Soul and Sophistication

This elegant villa had all the hallmarks of classic Auckland character—ornate detailing, high ceilings, and generous proportions. Yet, when the new owners purchased it, one thing jarred dramatically with the home’s refined bones: the kitchen. Installed during a previous renovation, it was a slick, imported aluminium design more suited to a high-rise apartment than a heritage villa.

For designer Mal Corboy, the brief was clear: to bring the heart of the home back in tune with its architectural origins, while reflecting the clients’ contemporary taste and striking art collection. The result is a kitchen that seamlessly bridges old and new, sophisticated, textural, and deeply respectful of its surroundings.

“I wanted the kitchen to feel like it belonged to the villa,” says Corboy. “But it also needed to express the clients’ personality—modern, confident, and full of life.”

At the centre of the design sits a generous island, clad in Belvedere granite, its rich veining anchoring the space with natural drama. The same stone flows across the benchtops, a tactile counterpoint to the cabinetry’s refined finish. The recessed framed doors were slimmed down to maintain lightness, then lacquered in Resene White Pointer, echoing the soft tones within the granite itself.

To celebrate the villa’s soaring ceilings, the cabinetry extends right to the top, elegantly framed in stained American oak. Corboy avoided visual heaviness by incorporating framed smoked-glass doors with mirrored backs, creating an interplay of reflection and depth. Integrated LED lighting adds a warm, ambient glow, especially striking in the evening.

A cleverly concealed coffee station sits behind pocket bifold doors, allowing the space to open up for morning rituals yet close neatly to maintain uninterrupted flow throughout the day. Premium fittings including Hettich Avantech You drawers and Blum Servo-Drive Aventos lift doors ensure a seamless, effortless user experience.

The redesign extends beyond the kitchen. A new wine cellar now balances elegance with functionality, its rich walnut veneer, brass detailing, and subtle LED illumination creating a moody, luxurious retreat. Walls clad in Mark Alexander Reed wallpaper add texture and warmth, tying the spaces together with understated sophistication.

The transformation, Corboy says, was about more than just style—it was about reinstating harmony. “The villa had lost its soul,” he reflects. “Now, it feels complete again, classic, contemporary, and perfectly at home.”