Leave the pendants for a while. They are already there and you might get used to them.

What else is bothering you?

I’m really not sure. Just a bit underwhelmed I guess, I was really hoping to LOVE it. I was keen to hear other‘s perspectives.

I think that once you take all the leftover builders stuff away and add barstools it will look good. I love the benchtops.

I’d remove the box behind the sink and add a timber door to pantry to match the colour of the gorgeous overhead beam. If you cat fit door just put the trim in, which will be needed to protect the corners anyway. Overhang of bench is huge. Add a slim cupboard all the way along facing out for storage of things like vases

Who designed it? There are lots of good elements but they clash and are not working harmoniously, such as the angled wall and the angled projecting overheads. I love the industrial truss over the kitchen which is a strange contrast with the panelled cabinetwork doors. The kitchen doors don't match the laundry cabinetwork beyond. There isn't enough room to swing a frypan handle on the stove as you will hit the panel for the fridge cavity. You may also need to watch the distance between the gas elements and the side panel to the fridge recess - there are building regulations regarding distances between gas rings and flammable materials.

The post-modern architect Robert Venturi said "I speak of a complex and contradictory architecture based on the richness and ambiguity of modern experience, including that experience which is inherent in art... I welcome the problems and exploit the uncertainties... I like elements which are hybrid rather than "pure", compromising rather than "clean", ...accommodating rather than excluding... I am for messy vitality over obvious unity... I prefer "both-and" to "either-or", black and white, and sometimes gray, to black or white... An architecture of complexity and contradiction must embody the difficult unity of inclusion rather than the easy unity of exclusion."

Based on this quote I would say that you have a post-modern inspired kitchen. The easiest fix would be to fall in love with post-modern architecture!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postmodern_architecture

If you engaged a professional designer I would be providing feedback about how unhappy you are to see if they have any suggestions. If you designed it yourself then you have just learnt an expensive lesson about what professional designers do for a living.

Best of luck,

Dr Retro

of Dr Retro House Calls

I absolutely love the white kitchen an the colour of the wood is beautiful.

In my opinion, the pendant lights aren't the problem. Because of the angle of the kitchen, the room is looking a bit dark. I think the splashback colour is too busy for the room and something lighter on that wall would bring more light in. Photo below just as an idea if you were to replace it with something white and less busy.

Good Luck! :)

Thankyou all so much for your comments. I was so hoping it was just a matter of changing the lights, but I see now it is a bigger issue than that. And yes, all my own design I’m afraid, no one else to blame! First time builder getting too carried away watching the Block!
The door beyond is the butlers pantry. I should definitely have put a door in there.
This is the rest of the room.

The pendants are the least of the problems.
Position of stove top while cooking will scorch the fridge panel. Hope it doesn’t catch fire.
Top rhs cupboard is weird, protruding out from bulkhead , r they too deep? Maybe shelves.?
Colours are fine, configuration is wrong.

Here are a few tweaks and gentle suggestions that might help your kitchen blend a bit more without spending heaps and losing your mind!

1. If you can afford it i would change the range hood for an integrated version that is within a cabinet. You can buy these or custom make the shell and install the range hood after. Choose a cabinet designed for this purpose. It should allow sufficient room between hob and fan and cupboard design needs to match existing of course. Have a chat with someone about that panel separating cooker from fridge. perhaps you can place a protective glass splash back there to prevent burning. This will create a safer cooking area.
2. Keep the backsplash and change the green colour of the room to a much lighter neutral shade that complements the back splash. Go lighter to create space and ask for advice from local paint providers. Do a couple of testers before deciding as the colours look very different on the walls. Go lighter every time is my tip
3. The industrial beams.. i like them and they are very overwhelming in their current colour. Could you consider painting them white? It will raise the ceiling, draw your eye back to the middle of the room rather than upwards and take away the cramped style. This will also work much better for your kitchen.
4. Remove the splash box in front of your sink. This is not necessary. Take that right off!😆 do it now!
5. Are the top cupboards cream or is that simply the light? If they are cream i might make them white to match the bases. If they are white - see comment about the beams to reduce this effect
6. Review your lights when you have addressed the above. You might find they work really well.
7. The door is not necessarily needed on the pantry. Why not review this after changing things and you could consider an inner sliding door if you need one

Those are my thoughts. Have a beer and then start with that cooker area and the paint choice.
Best of luck

Take heart even designers aren’t perfect but get lots of practice.
Have had another look. Remove all the overhead cabinets including fridge panel beside stove and put them and fridge in the pantry adding a new base and bench in kitchen. Add shelves if needed and tile up to bulkhead.

Paint colour can be changed later if needed. Get yourself in and watch the colours change before making that decision.
What a stunning view. Enjoy

I think you have overall done a good job, it’s not always easy to envisage the end result but I will say I think the overhang on your countertop is way too big and the box in front of the sink is totally unnecessary

A simple and cheap fix would be to change the green wall paint. It is dragging the kitchen and wood and splash backs into an awful clash. The comments which point out that you need space either side of the stove are correct.

That is one big gorgeous room with a stunning out look, I agree that a few things need adjusting in the kitchen, Do you have a floor plan with dimensions you could post.

1) the island benchtop is too deep, it would be better to have another lot of 30cm deep cabinets in front of the existing 60cm ?, you can use push opening on the doors.

2) the fridge and cooktop are an accident waiting to happen and will feel very restricted while cooking. can the fridge be moved into the WIP, you don't need a door to clutter that corner. I would then run the benchtop across to the WIP wall this will open up the cooktop.?

3) The wall cabinets are a bit tragic could they just be open shelves, by removing the doors

4)And the sink box isn't a great idea but if that's how you like it that's OK.

I think by doing some of the the above will make a difference, the lights over the island will look lovely when everything is finished cheers

Donski, how lucky are you to have such a gorgeous home in such a beautiful location. I am glad that you are not too overwhelmed by the constructive criticism....I was really starting to feel for you and how disappointed you could become. It is all great advice that you have received. I havent read all of the posts, but what is the overall look of the house that you are trying to achieve (or are you like me in that you like many different features in homes and can never quite get them to work together).......To me, you gorgeous high ceilings and beams and the amazing view are the features. You could make everything else in your home very simple to accentuate the view. If it were me and it wasn't going to be greater cost in the future to do so, I would just live with what I had designed (unless there is an obvious quick fix), and after having living at the property for a while, and seeing what works together and what doesn't, when all of your belongings are in the home, then it may become obvious what to do. I don't mind the pendant lights - maybe they could have been clear in colour - but if you don't feel they add anything to the room, and aren't required, then maybe you are still able to return them, even if for a lower price.....I did a similar thing with my kitchen...I had the electricians rough in for pendant lights but when I saw the light created by the downlights, I realised that the pendants werent required and they didn't really add anything to the space. In your case, they may actually diminish or clutter your beautiful view from the kitchen. Maybe the shades of green between feature and walls dont perfectly match, but as said above, I have seen many designer kitchens and bathrooms in which this is the case. The key is to get the right designer and that is sometimes difficult......I see Dr Retro has commented....I have seen many of his posts and he always gives great advice, as do others above that I have seen post often. I am definitely no design expert, but I see my sister always pull colours together by just repeating that colour elsewhere in the space. Perhaps just by ensuring that there are touches of your splashback colour elsewhere in that space. Re the overhang on the bench, you don't seem to have an issue with space at your house, like I do, but it may be an opportunity to put more storage space under the overhang, even it was just open shelving under there???? Good luck for the rest of your project. A big task to take on.

I don’t think the extra leg room under bench top will prove a problem. But again, for non expensive measures I would move the fridge into the butlers pantry and extend the bench top beside the stove; consider removing the cabinets and replace with shelves

wow, everyone, I really do appreciate the time you’ve taken. I’m studying each comment and letting them sink in. I will wait and move in and live with it, at least for a few months, but I can now see a much better kitchen in my head as a result of your suggestions. Really appreciated.

Great idea Donski568. We all second burped choices. I’m sure you’ll love living there and like us all continue to tweak thinks.

Second burped choices !? Ummm, we do?

Kudos to Dr Retro for the first Venturi quote I have heard in the last 20 years! Great memories

Wow I thought I typed second guess our choices. I do need to proof read more. You should see the texts I send from my Apple Watch :)

I can imagine !!

I'm so sorry you are having trouble! I love that you went for colour but the wall colour isn't right, changing this would be a massive improvement in regards to the colour scheme - cheaper than changing the tiles too and I'm assuming you loved these..? A cool neutral would be perfect, it will compliment the turquoise and compliment the warmth of the timber, stark white of the cabinetry and even pull in those (in my opinion) lovely pendants! Here are some suggestions but definitely get test pots!

https://www.dulux.com.au/colour/whites-and-neutrals/popular-neutrals#!/colour/dulux_dulux_26174

https://www.dulux.com.au/colour/whites-and-neutrals/popular-neutrals#!/colour/dulux_dulux_26028

https://www.dulux.com.au/colour/whites-and-neutrals/popular-neutrals#!/colour/dulux_dulux_26045

Best of luck!

I’d paint the walls white and get a coloured glass splash back in one colour. It would brighten and simplify the space. The bench tops look lovely.

All the comments above are valid,

I just think the overhead cabinet is the culprit here. Its style does not match anything else, and neither emphasize nor enhance the angled wall at all, its just like you found something that fits and bolted it there, and its drawing my eye straight to it.

You need to soften that area. Try either put false panel in front of that rangehood or make all open shelves, going through the rangehood. That will make things more integrated.

Fridge is in a wrong place, as everyone has pointed out. Are you sure you don't have any other place to put it in? Maybe outside the kitchen, behind the camera where you took that photo.

Or even tuck it inside butler.

Stick with maximum 2 styles and repeat. 3 materials at the most.

I luv the houzers idea of additional cupboards on the bench overhang, I think it will look like a big island,
and look more balanced.
Fabulous photos of your home . Stunning.
Don’t forget deep draws if you haven’t got them already!
Goodluck .

Try this idea. open shelvings on Red. put false panels to hide the rangehood top.
Those nice high skirtings on the floor will tie everything up.

I agree with others. Take down the overhead cupboards. Install timber shelving in the same wood as the bench or beams.
I would also remove fridge space, and extend bench. Maybe install a underbench fridge in that space, for every day items, milk etc. and if possible put large fridge into butlers pantry.
Remove box from sink area. Extend the tiling at the sink, so it is the same width as the bench.

And be careful of this. This won't look good. It looks like a 'patch' than a design solution. You perhaps can add shelving on top of this as an ending cap. Or a chalkboard to do list. Either way please give this a nice ending.