Kitchen · Dining · Lighting · Napier, Hawkes Bay

Wood you look at that —Built for the real day

SCOPE‍ ‍LOCATION

Kitchen Renovation Napier, Hawke's Bay

No consent. Costs down. Timeline tight.
Nothing sacrificed that mattered.

——— THE SITUATION

A home they loved.
A kitchen making every day harder.

Two parents. Two growing kids. A mid-century home with good bones and a kitchen that didn't flow. Nowhere obvious for the kids to land after school, no bench space that stayed clear, no place to eat together comfortably. They wanted warmth and connection — without consent delays and without blowing the budget.

——— WHAT WAS IN THE WAY

The laundry was the problem. The opportunity was there — it just needed to be seen.

Oversized and poorly positioned, it was stealing the square meterage that should have been the heart of the home. Removing it without triggering a consent process meant working carefully within the existing footprint. The solution was already there in the floor plan.

——— WHAT CHANGED

The laundry came out.
Connection moved in.

A central dining table became the new anchor of the room. A built-in nook curved to match the cabinetry. The window opened to its maximum size — so the parents can sit with a coffee and watch the kids in the pool without leaving the table. Wood-on-wood tones kept the mid-century character they loved. Storage planned to hold the daily chaos without hiding the fact that a family lives here.

Work with Nichole Davis

Nichole’s background is a rare blend of practical cabinetry design and personality‑filled interior design, with multiple national awards recognising her work in real homes.
She creates spaces that feel like you, work beautifully in everyday life, and support the busy seasons you’re moving through — all guided by her signature F.L.O Method.

——— WHAT LIFE LOOKS LIKE NOW

The kids come home and
there's a place for them.

Dinner happens around a table that fits everyone. The bench stays clearer for longer. On weekend mornings, the parents sit in the nook with a coffee while the kids swim. That's exactly what they asked for. That's exactly what was designed.

Three decisions that
unlocked the whole floor plan

01 — The laundry removal

Repositioning the laundry freed the central space without triggering consent — the highest-value change in the project for zero additional compliance cost. The room the house had been waiting for.
02 — The nook window

Opened to its maximum possible size so the parents can watch the kids in the pool from the table — without moving, without raising their voice. Safety and ease, designed in.
03 — The lighting

Shifts from bright and practical during the day to warm and settled in the evening — so the same room that runs school mornings also holds a relaxed dinner. One kitchen. Two completely different moods.