With its monochromatic colour tones highlighted by generous polished timber surfaces and a hint of velvet, there’s a touch of “boutique hotel” about this dramatic kitchen.
The brief here was for a linear, minimalist kitchen, showcasing robust materials that embraced a monochrome colour palette and provided a more functional family-friendly zone — a far cry from the original smaller, colonial-country, ’90s space. It’s not difficult to believe that this Smith & Smith Kitchens design exceeded those expectations.
The installation, though, required a complete rethink of the layout. Walls were removed and the existing kitchen’s footprint was scrapped to make the new kitchen dramatic and a central focus of the living area and provide better flow to the rest of the home.
This reconfiguration brought a structural column right into the middle of the new layout, presenting a challenge to the designer who chose to embrace it. Clad and painted in Dulux Monument to match the two-pack texture finish of the cabinetry, it cleverly serves to anchor the space, defining it as a central meeting place. Contrasting White Attica Caesarstone benchtops combined with a thick corner slab of Tasmanian oak offer variations in the horizontal surfaces, and timber pendants, hung at varying heights, all act to integrate the column as an “intentional” design feature.
The designer has worked a similar magic elsewhere, integrating a swathe of quality Fisher & Paykel appliances, and a camouflaged appliance cupboard, into a wall of dark matt cabinetry.
Set within this back wall, a central workspace, comprising a Caesarstone countertop and splashback and Tasmanian oak veneer cabinetry, provides a focal point in lighter tones, balancing the overall feel of the space perfectly.
Design Laly Renehan (Smith & Smith Kitchens)
Build Smith & Smith Kitchens
WE LOVE
The dramatic colour scheme and the velvet barstools, which were intentionally included for a fun factor
FEATURE FOCUS
Cabinetry Two-pack polyurethane texture finish in Dulux Monument and Victorian ash veneer
Hinges & drawers Blum
Bin One2Five by Ninka
Storage Custom integrated appliance cabinet with pocket-sliding doors
Benchtop Caesarstone in White Attica and Victorian ash
Splashback Caesarstone in White Attica
Kickboards Painted in Dulux Monument
Oven & cooktop Fisher & Paykel
Rangehood Fisher & Paykel
Refrigerator Fisher & Paykel
Sink Meir
Lighting Feature pendants and Häfele strip lighting
Bar stools Adairs
FOR MORE INFO
Smith & Smith Kitchens
A 889 Wellington Rd, Rowville Vic
A 860 Doncaster Rd, Doncaster Vic
P 03 9755 4888
E kitchens@smithandsmith.com.au