Paihia · Bay of Islands / 2026

School Road.

Bespoke cabinetry, made by North Interiors.

Our cabinetmaking at School Road

Made to fit.
Finished with care.

At School Road in Paihia, North Interiors made the cabinetry for the kitchen, scullery, living spaces, laundry and wardrobes. Our work includes walnut veneer cupboards and drawers, fitted display shelving and curved window-seat joinery with concealed storage. Interior design by Newton Kay; architecture by HB Architecture.

Kitchen & scullery · Living joinery · Laundry · Wardrobes

View across the long kitchen island towards the dining table, open terrace and bay

Early morning over the bay, seen across the kitchen island with the pendant lights on

Scroll for more

01 / Kitchen & scullery

A kitchen island
with an outlook.

We made the kitchen cabinetry in Shinnoki Pure Walnut veneer, from the island cupboards and drawers to the full-height doors along the cooking wall. Integrated storage and fine dark reveals beneath the benchtop give each cabinet a clean, defined edge.

Our tall cabinetry frames the cooking recess, with walnut drawer fronts below. Honed Taj Mahal benchtops, waterfall ends and the kitchen splashback sit alongside the joinery, with the kitchen stone work by Northern Benchtop.

Honed stone breakfast bar with woven stools beneath full-height walnut cabinetry

Late afternoon sun across the walnut cabinetry, stone island and woven kitchen stools

Close at hand

Kitchen to scullery, the same craftsmanship.

We made the scullery cabinetry in the same walnut veneer as the kitchen, with open shelving and generous drawer storage. Fitted around the sink and stone worktop, the joinery provides space for the everyday work of the kitchen.

Walnut scullery cabinetry and pale stone worktop beside a tall window — We carried the kitchen’s walnut joinery into the scullery.

Scullery worktop with an undermounted sink, two taps, walnut drawers and a floating shelf — Open shelving and drawers, built by North Interiors for everyday use.

A closer look

The character is in the meeting of materials.

Close view of the mitred corner and pale veining of the Taj Mahal stone island — 01
Honed Taj Mahal
Honed Taj Mahal stone sits above our island cabinetry, with mitred waterfall ends continuing the surface to the floor. Kitchen stone work by Northern Benchtop.

Honed stone worktop meeting a fine dark reveal above warm walnut drawer fronts — 02
Pure Walnut
We used VidaSpace Shinnoki Pure Walnut veneer for the kitchen, scullery and living joinery. The drawer fronts sit beneath a fine dark reveal at the benchtop.

Sunlight on the stone-lined cooking recess beside tall walnut cabinetry — 03
A frame for the everyday
We made the full-height cabinetry and drawers that frame the stone-lined cooking recess, bringing fitted storage close to the work surface.

Dining table, living area and window seat facing the Bay of Islands in morning sunlight

The same dining and living space before dawn, with the island pendant illuminated

Scroll for more

Walnut television wall, open shelving and window seat beside the School Road living area in daylight

The School Road television wall and open shelving illuminated in the evening

Shelving, display and storage, built by North Interiors as a single wall.

02 / Living joinery

Shelving, seating and storage.
Made to fit.

We built the fitted television cabinetry, open shelving and concealed storage, alongside the adjoining window-seat joinery. The walnut veneer doors, shelves and drawer fronts carry through the finish used in the kitchen.

The curved seat base houses concealed storage, while the fitted shelving provides space for books and display. Neolith Taj Mahal forms the surface on the living joinery, complementing the walnut veneer.

Sunlight picks out books, objects and the slender edges of the living room shelves — Our walnut shelving, made to fit the living room.

Soft morning light on the display shelves, candlesticks and objects beside the television — Our walnut shelving, made to fit the living room.

Afternoon view across the sofa towards the walnut kitchen, stone island and bay

A wide view of the kitchen and living room before dawn, with warm cabinetry lighting and blue sky over the bay

Scroll for more

03 / Laundry & wardrobe cabinetry

The same care,
behind the scenes.

We made the master wardrobe cabinetry in Bestwood Dark Oak with a Timberland finish, with open hanging bays, shelves and banks of drawers. Each section is fitted to the room to keep clothing and everyday items organised.

Our work also included two further bedroom wardrobes and the laundry cabinetry. In the laundry, Bestwood Dark Oak cabinetry sits beneath a Laminex Formica Leggera Travertine laminate worktop.

Dark timber master wardrobe with open hanging bays, drawer banks and integrated lighting — Our Dark Oak cabinetry, made to fit the master wardrobe.

A long upholstered window seat overlooking the bay beside the dining table — We built the window-seat cabinetry with concealed storage beneath.

The full window seat beside the dining table at dawn with the pendant and wall light illuminated — We built the window-seat cabinetry with concealed storage beneath.

Morning sunlight on the rounded end of the upholstered living window seat and timber storage below — We shaped the walnut joinery to follow the curve of the seat.

A wider view of the upholstered window seat and timber base at dawn beneath the illuminated wall light — We shaped the walnut joinery to follow the curve of the seat.

Cabinetmaking in changing light

Our cabinetry,
in a different light.

See how changing light brings out the grain, edges and details of our cabinetry. Each paired photograph has two views. Use the light switch to explore the joinery in morning sun, at dawn or in the evening.

School Road kitchen in daylight with sun falling across the island and living room

The School Road kitchen before dawn, with the stone cooking recess and pendant glowing against the darker sky

Scroll for more

Late afternoon sun on the kitchen island and walnut cabinetry seen from the living room — The island from the living room

The same side of the kitchen at dawn with illuminated stone splashback and island pendant — The island from the living room

Sunrise beyond the kitchen sink and stone bar with the walnut cooking wall alongside — Along the kitchen bar

Dawn along the kitchen bar with its pendant and cooking recess illuminated — Along the kitchen bar

Morning light across the living room, display wall and dining area seen over the kitchen island — From kitchen to living

Sunrise on the living display wall and window seat seen from the kitchen — From kitchen to living

Morning sun on the window seat and dining area seen from the kitchen — A place by the window

The dining area and window seat at dawn with the pendant and wall light glowing — A place by the window

School Road / Materials & hardware

Kitchen & scullery stone: Honed Taj MahalBenchtops and kitchen splashback
Timber veneer: VidaSpace Shinnoki Pure WalnutKitchen, scullery and living joinery
Living surface: Neolith Taj MahalLiving joinery
Laundry & wardrobe board: Bestwood Dark OakTimberland finish · Laundry and master wardrobe
Laundry benchtop: Laminex Formica Leggera TravertineLaminate worktop
Kitchen hardware: Blum TANDEMBOXDrawer system with Blum 110° cabinet hinges
Living drawers: Blum MERIVOBOX TIP-ONPush-to-open drawers beneath the bench seat
Handles & profiles: Viefe Moon & MardecoBlack handles and recessed profiles