Leading kitchen designer opens for business in Bay of Plenty

One of New Zealand’s leading, award-winning kitchen designers, Nicola Cumming of Nicola Cumming Design, recently moved to the Bay of Plenty and is expanding her successful business here.

Nicola and husband Keith decided to embark on an adventure that saw them exchange their city life for a country life and learn how to manage an avocado orchard.

“We wanted to ‘feel the fear’. I’ve always lived in Auckland and operated my business there for 25 years and it’s been good. But we fell in love with the Bay of Plenty region and its people, and now I’m expanding my business here,” says Nicola.

It was during a Katikati Garden Tour they viewed stunning properties and later discovered an avocado orchard for sale in Whakamarama.

“We decided within 10 minutes of seeing the orchard to buy it. I didn’t even see the whole property as it was pouring with rain, but it didn’t matter because it was so beautiful,” says Nicola.

They named it Avomore Haven Orchard, which means “more avocados.” And given how the environment has a significant influence on Nicola’s designs, it is the perfect setting.

“With an avocado orchard as a backdrop, what better way to be inspired? It’s an idyllic situation. I love the colours, textures and combinations of colours – the way nature goes together,” she says. “Being surrounded by this natural beauty makes me feel blessed.”

Having travelled the world, Nicola is also inspired by the fusion of old and new buildings and is excited about where the future of design is heading for New Zealand.

“Kiwis are very discerning people when it comes to excellent taste and unique ideas. Most people don’t realise we’ve been carving out our own international design identity for decades,” says Nicola.

“When I visited Chicago a few years ago, the American kitchen market was frilly, ornate, over the top, and traditional. On the other hand, in Milan the style was minimalistic, glossy, clinical and very modern. Experiencing these two extreme styles during the same trip made a significant impression on me and helped me to see how much New Zealand has its own look. I’m very aware of this combination and influence when designing,” she says.

According to Nicola, her holistic approach towards her work is valued by clients.

“How can a designer successfully develop their design without asking the right questions? Every client is unique, and since I’m not the one living in the house, I investigate how people live their lives.”

Nicola looks at how existing spaces are used. When visiting their home she observes things like how food is stored, what sort of food is used for cooking, and how often people shop.

“I find out if my client mostly purchases fresh food, or if they need more space for cans or preserving jars as well as asking how many people they regularly cook for. I also ask them to prepare an imaginary meal for me so I can see how they move around in the current space. I encompass this sort of lifestyle information into my design. It makes a monumental difference to whether a kitchen will work for you, or against you,” she says.

Nicola says modern open-plan areas in homes, where the kitchen, dining and lounge is in one room, do not always work and clients do not realise the benefits in having different areas until she points it out.

“Some people who have tried living in an open plan home realise it isn’t how they want to live, particularly as children grow up. I am designing larger homes now with separate areas for teenagers and home theatres or dens. People are ‘closing in’ again and creating different vistas or looks in areas of the home for different requirements,” says Nicola.

Anne Pankhurst, events coordinator for Tauranga Chamber of Commerce, says construction is a big industry in Tauranga and bringing design elements like Nicola’s to the Bay of Plenty is wonderful.

“New businesses need to expand their networking circles, especially when coming from outside of the Bay of Plenty region. It can be very time consuming to meet people and build new relationships, but the Tauranga Chamber of Commerce offers networking opportunities to businesses. This helps build their contacts quickly, meaning business owners can get into wider circles,” says Anne. “Plus, in these financially challenging times for businesses it’s more important than ever to spend their dollars wisely.”

For example, the Business After 5 (BA5) is the Chamber’s flagship networking event that has 120 people meeting and networking each month, providing a platform to introduce their business.