Best of 2020
And the Best Bathroom of 2020 is...
There was a wide range of styles, colours, textures, fittings and formats in your choice of Best Bathrooms of 2020 Survey and Poll, but of the 12 options presented, the warm natural hues and clean simple lines of Bathroom 4 made the biggest splash with our readers and followers. Voters liked the openness of the walk-in shower and the way the bathroom created a relaxing ambience combined with easy functionality.
And the 1st Runner Up is...
Although the voting here was decisive, we can't help thinking that many pollsters may have had to toss up between the gold and silver medal winners – they were so similar in some ways.
Comments include "Love it!" and "Very spacious and styley." We liked the ambience and thought the geometric patterns of the tiling gave the bathroom a distinctive personality.
These two were so close, we called it a draw
Although Bathroom 1 at left received one more vote than Bathroom 2 at right, they were clearly both popular. Comments on Bathroom 1 included "Love the lighting and the dark wood feature with the black gives a beautiful intimate feel, not sure about the stool though..." and on Bathroom 2: "Has to be #2, because it’s got the bath." Which raises the question of how important homeowners' current needs are in these Best Of polls.
Best Kitchen of 2020
This one surprised us more than any other because – gasp! – it was a classic or traditional style in a sea of modern and contemporary kitchens. Yet it has the benefits of a modern kitchen – loads of natural light through the windows, a light, open feel and as one voter put it "a crisp clean, long bench with stools".
Other comments included "light and bright", "my style", "clean looking" and "I would kill for a hob and oven like that!"
Dead heat
for second
Second equal in the Best Kitchen of 2020 Stakes were modern styles with clean, sharp lines softened with natural timber flooring, as you can see in Kitchen 6 at left and Kitchen 4 at right. Voters liked the uncluttered look of Kitchen 4 and said Kitchen 6 was 'least busy' , 'light and bright with good storage' and 'no bending to use the oven'.
And for third!
Again, although the kitchen at far left (by Pzazz Building Kapiti and North Wellington BTW) received slightly more votes than Kitchen 12 at near left, it was clear that many voters loved the elegant curves of the latter. Both kitchens scored highly on spaciousness, natural light and the fact that family or friends could sit at the breakfast bar and chat while a meal was being prepared.
Summer time
and the living is easy
We suspect if our Best of Living Space poll had been held over the winter, there would have been a different outcome than this one. But now in the middle of summer, Kiwis are loving indoor-outdoor flow, and Living Space 7 exemplifies some of the best of that with the L-shape of the home directly connecting the interior and exterior living by means of full-height, full-width bifold doors and a generous deck. The only suggestion for improvement was to add a cover over the deck so it could be used in all seasons.
Now for the
traditional style
Many of you are clearly into more classical living rooms, complete with warm colours, a fireplace, comfy seating and period furniture and décor. The word 'cosy' was used several times in the comments and the colour appealed to many.
Best House Extension
of 2020
This extension was voted first equal with the next house. Voters liked the way it added an extra wing to the home and matched the style of the existing house. We liked the way what is obviously a dining room in the far right wing flows easily down into a private courtyard with an outdoor dining area which in turn flows flows out into the yard with the trees and entertainment area.
This addition generated
the most comment
"You can’t see where the extensions have been added," said one voter. "Looks like it was always built like that, lots of character," said another. "Love the verandah," said yet another.
While many were in favour of extensions that added a whole new dimension or flavour to existing houses, sometimes combining ultra-modern with standard Kiwi weatherboard bungalows, the consensus was that extensions should 'blend in' with existing architecture.
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