Kitchen · Bathrooms · Full Home · Bluff Hill, Napier

Coastal Oasis —
slow mornings, light let in

SCOPE LOCATION

Kitchen renovation Ahuriri, Napier

From a home built for busy — to a home built for now.

——— THE SITUATION

The kids had left.
What did they actually want now?

After years built around school runs and busy schedules, this couple finally had space to ask a different question. The answer was slow. Light. The kind of morning where you make coffee and sit with it. A home that welcomed the grandkids on holidays and felt peaceful the rest of the time.

——— WHAT WAS IN THE WAY

Dark rooms. Blocked light. A kitchen that belonged to another decade.

The original layout was chopped up — walls that blocked light, rooms that didn't connect. The home had potential but it was being blocked, literally.

——— WHAT CHANGED

Walls down. Ceiling raised. Light pulled into the heart of the home.

The kitchen was reworked to flow openly into the living space — cooking feels like being part of the room, not apart from it. Materials chosen for warmth and texture: layered timbers, soft tones, a palette that sits comfortably next to the sea without trying to shout about it.

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 slow mornings they wanted are possible now.

Light fills the space from early. The kitchen doesn't feel like a separate task — it's part of the same room where they sit, read, and watch the water. When family comes to stay, the house holds it easily. When it's just the two of them, it's exactly quiet enough.

Three decisions that
made the difference

01 — The walls

Removed to let light and space flow through the home rather than sitting in separate, disconnected rooms. The house exhales now.
02 — The ceiling

Raised to a sloped volume that pulls morning light into the heart of the home — the single change that transformed how every other room felt. Expensive to undo. Worth getting right.
03 — The palette

Layered timbers and soft coastal tones chosen to sit quietly next to the sea — nothing competing, everything settling. Calm on purpose, not by accident.