Amazing Kitchen Design leaves us with House Envy

We put a lot into every space we design, this kitchen though has left us with a little house envy! The modern design of this kitchen, it's layers and materials are striking, rich and the clean simple details are (in our opinion) perfect.

3D CAD CGI images created for the client prior to construction.

Before - This house had a major renovation and restoration.

Description of the House, its local & occupants

A dilapidated two bedroom, timber clad, 1920’s heritage listed home in Sydney's Crows Nest was in desperate need of saving. Its life for the past 10 years had been home to squatters and the homeless. Situated close to the city, cafes and schools the new owners believed it had great potential to be transformed/renovated into their magnificent family home.

As this home was to be their “forever” one; and with young girls leading into their pre teen years this space had to cater to the family’s busy lifestyle & had to do justice to the heritage of the old and the proposed modern architecture for the rear extension.

Therefore with walls crumbling and covered in graffiti this family of four took it on and looked forward to the houses transformation with bated breath. In return they saw an ugly ducking totally transform in to a swan.

The Brief

As this home was to be their “forever” one; and with young girls leading into their pre teen years this space had to cater for the family’s modern busy lifestyle & had to do justice to the heritage and the proposed modern architecture for the rear extension.

The family room incorporating the kitchen was to be strikingly beautiful that conveyed not only warmth but also sleek aesthetics. Function was paramount, as it had to suit the family’s busy life style.

CLIENT REQUIREMENTS:

· Function. Function. Function

· Must cater to their families busy lives

· Long 4m island unit

· Eat in kitchen

· Organization

· Quality materials, fixtures & fittings a MUST

· Convey Warmth

· Something different – did not want a run of the mill kitchen

· Cater to large extended family get together

· Work with plumbing layouts & adjoining laundry location.

CONSTRAINTS:

· Heritage

· Clients expectation of perfection

· Had to work with plumbing set in concrete

· Had to have direct access to adjoining laundry

Design Statement - How the requirements of the client brief were achieved & problems solved

The arrival into this space is simply breath taking! Upon entry you are struck by the charming restoration work that has resurrected this lovely cottage. Period details abound within a modern context of todays living requirements. As you progress, one is then greeted with a glass ceiling connection. Here history stops and today begins. The space opens to a crisp, modern living area. This kitchen was to be unlike any other, a stand out piece of joinery that would integrate the clients’ desires of modern functional living.

The rationale of the designer had to be different in this project. Many aspects had to be considered. The island unit at 4 metres or as close to as possible; the access to the laundry had to be through the kitchen; and the plumbing for the sink in the island could not move. A gallery style kitchen was chosen for the layout.

The designer addressed the laundry access as it played a large part in the accessibility to the kitchen; and its integration was high on the designer’s list. To solve this, the tall pantry, refrigerator and oven towers were created adjacent to the laundry access. All these tall elements: the doors, the laundry wall and its door were finished in the selected warm veneer, cleverly concealing not only the laundry entry, but also, the refrigeration, pantry and oven towers. The remaining wall elevation of joinery was utilised for the cooktop and preparation set-downs either side. There is plenty of deep drawer storage under bench (700mm deep benchtops) for the clients need for total organisation. Cooking paraphernalia is only an arms length away. The overheads units are all electronic. A simple touch of a button and the doors lift by way of a bi-fold mechanism with Blum Servo Drive to completely reveal glassware and other small items. The overheads also conceal the rangehood unit, ensuring the clean lines and furniture like appearance remains intact.

One major challenge to the designer was the late engagement. Commencement on the design ensued after the concrete slab had been poured. Therefore the sink waste had already been positioned within island location and could not be moved. Luckily the request for a long island unit was achievable and within this the double bowl sink was positioned. Also along the island unit the dishwasher, recycling bins and further deep drawer storage. An open section was also added so face to face discussions could happen or for when informal dining on the stools was chosen. A dining table was added at the end of the space for the family gatherings and meals, another client request. The warmth of a solid walnut timber top was chosen which tied all timber finishes together within the kitchen.

As the kitchen was only part of the overall project for the designer, it meant a large format tile, which was sourced for the bathrooms (3000mm x 1000mm x 6mm) could also be used to tie in the interior scheme in this area. To compliment this a matching plain grey tile of the same size was applied to the floor. These tiles were special order from Italy meaning thorough planning and setout with quantities had to be prepared very early. These tiles added extra warmth and texture to the palette of timber and whites, which included large solid surface benchtops and a crisp white paint finish.

Complimented with top quality appliances and state of the art hardware and fittings, this kitchen design oozes perfection, to the point of house envy even to the designers themselves! We are thrilled with the result of this kitchen project, keep a watch out as there are three amazing bathrooms that will come with this amazing kitchen design.