about us
We design and build custom kitchens and outdoor kitchens in our own workshop in Helensville, north-west Auckland. Every cabinet is drawn, machined and assembled by our small team, then installed by the people who made it.
Built by boatbuilders
Love Kitchens started with Rhys Mellor, a trained boatbuilder and cabinetmaker with more than 25 years of experience. He spent over a decade building superyacht interiors in France, Italy and Spain, then worked on composite race boats for America's Cup, Vendée Globe and round-the-world campaigns. In 2012, he was part of the shore team behind Banque Populaire V, which set the Jules Verne Trophy record of 45 days around the world nonstop.
Along the way, he twice worked with renowned furniture designer Joseph Walsh at his studio in Ireland, creating Ashwood and cast resin Furniture pieces.
That background is in every kitchen we build. On a superyacht, every millimetre has to earn its place, every material has to stand up to salt, sun and constant use, and the finish still has to be flawless. We bring that same standard ashore: clever use of space, materials made to live outdoors, and the fine detailing of a superyacht interior.
From our backyard to Helensville
Rhys and Jo started Love Kitchens from a workshop on their property in Waimauku. They built their own kitchen first, then an outdoor kitchen with a wood-fired pizza oven, and friends started asking for the same.
Demand outgrew the home workshop, so we moved into a purpose-fitted workshop and showroom in Helensville. It gives us room for CNC machining, edgebanding, assembly and a dedicated outdoor kitchen build area, all under one roof. Clients are welcome to visit the showroom, see their kitchen being made, and get hands-on with the materials, finishes and textures before choosing.
What we make
Outdoor kitchens – built for New Zealand weather, with marine-grade materials, powder-coated aluminium, stone benchtops and the BBQs, pizza ovens and fridges you want to cook with.
Indoor kitchens – full kitchens, sculleries and islands, designed around how your family cooks and lives.
Laundries, wardrobes and furniture – the same cabinetry and finish for the rest of the house.
“It’s our passion to deliver our clients their dream one-of-a-kind kitchen that connects their family together, brings enjoyment, and makes lasting memories. We pride ourselves on using quality materials and delivering creative space-saving designs. We love and appreciate wood in all its forms and enjoy the process of furniture making and creating those special and remarkable pieces that last the test of time.
“We look forward to meeting with you to discuss your dream kitchen!” – Rhys and Jo
our team
Rhys Mellor
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Boatbuilder, cabinetmaker and the person who will draw your kitchen. Rhys runs the design and the workshop, and is on site for every install.
Jo Mellor
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Every workshop needs someone who keeps everyone in line, and that’s Jo. She’s also a trained nurse and works part-time as a school nurse, and her Friday afternoon grazing platters for the team are quite the hit with the lads!
Dan Mallon
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Dan is a qualified cabinetmaker and builder with over 25 years of experience. Put simply, Dan is the man: he makes sure everything goes together smoothly, from the first panel off the CNC to the last cabinet on site. He's also a very keen barbecuer, with most weekends spent in front of his custom-built pizza oven and kamado, feeding family and friends, so he knows exactly what makes an outdoor kitchen work.
Dan “Cash” Cashmore
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Cash is a qualified cabinetmaker with a huge amount of experience. His expertise in both cabinetmaking and installation makes him our go-to all-rounder: the reliable one who helps us get things done in the workshop and on site.