Real estate experts have convinced many people to play safe and stay neutral with their home décor. By so doing, however, you not only risk making your home a cookie-cutter facsimile of same-sameness but you also deny yourself a creative outlet. It’s more trend-settler than trend-setter. That’s why we urge our clients to answer their inner desires and build the kitchen of their dreams, not someone else’s. It also helps that most of our clients seem to have an eye for design and are building a forever home, rather than a flipper. Here, then, is a perfect example of one couple’s individual vision and how we helped them realise it.

Olivia and Nathan live in an ultra-cool, mid-century home in West Beach that was designed in a U-shape around a courtyard and swimming pool. When our Nathan visited for the first time to consult with them on a new kitchen, he was knocked out by the home’s curvaceous confidence and their sassy use of colour, including the grand, curved entrance hall painted in a soft pink. Channeling his inner Austin Powers, his one-word description was “groovy”. He came away totally inspired (always good).

The greatest challenge on this project wasn’t one we perceived. Rather, it was Olivia who was worried her limited budget wouldn’t stretch to a SpaceCraft Joinery solution. The truth is, while many of our kitchens are more expensive than this one, we relish a budgetary challenge (within reason) as much as a creative one. Especially when it’s a project that excites our Nathan as much as this one did. So, while Olivia definitely wanted something unique, it was going to have to be achieved with some clever, inexpensive solutions. In the end, she was very pleasantly surprised at how reasonable she thought our quote was.
For us, the most important constraint was that the space we had to deal with was long and rectangular, and would incorporate both the dining and living areas. The kitchen, therefore, needed to be relatively compact and meticulously planned. Then again, that’s what we do. The other minor issue that came up was when the tiles Olivia had chosen arrived, they turned out to be a stronger salmon than the pale pink promised. Back to the store with those…

In keeping with the mid-century modern (MCM) vibe of Olivia and Nathan’s home, their carefully collected pieces from that period and their love for the colour pink, our Nathan created a very subtle solution that maximised the utility and minimised the fuss in a unique kitchen design for this small space.

As usual, the answer lies in simplicity and clean lines. But that doesn’t mean being boring. The Polyrey laminate in a delightful blush called Rose Petal, which was matched in two-pack painted perfection to the door that hides the fridge and the overhead cabinets. Mostly, however, the cabinetry is white but edged in blackwood, a favourite timber with furniture makers in the 1970s. The same timber was used to create custom door knobs, fashioned by Auburn Woodturning, and in the uprights for the curved open shelving on the end of the island benches. It’s a romantic retro influence that riffs on the home’s original architecture. Don Draper would feel right at home. (Martini, anyone?)

Despite the inspired pastel colours, nothing shouts at you. The open shelving to display some prized pieces has a sophisticated black shadow line. And remember those wrong-coloured tiles? Instead, Olivia opted for plain white, but with pale pink grout instead to pick up the team theme.

To keep this compact kitchen calm and collected, the fridge and microwave are both integrated into the joinery and hidden behind fascias, and there’s a corner cupboard with a lazy susan pull-out to store the small appliances when not in use. The one visible appliance, the groovy SMEG Victoria retro range that Olivia chose, settles very nicely into its surrounds.

Completing the picture, warm white LED strip lighting is fitted to the underside of the overhead cupboards for task illumination and pale-pink wall planters bring life to the wall above the island. Olivia sourced these pots from EST (Adelaide-based plant stylist, Emma Sadie Thomson) and was delighted with the choices. They just put the (pink) icing on the cake for Olivia and her Nathan, as well as our Nathan.
In fact, our ‘kitchen whisperer’ is rather quite proud of this effort, and he was even happy to be put on record as saying that while it might be “such a simple melamine kitchen, it’s one of our favourites”.