Frequently Asked Questions

The Kitchen People are the Hibiscus Coast’s first choice kitchen designers and manufacturers with over 30 years in business and over 200 years. Our design centre is at the Millwater shopping centre, where we offer a complete custom kitchen and joinery design service. As part of the Mastercraft family, we benefit from being part of a nationwide group of premium kitchen, electrical, and plumbing companies who are committed to offering every customer New Zealand’s finest quality workmanship and service.

The Kitchen People serve Rodney East and West, and from Mangawhai in the north to Southhead to the north west. We’ve also built and installed a large number of kitchens for clients on Waiheke Island. If you’re outside this area, we’d be happy to give you recommendations for other companies in the Mastercraft family.

We can build you literally anything you can imagine. Our custom joinery services include kitchens, bathrooms, laundries, sculleries, entertainment units, bookcases, panelling, and built-in furniture.

You would choose The Kitchen People for a new kitchen or renovation when you want an experienced, locally based team who pride themselves on their meticulous craftsmanship. We work with everyone from individual homeowners to group builders, all of whom value our team-oriented style of working and the enthusiasm and warmth we bring to every project.

Yes, all our kitchens are custom designed to fit the home they’re destined for. Our design centre is at the Millwater shopping centre and you’re most welcome to call in anytime.

Yes, we can manage the entire kitchen renovation process for you, including coordinating all sub-trades and builders.

Yes, we’re happy to work with homeowners, builders and developers, and have immense experience satisfying their different requirements and timelines.

To get started with a kitchen renovation or custom joinery project get in touch with The Kitchen People! You’re welcome to walk into our Millwater Design Centre anytime or give us a call or send us an email using the contact form on this website.

The materials you want to use are the first thing that most people like to consider when they’re thinking about their new kitchen. Other very important considerations are its functionality (what it needs to do and who it needs to serve), the layout, the space you have, and of course your budget. But the list doesn’t stop there – you might also want to think about the appliances you’d like, and the lighting and electrical plan. It’s a lot but we can help you with all that at our Millwater Design Centre, so you get the kitchen you want, within your budget.

The best way to design a kitchen that suits your lifestyle is to work with one of the experienced, talented kitchen designers at our Millwater Design Centre.

Yes, The Kitchen People can create a custom kitchen design that suits your home, your lifestyle, and your budget.

Maximising storage space in a small kitchen is a key skill of our kitchen design team. With their help you can unlock storage space you never thought you had.

Trends in kitchen design are changing all the time. To see what the latest trends are and to see whether they suit your tastes, get in touch with our kitchen design team at our Kitchen Design Centre in the Millwater shopping centre.

The best kitchen design for your home depends on a range of different factors including the space you have to work with, how or who will be using it, and your budget. The best way to decide is to talk to one of our talented kitchen designers.

A scullery is a small room off the main kitchen that adds more bench and storage space, and might also contain another sink. A scullery is a very desirable feature, and adds value to any home.

Yes, we can design pantry and scullery storage solutions depending on the space available in your home or renovation.

The cost of a new kitchen in New Zealand depends on many different factors. One of our superpowers is that we can make a low-cost kitchen look expensive with carefully selected materials.

The time it takes to install a new kitchen depends on the size and scope of the project. With our efficient design, manufacture, and installation process, we can have a new standard kitchen ready to go in 4 – 6 weeks. The installation itself usually takes one to two days.

A kitchen package includes cabinetry and hardware, and can also include appliances and tapware. We can also recommend a flooring supplier if you’re renovating.

Yes, all our kitchens are customised and include custom cabinetry and storage solutions.

Yes, we can supply and install kitchen benchtops in a range of different materials.

The best benchtop material for your kitchen depends on how you plan to use it. Different materials have different properties and suit different needs. We cover all types and our kitchen designer will help you make the right choice.

Yes, we do provide kitchens for new builds – individual new builds and for group builders and multi-unit developers.

Yes, we frequently work with builders and architects, and achieve brilliant results.

The cost of a new kitchen renovation depends on many different factors, including the size of the kitchen and scope of the renovation, materials and appliance choices. The cost range for the kitchen renovation projects we’ve worked on is from around $15,000 to over $200,000. One of our superpowers is that we can make a low-cost kitchen look expensive by carefully selecting the materials we use. We offer QCard to help you top up your budget if needed.

A kitchen renovation can definitely be worth the investment, but you need to balance the amount spent against the total value of your home and the overall objective for your renovation.

It depends on the scope and scale of the project, but a simple kitchen renovation installation can take as little as two to three days.

The most common kitchen renovation mistake is not having enough drawers. Drawers provide much better and more functional storage space than open shelves. Other mistakes are buying appliances that don’t fit, benchtops that are too thin, and failing to plan for the future.

Yes, we can renovate kitchens in a home of any age.

A kitchen renovation definitely adds value to a home, as it’s one of the key things that attract buyers – along with a new bathroom.

Your budget for a kitchen renovation depends on its size and scope and what level of expenditure you’re comfortable with.

Yes, in most cases you can still live in your home during a kitchen renovation.

In our experience, the best benchtop material for a family home is engineered stone, which is a product made from recycled glass and silica dust.

High-performance laminate is the most cost-effective option. Engineered stone is the next step up, and is available in many colours. Porcelain is lighter and can handle high temperatures without discolouration.

Engineered stone is the easiest benchtop material to maintain.

We have a large range of splashback options available for our kitchens. You can choose from tiles, glass in various finishes, engineered stone, porcelain, natural stone, and stainless steel.

The best way to choose the best kitchen finishes for your home is to speak to one of our kitchen designers at our Design Centre at the Millwater shopping centre. They’ll take you through the options and help you decide, based on your family and how you want to use your kitchen – for example, are you a passionate chef, do you do a lot of entertaining, or do you have young children who’ll give it a hard time?

Yes, we can design custom wardrobes.

The major benefit of a custom wardrobe is that it unlocks storage space you didn’t know you had. It also helps you organise your clothes and keep them in better condition.

Yes, we can design walk-in wardrobes. Talk to our designers to see all your options.

We have a choice of wardrobe accessories designed to help maximise your storage space, including shoe and tie racks, pull-down racks, angled shoe racks, and drawers.

Yes, we can build custom linen cupboards.

Yes, we can design a custom laundry for your new home or renovation.

There are a number of features that are popular in modern laundries, including space for clothes hampers, hanging areas, pull-out ironing boards, robot vacuum cleaner garages, and seats. Creating a mudroom is also common these days, especially at lifestyle properties.

Options for maximising storage in a small laundry include adding pull-out shelving, drawers, and stacking the washer and dryer.

Yes, we can include pull-out hampers, hanging rails and ironing stations in your new laundry design.

Yes, we can build custom bathroom cabinetry and vanities. We specialise in designing vanities that maximise space and match the overall design and decorative themes of your home.

Yes, we can build matching mirror cabinets.

The best way to choose the right bathroom cabinetry for your space is to speak to one of our talented designers at our Design Centre in the Millwater shops. They can take you through all your options and help you choose a vanity design you’ll love.

We design and build all types of custom cabinetry, including TV cabinets, wine cellars, built-in nooks and entry seats, desk areas, wardrobes, entertainment units, and built-in furniture.

Yes, we can design and build custom entertainment units and media cabinets for new homes and renovations.

Yes, we can build custom bookshelves and floating shelves for new homes and renovations.

We frequently design custom cabinetry to fit unusual spaces.

Yes, we can usually match the existing cabinetry in your home, but it does depend on whether the original material is still available. Otherwise, we can try to match it as closely as possible with currently available materials.

Custom cabinetry has a couple of big benefits. First, it’s uniquely your own and can be designed to match your taste and your home’s overall design aesthetic. Second, with clever design, we can unlock extra storage space you didn’t know you had.

The price of flat-pack cabinetry might be tempting, but the costs can seriously outweigh the benefits. The quality of flat-pack is considerably lower than custom cabinetry. Assembly of flat-pack cabinetry is often a relationship-challenging nightmare that far exceeds the money saved.

The cost of kitchen cabinetry depends on a host of different things – the materials you choose, finishes, the size and scope of the project, and the complexity of the cabinets. To get an accurate cost the first step is speaking to one of our designers at our Design Centre in the Millwater shopping centre.

Factors that affect the cost of a kitchen renovation include access to the house, materials, finishes, how layout changes affect other trades working on the project, and floor levels.

Yes, custom joinery can add value to a home when it’s professionally designed, manufactured and installed.

Yes, we will provide you with a quote before work begins.

Yes, we offer kitchen and custom cabinetry for different budgets. Please get in touch to discuss what you have in mind.

It’s simple. You should choose a professional kitchen designer like The Kitchen People because you’ll get a kitchen that you’ll love. It will work how you need it to, stand the test of time, and add value to your home.

To request a kitchen or custom joinery quote, please drop into our Design Centre in the Millwater shopping centre, call us on 09 424 3468 or email us using our contact form.

The price of buying a flat-pack cabinetry kitset might be tempting, but the actual costs can seriously outweigh the benefits. The quality of flat-pack kitchens is considerably lower than our custom cabinetry, and the assembly of flat-pack cabinetry is often a relationship-challenging nightmare that far outweighs the money saved. We strongly recommend that for the sake of your quality of life and the future value of your home, you talk to us before buying a flat-pack kitchen.