Room Of The Week
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Room of the Week: A Colourful Wood Kitchen With Art at its Heart
A hugely functional kitchen allows this family to ramp up the cooking, all within gaze of a a bright, enticing artwork
In a Q&A format, we talk to the designers – and examine the creative thinking – behind some of Houzz’s most loveable rooms.
Brief
The client originally found us on Houzz while living in Seattle, USA. They flew out to interview us, then flew straight home. We designed and managed the job via Skype (and huge bank transfers). They arrived the day after it was finished… phew!
Find a local kitchen designer and renovator on Houzz to design your dream kitchen
The client originally found us on Houzz while living in Seattle, USA. They flew out to interview us, then flew straight home. We designed and managed the job via Skype (and huge bank transfers). They arrived the day after it was finished… phew!
Find a local kitchen designer and renovator on Houzz to design your dream kitchen
In terms of a brief, they wanted a very functional kitchen that could also double as the hub of the home. They were adamant that they did not want people sitting at the island bench and insisted that everyone sit together at the dining table.
The woman ran a boutique bakery and delivered to high-end Silicon Valley companies in the USA. She downsized a little from her huge commercial kitchen but still had so much baking equipment; we needed to reconfigure the whole area and steal space from the main bathroom to squeeze in a butler’s pantry.
They wanted the warmth of timber but not the heaviness, so we focused on a feature island bench in American walnut and kept the rest of the cabinets lighter in a vivid white satin two-pack polyurethane.
The woman ran a boutique bakery and delivered to high-end Silicon Valley companies in the USA. She downsized a little from her huge commercial kitchen but still had so much baking equipment; we needed to reconfigure the whole area and steal space from the main bathroom to squeeze in a butler’s pantry.
They wanted the warmth of timber but not the heaviness, so we focused on a feature island bench in American walnut and kept the rest of the cabinets lighter in a vivid white satin two-pack polyurethane.
Starting point
The wall in the dining room was the only one in the house that would fit this artwork, ‘Firebird Petrushka’ by Boris Bucan. so we started around that.
We also wanted to use tiles that most of the world hadn’t seen. We found the amazing handmade tiles from Smink Things in the UK. The artist, Marianne Smink, has a bit of a cult following there. We love her work.
The wall in the dining room was the only one in the house that would fit this artwork, ‘Firebird Petrushka’ by Boris Bucan. so we started around that.
We also wanted to use tiles that most of the world hadn’t seen. We found the amazing handmade tiles from Smink Things in the UK. The artist, Marianne Smink, has a bit of a cult following there. We love her work.
Materials palette: American oak joinery. Walls, doors and ceiling in Dulux Whisper White. Benchtop in 20-millimetre Quantum Quartz Michelangelo Quartz with a 40-millimetre mitred return.
Key pieces of furniture:
The table is the 19th century Kerala rectangular dining table from Restoration Hardware. The wishbone chairs are from the Danish Design Store.
Light fittings over the island bench are the Lambert Pendants from LightCo. The Grand Brass Dome pendant over the dining table is from Restoration Hardware.
The table is the 19th century Kerala rectangular dining table from Restoration Hardware. The wishbone chairs are from the Danish Design Store.
Light fittings over the island bench are the Lambert Pendants from LightCo. The Grand Brass Dome pendant over the dining table is from Restoration Hardware.
Thinking behind the arrangement of furniture/fixtures
The function of the kitchen needed to suit someone who could potentially go into ‘commercial cook’ mode without the rest of the family in the way.
The butler’s pantry is for storage of excess baking goods but also where coffee and tea is made, along with other drinks and snacks. The man of the house was banished to the pantry with his beautiful coffee machine!
As the dining room was so important to our client, it is bright, colourful and enjoys the full northern sun year-round.
The function of the kitchen needed to suit someone who could potentially go into ‘commercial cook’ mode without the rest of the family in the way.
The butler’s pantry is for storage of excess baking goods but also where coffee and tea is made, along with other drinks and snacks. The man of the house was banished to the pantry with his beautiful coffee machine!
As the dining room was so important to our client, it is bright, colourful and enjoys the full northern sun year-round.
What challenges did you face?
Squeezing as much storage as possible into an average-size kitchen, while still having some open storage for quirky pieces.
Ensuring the bathroom was still functional while stealing space from it.
And coming up with a palette and joinery design that didn’t dominate but remained quirky and interesting. Our cabinetmaker (thankfully) is a wonderful ‘old school’ craftsperson… it would have been impossible without him.
Squeezing as much storage as possible into an average-size kitchen, while still having some open storage for quirky pieces.
Ensuring the bathroom was still functional while stealing space from it.
And coming up with a palette and joinery design that didn’t dominate but remained quirky and interesting. Our cabinetmaker (thankfully) is a wonderful ‘old school’ craftsperson… it would have been impossible without him.
Your turn
What do you love about this kitchen? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Craving more great interiors? Take a look at last week’s
Room of the Week: Featureless Backyard to Tropical Retreat
What do you love about this kitchen? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Craving more great interiors? Take a look at last week’s
Room of the Week: Featureless Backyard to Tropical Retreat
Answers and styling by Jo-Anne Balchin, director, Key Piece
Who lives here: An entrepreneurial couple in their mid-30s and their two-year-old, who recently returned from the USA
Location: Canterbury, Melbourne
Room size: 4.24 x 3.15 metres without the butler’s pantry (7 x 3.1 metres including the butler’s pantry)
Budget: $500,000 for the whole house.
Designer: Key Piece