100 | DESIGN Niche Design The art of making great kitchens Chelsey Mathieson, right, and Alexandra Riddell - loving the business of kitchen design. Rachel Graham KITCHEN MANUFACTURER & INSTALLER BESPOKE KITCHENS & CABINETRY DESIGNED, CRAFTED AND INSTALLED WITH SKILL & PASSION… The highly skilled cabinet makers at FD Kitchens design, manufacture and install high-end, custom kitchens. bespoke joinery and cabinetry. We service Tauranga, Papamoa, Mt Maunganui, Te Puke and other areas throughout the Bay of Plenty. Our experienced kitchen design team will listen to your requirement and will design your dream custom kitchen accordingly. www.fdkitchens.co.nz (07) 573 4170 | info@fdkitchens.co.nz Exceptional kitchens and cabinetry through quality craftsmanship t 07 574 4527 e info@tkb.co.nz w www.tkb.co.nz 020 4131 2042 aboveboardnz.co.nz Proudly supporting Niche Design Co. Chelsey Mathieson knows what makes a good kitchen design, from the inside out. Chelsey, the founder of Niche Design Co. based in Tauranga, grew up around her father’s cabinet making business, and got to see at an early age what goes on behind the scenes to make a great kitchen. She says she was always interested in the design and business management aspects, so starting her own design firm was a natural step. “I pride myself on a really practical approach to design,” says Chelsey. “The aesthetics are always important too, but if you haven’t got the fundamentals of good design and layout to start with the kitchen is not going to work. Or at least it will be awful to have to work in.” After training as a Certified Kitchen Designer (CKDNZ) Chelsey worked for kitchen manufacturers for around a decade before going out on her own with Niche Design Co. in 2018. She is now joined at Niche Design Co by Alexandra Riddell, who has a diploma in Kitchen Design, and is originally from France. Alexandra has been living in New Zealand since 2015. Alexandra was chosen as the most promising student in the 2021 National Kitchen and Bathroom Association and Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation (NKBA/BCITO) awards. Chelsey Mathieson has also won a number of awards for her kitchens, including winning the Supreme award at the 2020 NKBA Excellence in Design Awards. She says that was an amazing boost for her business when it was just starting out. For the 2021 NKBA Excellence in Design Awards Chelsey was asked to be a judge, which she says was a huge honour. Chelsey says what she and Alex love doing is using their skills to find the best solution for the space, the budget and for their clients’ needs. As they work independently from kitchen manufacturers, they aren’t limited by any manufacturing preferences of products, so can pick and choose from across the whole market. When someone comes to Niche Design Co. wanting to spruce up their kitchen, or build a new one, the team will talk to the client about things like what they want from the kitchen, how many people will be using it and the budget. They will then put together a plan and specification, and a 3D render of the plan so people can truly visualise how their kitchen will look. Once the client is happy, Niche Design Co. put the project out to tender with local manufacturers. Niche Design Co. has a number of local trusted partners it works with, or clients can source their own manufacturers. Chelsey says there are advantages to partnering with manufacturers she already knows and trusts. She says when she knows the manufacturer’s strengths, she can include features she knows they have the ability to finish to a high standard. Chelsey says in her view the kitchen is the most important room in the house, and she loves the opportunity to make it the best space possible for her clients. “That’s probably where I get my most enjoyment. It’s the satisfaction for my clients at the end of the project when they are actually using the space and just in love with it. And there’s nothing they would change.”
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