Margaret Young Designs

I have very fond memories of working 9 years at Lloyds Joinery as a kitchen designer.  It was there that I had the opportunity to design hundreds and hundreds of kitchens, bathrooms and laundries.

There were other design projects which included joinery for converted bus interiors, libraries for private homes and commercial reception counters. I owe a debt of gratitude to Lloyd Richardson (nationally awarded designer) for offering me the job at his joinery firm and for sharing with me all of his joinery design knowledge. There is no substitute to having unlimited access to the workshop full of skilled craftsmen to gain a technical understanding of how a kitchen is put together.

I can sum up my areas of expertise with 3 C's – COLOUR, CALCULATIONS & COMPUTERS.

I confess there is a Geeky side to me - I used to teach Maths & Chemistry at Southland Boys High School. Calculations come easily to me and I enjoy finding my way around a computer. My love for creativity and colour led me to complete a 2 year full time course in Craft & Design at Southland Polytechnic (aka Southern Institute of Technology - SIT) where I specialised in fabric dyeing.

It was a natural progression to enrol in the Open Polytechnics course in Interior Decorating and Design to satisfy my thirst for learning more about design in a new area.

I think the key to designing a great kitchen for a client is listening and talking in depth with a client to get a very clear and accurate idea of what he or she is wanting.

The look of the kitchen should reflect the personality of the owner and the spaces should be arranged to suit their routines and lifestyle.

I love the challenge of combining/incorporating their ideas into visually balanced and practical area.

I best describe some my interests as pernickety - bobbin Lacemaking, printmaking and knitting. I also love the fluid and unpredictability of watercolour painting. 

I enjoy the exacting science of baking, the creativity of cooking and, last but not least, feeding friends and family.

My brother-in-law has said on several occasions that all my previous experiences, interests and qualifications have converged ultimately into this career as a Kitchen Designer which suits me to the ground.   I guess he’s correct – I enjoy everything from the accuracy & attention to detail to the colours, textures and materials required in Kitchen Designing. Most important of all,

I love the interaction with the people involved whether it be the client, joiner, architect, builder or rep.