him.”

Kenneth was always available to offer advice – at one point guiding the pair away from installing a 50mm benchtop in the scullery (a decision they are glad they made!) – and was always on-hand when required.

“Kenneth was very good. He was our project manager throughout the build and we had an excellent relationship. From time-to-time, we asked his advice, but he always left the final decision up to us and was able to explain how and why certain things may or may not work.”

Blank canvas dreams

Michelle says that starting from a blank slate with a new build allowed them to put together their dream kitchen, and working with PlaceMakers made it easy. In addition to the support from Kenneth, the wide range of products in store – including handles, colours and finishes – was more than enough for Greg and Michelle to pick from, and the availability of stock was good too.

“We learned a lot from the first house we built, which reassured us about what aspects we did and didn’t like. For this kitchen, we wanted clean lines with no drawer or cupboard handles sticking out and we got exactly that.”

Initially the pair had “a few reservations” about the all-white colour scheme, but now they wouldn’t change it for the world. They also picked a “hi-gloss acrylic with laser-edge finish” for the cupboards – another decision they are happy they made! 

“The result is a kitchen that maximises light in the area and is easy to clean with a high-quality appearance. The finish also compliments the stone engineered benchtops as well as the chrome tap fittings and aluminium hardware,” explains Greg.

Greg and Michelle also decided to install a “statement piece” shelving unit, with built-in LED lighting, corrugated paneling in the back and colours that matched the adjacent cupboards
as closely as possible.

High quality from the whole range

Greg says PlaceMakers had what it takes to deliver on their vision.

“The quality of the products provided by PlaceMakers was very good, and they always corrected things when they needed to. We’ve had a finished kitchen for eight months and we wouldn’t change anything. If we did it again, we’d have no hesitation going back to PlaceMakers. People might not think of them as kitchen specialists, but they produce a final product as good as any kitchen specialist.”

While the kitchen wasn’t completely fitted with PlaceMakers appliances, Greg says it wouldn’t have been an issue to do so.

“Regardless of whether we got our oven from PlaceMakers or not, they can supply 100% of the kitchen from sink to hob, oven and the splashback. They really are a one-stop shop. You don’t have to go a kitchen specialist joiner.”