Marula Magic - Zimbali

Set up high on the hillside, "Marula Magic" has magnificent unlimited views of the Kwa-Zulu Natal northern coastline.

Here the clients wanted a mix of old and new, by bringing in elements from their previous home in Gauteng and combining those into their new sophisticated home in Zimbali. There is a subtle African influence throughout the home and the kitchen design needed to showcase this. In brief, the kitchen space had to be pleasing to the eye, while in keeping with the stylish and chic approach. Timber and stone were the two main materials of choice here, which had to work together to create a contemporary clean cut look.

All base unit doors and drawer fronts are natural walnut veneer and to contrast this Snow White Caesarstone was an ideal choice. Instead of placing units along the back wall from floor to ceiling floating units were placed along the back wall to create a sense of space and Caesarstone was wrapped around the base units to emphasise the floating aspect. The island needed to be functional, but with an element of surprise to suit the outgoing character of the client. The design needed to be resolved when combining the Caesarstone and timber, and needed to be done so in a unique, yet elegant way. Initially the idea was to clad the entire island with Caesarstone and to attach a low-level timber top to this. This worked as a contrast, however there was a conflict with the joining of these two materials where they didn't interact with each other. After some deliberation, the solution was to create a shadow line between them where a 20mm (thickness of the stone) x 20mm gap was designed for this. For the curious observer, this entices you to look closer at the timeless finishes.

The overall end result of the kitchen design is an unmistakably pleasing combination being classic with an intriguing element.