“So, what’s your budget?” The question that some clients embrace, sends some dancing and has some plainly dodging.

That is all fine and fair—as dollars and cents can be an uncomfortable topic to speak about, but we are here to make discussing this very important piece of the renovation or building puzzle a little more bearable.

Let’s dive into the details of some of our previous projects and talk $$$$.

To start us off, we have the ever playful and chic kitchen of Bonnie & Adam.  A little about this wonder project—This kitchen would be considered small (under 15m²) but as you will see and read, small was not in our vocabulary when it came to the overall design intent and palette.

Using a clever mix of humble melamine and the natural beauty of solid timber for the joinery, we were able to elevate the palette without blowing the budget. The addition of a slimline engineered stone benchtop and feature tile was the cherry on top of this neat kitchen.  A kitchen of this size and materiality can see prices starting from $30K to $35K.

How about something slightly larger? Size-wise, we would consider this kitchen of Daniel and Genevieve to be of medium size, between 15m²—25m² to be a little more precise.

In this impactful space of plywood walls and concrete tiles, the use of birch ply, black traceless melamine joinery and feature concrete benchtops create a moody, minimalists dream kitchen. We also created some extra interest with the use of a custom plywood framework detail within the joinery. There was careful consideration within the selection of handles and splashback tile, making sure to add another level of ‘perfectly polished’ to the overall design.

Has this kitchen grabbed your attention? Price expectation of a kitchen of this size and materiality can start between $40K to $50K.

Now, as for kitchens that fall under the ‘large’ category—we’re talking anything above the 25m² mark—this one is for you.  A great example that we love to talk about is Suzannah and Shannon’s delightfully functional, detailed and ornate provincial kitchen- you can take a peek here.

We don’t use the words detailed or ornate lightly. Taking inspiration from the old English country homes that our clients had previously lived in, we made use of magnificent hand-carved corbels, curved columns on their feature mantle, as well as Tuscan benchtop molds and plinth bases to their island. A two-pack paint finish was used on the profiled cabinetry doors, complimented by solid timber benchtops.

In case you are wondering, in contrast to the last two project examples, using a two-pack finish in comparison to a melamine finish can see a significant upward variance in cost. Same goes with natural timber products or custom profiled or routed finishes.

Back to Suzannah and Shannon’s kitchen, it would be remiss of us not to mention details like the feature framed glass overhead display doors, plate racks, Tuscan cornicing with dental detail and concealed internal hardware to make life a little more organised and practical.

With all the above features and finishes in mind, a kitchen of this size and level of detail can be expected to price upwards of $65K.

Our team believes in a transparent, judgement-free approach to budget as we understand all our clients arrive at our door (or emails in most cases) from an assortment of situations, so no two clients are ever the same.  For that matter, no two kitchens or homes are ever the same either.

From different-sized kitchens, to melamine, to feature custom details, to high-end natural stone benchtops to multiple concealed internal hardware options—the variations within a kitchen are truly endless.

It is probably pretty clear at this point that understanding the different components that go into your kitchen can really help you to know what to expect when it comes to getting your kitchen designed and quoted. As for us? Well, because we design everything in-house and manufacture on the very same site, we will be right here to help guide and inform you with your designs and selections so you know precisely how and where your budget may be spent.