Home of the Year on Campbell Live

TV3's Campbell Live also featured our Home of the Year on Thursday night, reported by Kim Hurring and with footage by Jeremy Toth.

New Zealand's best home architecture chosen - Campbell Live - Video - 3 News

On film: Home of the Year 2012

Welcome to the Home of the Year 2012 by Herbst Architects, filmed by Jeremy Toth (with still photography by Patrick Reynolds) and edited by Dean Foster (clever Renaissance man Dean also composed the music). Congratulations to Lance and Nicola and all our award finalists. Our Home of the Year issue, featuring much more coverage of this home and our four fantastic finalists, is on newsstands from Monday April 2.

And the winner is...

We're delighted to announce that the winner of the Home of the Year 2012 is 'Under Pohutukawa,' a holiday home at Piha by Lance and Nicola Herbst of Herbst Architects. You can see images of this amazing home and the four incredible finalists in the award in our new issue, which will be on newsstands on Monday April 2.

The cover shot was taken by Patrick Reynolds, as was the image of the home below. We've also made a short web film of the home which we'll be uploading soon. Thanks again to our Home of the Year partner, Altherm Window Systems, for their ongoing support of the award.

Design Awards 2012

We're calling for entries for our Design Awards 2012, which close on Tuesday April 17, 2012 at 5pm. 

In the Design Awards 2012 we’re looking for the most exciting new furniture and objects for the home. This includes ceramics, glassware and tableware or any similar item that can be displayed and used in the home. Entries are welcome from established artists and designers as well as newcomers to the field.

Entrants must submit up to five images (from a variety of angles) of the furniture or home objects they have designed, and a 250-word statement about the project and its designers. We’ll also choose a Young Designer of the Year from entrants whose work was completed during a tertiary design course in 2011.

We're honoured to have Christian Rasmussen, creative director for Fritz Hansen, judging the awards this year. He will also be giving an exclusive talk in Auckland this May, in association with HOME New Zealand and Corporate Culture. For details on his talk see our previous post.

Send entries to:
designawards@acpmagazines.co.nz
Mail: Design Awards, HOME New Zealand, ACP Magazines, Private Bag 92512, Wellesley Street, Auckland 1141
Courier: Design Awards, HOME New Zealand, ACP Magazines, 4th floor, 100 Beaumont Street, Westhaven, Auckland

All entries must be received by 5pm, Tuesday April 17, 2012. A judging panel will choose finalists to view in person before choosing the winner. The works of the winner and finalists will be published in our June/July 2012 issue.

Presenting: Fritz Hansen's creative director Christian Rasmussen

HOME New Zealand and Corporate Culture proudly present Danish designer Christian Rasmussen. Don't miss this exclusive design talk by the creative director of Denmark's legendary Fritz Hansen. 

Fritz Hansen is the company behind some of the most iconic modern furniture designs, including Arne Jacobsen’s ‘Egg’ chair (below) and works by Poul Kjærholm, Hans J. Wegner, Bruno Mathsson and more. As well as overseeing production of these classic works,  Christian Rasmussen is responsible for the company’s collaborations with contemporary designers including Hiromichi Konno, Jehs + Laub, Jaime Hayon and others. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to hear Christian Rasmussen talk on his upcoming visit to New Zealand, in association with Corporate Culture and HOME New Zealand.

We're counting down until his upcoming visit in May. He'll be giving an exclusive talk on Wednesday May 16, at 6pm at the Auckland Art Gallery Auditorium, corner of Wellesley and Kitchener Streets. Entry is free but seats are limited. You can reserve your place now by emailing kstevens@acpmedia.co.nz.

We're thrilled to announce he'll also be judging our upcoming Design Awards. Look out for the entry form in our upcoming issue, hitting stands on April 2.

Designer Phil Cuttance's new range

More NZ design, this time from regular Design Awards nominee, London-based Phil Cuttance. We like the look of his new 'Faceture' range, produced by casting water-based resin into a hand-made mould. Stocked at Essenze, Douglas + Bec and Simon James Concept Store.

Designer Jamie McLellan's short film

We're just about to call for entries to our annual furniture and homeware Design Awards, which means this short web film is timely. It shows two-time Design Awards winner Jamie McLellan discussing a range of his new works, including the 'Flyover' table that won our Design Awards 2010. Enjoy. The Design Awards call for entries is in our next issue, published on April 2, and heading to the printer today. Back to work!


Resident | Jamie McLellan from Special Problems on Vimeo.

The Truth about Ikea Kitchen Cabinets

It's no surprise that the kitchen is probably the most common home renovation that people choose to do.  It's the place where everyone ends up as well as the part of the house where the food and drinks are.  I have probably designed and built over 20 kitchens in the last 8 years and I have used various cabinet companies ranging from totally custom to off the shelf.  As is the case with many projects, budget is usually a concern and for that reason, we use alot of IKEA cabinets.  If you are considering using them on a project, I suggest you read on.

Every project I have done for Pocono Modern has used IKEA cabinets and I would say that I am fairly proficient in making IKEA products look custom.  However, the question most often asked about IKEA cabinets is about the quality.  I have broken out my analysis into five major categories:

- Construction

- Door / Drawer Styles

- Hardware

- Variety of Components / Accessories

- Appearance

1- Construction

The construction of an IKEA cabinet frame (AKURUM) is particle board with a white or beech colored plastic laminate.  Overall, this is pretty low quality but to be honest, not that far off from a more expensive Kraft Maid cabinet.  Most production line cabinets today have particle board substrates covered by either melamine, laminate, or wood veneer.  Only custom cabinet makers will use solid plywood for the frames and that will cost you big dollars.  I actually prefer the particle board cabinets because they are more stable (plywood can sometimes warp over time)  and they make them from wood chips, which is more eco friendly.  But that being said, you hardly ever see the cabinet frame, especially if you have drawer units, so it's not much of a priority to me personally.  The other variable is that you assemble the frames yourself using locking cams.  For this reason, I can verify the soundness of the connections and even add glue in the joints if I like.  I would say though that the final quality of the unit depends alot on the assembler so if you are careful then you will end up with a good quality cabinet.  If you are the kind of person who doesn't use up all the nails when you install the back then IKEA may not be for you.  

2- Door / Drawer Styles

The door (or drawer) style is the part of the cabinet that you actually see and in that area, I believe IKEA brings the good stuff.  Unlike the frames, many of the doors and drawers are solid with good quality wood veneer.  The painted finishes tend to vary slightly, (particularly in the Ramsjo line) but overall they have a good variety and hit many different price points from dirt cheap laminates to better priced Oak.  They even have glass doors and lacquered style colors.  Overall the variety and quality are impressive at this price point but you need to be very careful about discontinued lines.  If you think you may want to add a cabinet in the future, be prepared for the possibility that they may stop making that line and you won't be able to get it.  This has happened to me twice.  First with the Oak Tidaholm line (below) and then with the medium brown Nexus style.

Tidaholm Line (discontinued)

3- Hardware

IKEA has made great strides with their hardware.  And by hardware, I do not mean the knobs and pulls but the interior drawer glides, hinges, dampers, and legs.  The drawer and door dampers prevent slamming of parts and provide a nice easy glide upon shutting.  The hinges are of the same or better quality than you would find in a comparable special order cabinet.  They are all pretty easy to install, except for the door dampers, which I always have trouble snapping in.  Note to IKEA: work on easier to install door dampers.  They have also added decorative legs so your cabinets can sit off the ground, which I like very much.  They come in three different heights so you can even use shorter cabinets to get different effects.  If you choose to go with the standard black plastic legs, they offer matching toe kicks that snap right on.  Overall, IKEA gets high marks on the internal hardware, especially when you compare it to the junk they were using a few years back.  As for knobs and pulls, I find that their own line is far better priced than anything you can buy at the big box stores, especially the modern bar pulls.  

4- Variety of Components / Accessories

This is probably the single biggest flaw with the IKEA line.  Looking for a flip down sponge drawer?  They don't have it.  Want a narrow spice cabinet?  They don't have it.  Looking for options on a corner unit.  Sorry, they just have  a couple.  Although their line is fairly diverse in terms of door and drawer fronts, they keep the amount of components fairly limited to certain sizes and options.  I suppose this is because they make so many parts and pieces that they have to stick with what sells.  I have often hoped that they would add pull out drawer units for garbage and recycling bins, but alas, none have come along.  If you want unique parts and pieces then I'm afraid you're stuck with what they have.  If you can get over the limits of their running line, then I would say that is the biggest hurdle.

Two toned Ramsjo Kitchen 

5 - Appearance

This last category is entirely up to you.  I have found that when assembled correctly with the right amount of additional details (lighting, hardware, windows, etc..) an IKEA kitchen can look every bit as custom as one 3x the price.  Of course it will never compare to a custom cabinet with inset doors (as opposed to overlay doors which is all IKEA makes) but for the money I don't think you can find a better deal.  Just be sure to get a second opinion on the planning as the standard work triangle is not the only consideration for a functional kitchen.  You need to make sure you have the proper clearances for walking by, the proper support for countertops, and enough room to open doors and drawers.

Below are a few more samples of other IKEA kitchens that we've done.  Please also leave your feedback on anything you feel is good or bad with the systems.  Maybe IKEA will catch on to our suggestions in the next generation.

Nexus Black Brown

Nexus Medium Brown (discontinued)

Liljestad

In summary, IKEA cabinets can really pull off a quality look if you plan it properly and take time with the assembly.  They are limited in cabinet types and accessories, but the money you save will allow you to spend more on countertops and lighting which really add to a kitchen.  However, if you truly desire a custom kitchen with solid wood construction and specific finishes, there is no substitute for a quality cabinet shop.  Just be prepared to spend considerably more.

01 May 2013 - To date, over 50,000 people have read this blog post. We appreciate all the comments and support!  If you found this post helpful, please support our sponsors by clicking on ad!  Even one little click helps tremendously!  Thanks to everyone for your help.  Check out our other IKEA related posts below - 

Our review of the 2013 Cabinet Line: http://poconomodern.blogspot.com/2013/02/ikea-kitchen-cabinets-2013-door-lineup.html

Also check out our post on IKEA PAX closets and wardrobes: http://poconomodern.blogspot.com/2012/08/designing-custom-closets-using-ikea-pax.html

The Grey Lynn house making headlines

Here's the house that has excited every real estate agent in Auckland with its sales price. Designed by Richard Naish of RTA Studio, it was a finalist in our Home of the Year 2011 award. Neighbours quoted in the New Zealand Herald today who think it's ugly: we strongly disagree! And before you judge, take a look around.

Our five 2012 Home of the Year finalists

All the shoots of the finalists in our 2012 Home of the Year are now in and being laid out, so we wanted to share these sneak peeks of our five finalists in the award with you. You'll be able to see all five homes in our lavish Home of the Year 2012 issue, on newsstands April 2.

So, in no particular order: this little bach is by Ken Crosson of Crosson Clarke Carnachan Architects, and is on Whangapoua Beach on the Coromandel Peninsula. The photo is by Jackie Meiring.

Another bach on the Coromandel Peninsula, this one at Onemana, a low-budget beauty designed and built by Dave Strachan of SGA Architects and Dave's students at the Unitec School of Architecture. If we were architecture students, we'd be stoked to have our first-ever creation named as a Home of the Year finalist. The photo is by Simon Devitt.

This home by Warren & Mahoney is on a beautiful peninsula just north of Tauranga. The photo is by Patrick Reynolds.

This home in an abundant garden near Wellington is by Alistair Luke, of Jasmax. The photo is by Paul McCredie.

Last but not least, this home at Piha is by Herbst Architects. The photo is by Patrick Reynolds.



Home of the Year hall of fame

As we hurtle towards sending our Home of the Year 2012 issue to press, we thought it was a good time to review the previous winners of the award, which is now in its 17th year. So here they are - we'd like to live in all of them.

(This year's Home of the Year winner will be revealed in our new issue, on newsstands April 2. Thanks again to our Home of the Year partner, Altherm Window Systems, for their ongoing support of the award.)

First, our 1996 winner: in Auckland, by Patrick Clifford and his colleagues at Architectus. Photograph by Patrick Reynolds.

Our 1997 winner, also in Auckland, was designed by Felicity Wallace. Photograph by Patrick Reynolds.

This house in the Bay of Islands by Pete Bossley won Home of the Year in 1998. Photograph by Patrick Reynolds.

Back in Auckland, architect Gerrad Hall's own home won the award in 1999. Photograph by Patrick Reynolds.

Fearon Hay Architects took the prize for this Bay of Islands holiday home in 2000. Photograph by Patrick Reynolds.

Architect Gerald Parsonson's own family bach on the Kapiti Coast was our 2001 winner. Photograph by Paul McCredie.

Stevens Lawson Architects won the first of their three Home of the Year titles for this Auckland home in 2002. Photograph by Patrick Reynolds.

Architect Ken Crosson's bach on the Coromandel Peninsula won the Home of the Year 2003 award, as well as the Home of the Decade prize (held to mark 10 years of the Home of the Year award) in 2005. Photograph by Patrick Reynolds.

The Home of the Year 2004 was this Bay of Islands holiday home by Pete Bossley. Photograph by Patrick Reynolds.

This house in the King Country by Mitchell & Stout was named Home of the Year 2005.  Photograph by Patrick Reynolds.

The Home of the Year 2006 in Day's Bay, Wellington, was designed by Hugh Tennent. Photograph by Paul McCredie.

This Auckland house by Stevens Lawson Architects was our 2007 Home of the Year. Photograph by Mark Smith.

The 'Signal Box' in Masterton, designed by Melling Morse Architects, was our 2008 winner. Photograph by Paul McCredie.

Mitchell and Stout Architects' Waiheke house was the 2009 Home of the Year. Photograph by Patrick Reynolds.

Our only South Island winner to date, the 2010 Home of the Year is near Wanaka and was designed by Stevens Lawson Architects. Photograph by Mark Smith.

 

Last year's Home of the Year was the Kare Kare house, designed by Michael O'Sullivan of Bull O'Sullivan Architects.