Pared-back Contemporary Kitchen Design Adelaide | SpaceCraft | Projects

BLD283896

Christine Keith

When one door closed for Christine & Keith, another opened into a new kitchen.

Price guide*: $40K - $45K

Specifications
Carcase/Internals:   Melamine high moisture resistant interiors/shelving in White 16mm by Polytec (BORG)   Door/Drawer/Panel/Kicker:   Base fronts, kickers & 25mm floating shelves in Perugian Walnut Woodmatt Melamine by Polytec (BORG), Tall section and overheads – 2pac satin finish in Dulux Lexicon Half by Redwood   Feature:   Back panelling & steccawood rails in Angora Oak Woodmatt Melamine by Polytec (BORG)   Drawer Hardware:   Intivo Blumotion soft close drawers in White by BLUM   Top: 20mm w/ 20mm overhang on exposed edges in Eternal Statuario by Silestone   Hinges:   Soft close by BLUM from FHS   Handles:   Rappana Pulls in Stainless Steel to Base Cabinets by ABI   Handles:   Custom handle to fridge in Polytec Perugian Walnut Woodmatt Melamine by SpaceCraft   Waste Management:   3 Liner system, 2 x 35L + 1 x 21L, 1460438  by Lincoln Sentry   Oven:   60cm PureLine Pyrolytic Built-in Oven, H7464BP by Miele   Oven:   45cm PureLine Compact Combi-Steam Oven, DGC7440 by Miele   Other:   Warming Drawer, ESW7020 by Miele   Cooktop:   FL Induction Cooktop, KM7678 by Miele   Rangehood:   Built in Rangehood, DA2390 by Miele     Dishwasher:   SCVi Fully integrated, G6660 by Miele   Fridge:   344L Integrated Fridge, SIKB3550LH by Liebherr   Sink:   Spectra – undermount in Stainless Steel, SB6355 by Oliveri   Tapware:   Galiano pull-down mixer in Brushed Nickel, 17520311 by Greens   Splashback:   Handmade, glazed Moroccan tiles from Ecotile Factory   Lighting:   LED strip lighting to underside of overheads in Warm White by Hettich from FHS   Flooring: Existing timber

*Price guide includes: cabinetry, tops and splash backs. Exclusions: appliances, electrical, and plumbing

The Brief

...So, rule number one was that the kitchen’s footprint had to stay put....

Christine & Keith live with their adult children (except the one in England, of course) and their dog, Eddie, in a gracious townhouse in Lower Mitcham. It’s a big family and they love to entertain with big cook-ups and lots of laughter. Christine is the resident chef and she bakes a sourdough loaf the Lauckes would be proud of. The problem has always been the kitchen. Whilst the home was only built just over 20 years ago, it was one area they’ve just never been completely in love with: a bit too cottage cream and piney for their liking. Plus, importantly, the layout just didn’t work for them.

You can’t complain about the position (and who would?) as it looks out through the veranda to the garden and a glistening pool. So, rule number one was that the kitchen’s footprint had to stay put. That said, they also wanted to connect the kitchen more to the adjacent living rooms. To aid in that effort, they were adamant they didn’t want a breakfast bar. Seeing the island back was a brick wall, this would need to be removed. Did somebody say ‘brick dust’?

Overall, what they really wanted was a bit of inspiration – a bit of the old kitchen-whisperer magic – as they hoped the style Nathan would design for this area would set the theme for them to redecorate the rest of the home. On that score, they wanted to introduce some modern, contemporary influences, so long as they ‘didn’t stick out like a sore thumb’ with the rest of the home’s architecture (quite right). Its soaring ceilings already provided good bones to build on. Colour-wise, instead of the cream, they had a mind to go monochromatic and neutral tones.

As far as specifics, Christine’s first wish was to maximise storage space. (Then again, have we ever had a brief that hasn’t had that rider?) Second to that, she wanted all the bench space we could win her and all at one level (delete the modesty step) with a marble or marble-look top. She also wanted some open shelving to display some of her prized treasures and birthday gifts. These include a gorgeous Jam Factory vase, a marble pear, a pomegranate drawn by one friend, and
ceramics made by another. Lucky girl!

Our Design Resolution

...The vertical lines accentuate the ceiling height and make it feel majestic....

What Nathan designed for Christine and Keith has transformed the space and given their home a far more timeless feel. Everything is lean and clean, linked and flowing. The vertical lines accentuate the ceiling height and make it feel majestic. It might be the same footprint, but you’d swear it was bigger. Cottage cream has given way to bright white and more light. But as yin to the yang, he’s tempered that by adding the warmth of Polytec Woodmatt melamine: Perugian Walnut for the base fronts, kickers and the floating shelves; Angora Oak for the back panelling and concealed rangehood/shelving.

All the appliances are integrated into the cabinetry to maintain that purity of line: the Miele steam oven, pyrolytic oven and warming drawer are all in the tower next to the hidden-in-plain-sight Liebherr fridge, with its Perugian Walnut custom handle, whilst the Miele dishwasher is perfectly at hand beneath the counter.

It’s the little details Nathan creates that make the difference. Like the surprising timber-feature ribbing on the counter front. Just what Christine had in mind. And to answer her call for storage, there’s the push-to-open cabinets that stretch all the way to the ceiling, and drawer space aplenty. Out of sight, Nathan has even got the recycling sorted, literally, with a three-bin Lincoln Sentury system. Finally, to top it all off, there’s the Silestone Eternal Statuario marble-look stone benchtop. The perfect platform for when Christine feels the need for a knead.

One further thing: although Christine and Keith might not have a butler, they will soon have a pantry befitting one. At the time of writing, we were still decking out the walk-in with stacks of storage, a Liebherr freezer, the microwave and all those other small appliances that either sit around the kitchen bench looking messy or sit in a cupboard and never get used. Like we said at the beginning: if one door closes, don’t fret. The next one that opens just might reveal the kitchen (and pantry) of your dreams. And our door’s always open.

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