Room of the Week: A Light and Lovely Kitchen Makeover
These homeowners wanted a light and open kitchen with one standout feature: a floor-to-ceiling tiled wall
Vanessa Walker
10 September 2018
Houzz Australia & New Zealand Editor-in-Chief
In a Q&A format, we talk to the designers – and examine the creative thinking – behind some of Houzz’s most loveable rooms.
Photos by Rikki Lancaster
Answers by Hailey McGinty, owner H and G Designs
Who lives here: The home was designed as an investment property for Hailey and her partner. Initially it was an Airbnb property for small groups of up to six people to holiday on the Sunshine Coast, but it’s now for sale.
Location: Maroochydore, Queensland
Room purpose: Kitchen
Scenario: This was a new build, with architect Danuza Rogers. H and G Designs were the builders, interior designers and stylists.
Cost: Approximately $30,000 for the kitchen area (joinery, stone, tiling, PC items).
Answers by Hailey McGinty, owner H and G Designs
Who lives here: The home was designed as an investment property for Hailey and her partner. Initially it was an Airbnb property for small groups of up to six people to holiday on the Sunshine Coast, but it’s now for sale.
Location: Maroochydore, Queensland
Room purpose: Kitchen
Scenario: This was a new build, with architect Danuza Rogers. H and G Designs were the builders, interior designers and stylists.
Cost: Approximately $30,000 for the kitchen area (joinery, stone, tiling, PC items).
Brief
The site is a narrow urban block, so we needed to maximise light and a feeling of openness.
The site is a narrow urban block, so we needed to maximise light and a feeling of openness.
Key design aspects
Colour palette: Light timbers, white, and a mix of greens.
Materials palette: Timber, leather and marble.
Key pieces of furniture: Bespoke nude leather handles by H and G Designs. Mermaid Scallop fishscale tiles in ‘Tumbled Green’ from Ceramica Senio. Hudson bar stools from Mocka. The joinery is StyleLite in Alabaster White and the benchtop is Caesarstone in Organic White.
Colour palette: Light timbers, white, and a mix of greens.
Materials palette: Timber, leather and marble.
Key pieces of furniture: Bespoke nude leather handles by H and G Designs. Mermaid Scallop fishscale tiles in ‘Tumbled Green’ from Ceramica Senio. Hudson bar stools from Mocka. The joinery is StyleLite in Alabaster White and the benchtop is Caesarstone in Organic White.
Thinking behind the arrangement of furniture
We included the fridge space and the pantry in their own little nooks to keep the lines strong when viewing the kitchen. We also opted to not include any overhead cupboards; we made up for this by including a lot of storage in the pantry and under the bench and island. In doing this we were able to run the splashback tiles from the benchtop to the ceiling. The 2.7-metre-high ceilings also made for a striking feature.
We included the fridge space and the pantry in their own little nooks to keep the lines strong when viewing the kitchen. We also opted to not include any overhead cupboards; we made up for this by including a lot of storage in the pantry and under the bench and island. In doing this we were able to run the splashback tiles from the benchtop to the ceiling. The 2.7-metre-high ceilings also made for a striking feature.
Challenges you worked around
On the drawings, we had quite a large air-conditioning duct at the far end of the kitchen; we worked with the mechanical team to remove this duct in order to make the space feel more open. In doing this we ended up with a bench dimension of 5 metres, which is great for useable bench space, but it was just going to look to out of proportion.
On the drawings, we had quite a large air-conditioning duct at the far end of the kitchen; we worked with the mechanical team to remove this duct in order to make the space feel more open. In doing this we ended up with a bench dimension of 5 metres, which is great for useable bench space, but it was just going to look to out of proportion.
To solve this, we finished the bench 1 metre shy of the end wall, and created a circle stand that is attached to the floor and ceiling. It adds some interest and is a great space to display plants and any of those kitchen wares that deserve to be on display rather than in drawers.
Why do you think this room works?
Having a strong feature (in the tumbled marble tiles) and then respecting the feature by not drawing attention away from it.
Having a strong feature (in the tumbled marble tiles) and then respecting the feature by not drawing attention away from it.
Tell us
What do you love about this room? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, save the story, and join in the conversation.
More
Want more inspiring design? Take a look at last week’s Room of the Week: An Ingenious Hidden Kitchen
What do you love about this room? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, save the story, and join in the conversation.
More
Want more inspiring design? Take a look at last week’s Room of the Week: An Ingenious Hidden Kitchen
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I'm in love with the tiles, they are amazing
Love the tiles, but the lack of overhead storage would drive me mad.