Designmarked Kitchens - Designmarked Kitchens 60F Victoria Street

About OUR TEAM

MARK BRUCE
We took a few minutes to talk to Mark Bruce, the founder of Designmarked. 

When he’s not busy designing and meeting with clients he’s often found with his 3 teenage/adult boys at his lakeside bach in the Bay of Plenty or getting his hands dirty on his lifestyle block in the beautiful countryside of Te Miro, Cambridge. With over 30 national design awards won across his career Marks’ designs are far from “off the shelf”. His designs range from modern contemporary through to mid-century and classic. 

You have won a lot of awards over the span of your career, do you feel pressure to always win awards?

I don’t start the design process with an award entry in mind, all my designs are client specific. Often it’s the client that has become so engaged in the process and impressed with the final result that they want to share that story through an awards entry.  Not all kitchens are award winning kitchens, but all kitchens should be well designed and specific to the client. I enjoy taking on board each clients needs and aesthetic preferences to create a bespoke design that primarily functions well while being beautifully designed and built to last a long time. 

You are a kitchen designer with a proven record

I’m one of the few designers in NZ with a Diploma in Kitchen Design, qualified cabinetmaker and hold a current Certified Kitchen Design qualification. I really value keeping educated and on top of design, technical, technology and interior trends. I am also a national tutor and assessor for the NZQA kitchen design qualification for the past 10 years.

Have you always worked in kitchen design?

Whilst I did train as a cabinetmaker, I also studied marketing and worked in the corporate world for a while. My marketing background is a great asset during the design process, as a key part of good design is understanding the client’s needs. My trade background gives me a unique and practical understanding of kitchen design and construction. This hands-on experience in kitchen and bathroom design means I’m aware of the possibilities of cabinetry, and I often push the boundaries of the very best cabinetmakers.  

The real proof is in your consistent design awards, have you ever tallied them up?

I’ve won over 35 national design awards through either the National Kitchen and Bathroom Association or the Master Joiners Association so I’ve got a few under my belt. My philosophy is “it costs no more to build a well-designed kitchen than it does a poorly designed one”. I have won several design awards for moderately priced kitchens, competing against kitchens double the value.

As you can see, Mark is highly qualified. He is also currently:
A board member of National Kitchen and Bathroom Association (NKBA). 
The NKBA provides leadership, direction and education for the kitchen and bathroom industry
A member of the Certified Designers Society (CDS) 
New Zealand’s leading professional kitchen and bathroom designers’ association
Chairman for the National Advisory Group for kitchen design
National tutor for kitchen design through NZQA.

He has also been an awards judge for NKBA, Master joiners, Kitchen Studio and KBDi (Australia)

Mark looks forward to meeting you and creating your kitchen story.

Designmarked
Every kitchen tells a story.

-

JENNY HOLMES

We take 5 minutes to chat with Jenny at her home on a Cambridge lifestyle block, where she has a Bernese Mountain Dog, a British Blue, two Alpacas and two Llamas.

A married mother of four with two grandchildren, Jenny certainly understands the demands of a busy kitchen. She recognises the way in which a kitchen nowadays must function as a “creative workshop”, where people can cook, socialise, work and eat.  She enjoys creating functional spaces that reflect the people who work in them. 

Prior to your education as an Interior and Kitchen Designer you worked in the healthcare sector as a nurse and then a Practice Manager. How has that experience helped your approach to kitchen design?

Both of my life careers (nursing and design) have had the commonality of the joy of working with people and making a positive difference to how they live their lives. 

Caring, seeing each client as unique and taking time to get to know the client, their families and how they live in their space is hugely important to me.

How do you think your interior design studies influence your kitchen design?

I have a particular interest in interior design in general and how space, colour, texture and light etc influence how we feel. Keeping them balanced is the key to creating an aesthetically pleasing interior. I also understand the importance of the kitchen connecting to the rest of the house to create a cohesive design. 

What areas of kitchen design are particular interests of yours?

I have a huge interest in Spatial Design and Sustainability, and like to ensure the resulting design and product selection consider these factors.
 

What study did you undertake in order to make this career move?

Initially I studied interior design with the fabulous Nanette Cameron at her School of Design in Auckland which is where I discovered my love of kitchen design. From there I really wanted to formalise training specifically in kitchen design; both from the working/functional aspect and also the aesthetic component of kitchen design. I went on and completed kitchen design qualifications through NKBA.

I worked for four years for a manufacturing company in Cambridge designing kitchens, bathrooms and full house renovations which was hugely invaluable in gaining an understanding of the manufacturing side of kitchen and bathroom design.

Jenny looks forward to meeting you and creating your kitchen story.

Designmarked

Every kitchen tells a story.