About PlyLab
PlyLab was founded by a team with deep European roots and a shared love of good design. While we’re proudly based in Petone, Wellington — our design sensibility is shaped by a mix of Kiwi practicality and European precision. Since rebranding as PlyLab in 2020, we’ve stayed true to what matters: quality materials, thoughtful craftsmanship, and timeless style. We work with trusted local suppliers and use only the best European furniture-grade plywood, laminates, and hardware.
Custom design
Made in our lab in Petone
Dedicated project manager
Fully installed
Furniture grade European plywood
Built for life in Aotearoa
How we work
We create sustainable furniture that’s built with precision and an unmatched eye for detail — and the end result speaks for itself. From kitchens to laundries, vanities to tallboys, bookcases to built-ins, we’ve designed and made it all.
Every project starts with a chat — online or in person. From there, we’ll draw up a tailored plan and detailed quote. We deliver and install locally, and ship nationwide across Aotearoa.
Design
Every project starts with a conversation. You’ll be paired with a dedicated designer who offers expert advice, challenges assumptions, and helps guide the process toward the best outcome. We won’t just nod and smile — we’ll ask the right questions, offer better answers, and make sure the final result is something you’ll love.
Manufacturing
Once your design is signed off, our skilled joiners build every piece to exacting standards using premium materials and precision craftsmanship. When your order is complete, you’ll have the chance to inspect it before we carefully prepare it for delivery and installation. We pride ourselves on delivering your project on time and on budget, every time.
Installation
Our dedicated installation team does only one thing: install kitchens and furniture with the same attention to detail as during the manufacturing process. With kitchens, benchtop templating happens once the installation is complete. Allow for 10 working days from benchtop templating to installation.
We care a lot about materials
For us, good design, longevity and sustainability are the same thing — if a kitchen is built properly, it should last decades, not just a few years.
At PlyLab we work only with European birch plywood. Every cabinet we build — kitchens, laundries, wardrobes, furniture — uses the same high-grade birch core for strength, accuracy and clean edges.
Our fronts are finished either in birch, hardwood veneer or high-pressure laminate. All materials are certified and responsibly sourced, so every project is strong, stable and made for life in Aotearoa.
We choose plywood — not MDF
MDF is weak around screws, vulnerable to moisture, and always needs a laminate to hide its core. And once it reaches the end of its life, it goes straight to landfill.
Birch plywood is stronger, holds hardware better, and copes with New Zealand’s moisture. And because the material looks good on its own, we don’t have to cover it — the exposed edges become part of the design.
It means longer life, less waste, and a kitchen built to stay solid for a lifetime.
CNC accuracy meets real craftsmanship
Every project starts with millimetre-perfect technical drawings in IMOS. Those files go straight to our Homag CNC for accurate cutting, and our makers finish each piece with traditional joinery skills. The mix of technology and craftsmanship is what gives PlyLab its clean, consistent quality.
Every detail matters
We think about the things most people overlook. Hinges, clearances, alignments, lighting, edge finishes — all the small decisions that change how a kitchen feels every day. Because we design in IMOS and manufacture everything in-house on our CNC, we know every millimetre of our cabinets. Nothing is random, nothing is left to chance.
Kitchen pricing
It’s worth saying upfront: you can find cheaper kitchens elsewhere. What you won’t often find are ones built better, designed with more thought, or made from materials as strong and durable as birch plywood.
A small kitchen (around 9-12 cabinets) starts from $18,500. This excludes GST, installation, appliances, electrical, tiling and benchtop.
An average kitchen consisting of cabinetry along one wall and a separate island starts from $24,000. This excludes GST, installation, appliances, electrical, tiling and benchtop.
