Room of the Week: An Apartment Kitchen Gets a Sensational Re-Fit
A drab unit is unrecognisable after a dramatic makeover featuring textured tiles and luxe finishes
Georgia Madden
13 May 2019
In a Q&A format, we talk to the designers – and examine the creative thinking – behind some of Houzz’s most loveable rooms.
Images by Simon Whitbread
Answers by Alexandra Kidd, interior designer and principal at Alexandra Kidd Design
Who lives here: A couple
Location: Surry Hills, NSW
Room purpose: An open-plan eat-in kitchen
Room size: 10 square metres
Approximate budget: $60,000
Brief
To turn a two-bedroom, inner-city apartment into a luxurious, one-bedroom pad that’s perfect for entertaining and contemporary, urban living.
Answers by Alexandra Kidd, interior designer and principal at Alexandra Kidd Design
Who lives here: A couple
Location: Surry Hills, NSW
Room purpose: An open-plan eat-in kitchen
Room size: 10 square metres
Approximate budget: $60,000
Brief
To turn a two-bedroom, inner-city apartment into a luxurious, one-bedroom pad that’s perfect for entertaining and contemporary, urban living.
What wasn’t working about the original kitchen?
It was completely cut off from the living and entertaining spaces with a high servery that restricted the entertainers’ connection to their guests and living space.
It was completely cut off from the living and entertaining spaces with a high servery that restricted the entertainers’ connection to their guests and living space.
What was on the clients’ wish list?
A green wall on the balcony adjacent to the kitchen so they
could use herbs from here in their cooking. It was also intended to create a nice sense of flow between inside and out.
A green wall on the balcony adjacent to the kitchen so they
could use herbs from here in their cooking. It was also intended to create a nice sense of flow between inside and out.
Starting point
The textural white ceramic Diamante 74300 tiles from Academy Tiles used on the splashback. Because the kitchen is so open to the living space, the kitchen needed to feel like it was ‘dressed’ and furnished rather than just a utilitarian space. This textural splashback tile creates a beautiful, detailed backdrop for the living space. We’ve run it the full length of the kitchen and into the dining area, and from here it’s also visually part of the living area.
We selected the other finishes in the kitchen and dining area to work around this intricate and unexpected tile. It really ties the three spaces – living, dining and kitchen – together in an effortless yet sophisticated way.
The textural white ceramic Diamante 74300 tiles from Academy Tiles used on the splashback. Because the kitchen is so open to the living space, the kitchen needed to feel like it was ‘dressed’ and furnished rather than just a utilitarian space. This textural splashback tile creates a beautiful, detailed backdrop for the living space. We’ve run it the full length of the kitchen and into the dining area, and from here it’s also visually part of the living area.
We selected the other finishes in the kitchen and dining area to work around this intricate and unexpected tile. It really ties the three spaces – living, dining and kitchen – together in an effortless yet sophisticated way.
What exactly did you do?
- Opened up the kitchen to connect it to the dining and living areas.
- Introduced a moody, masculine and sexy palette with layers of texture and metallic accents.
- Turned the second bedroom into a dressing room.
Thinking behind the arrangement of furniture/fixtures
We wanted the kitchen to have wow factor in keeping with our clients’ love of entertaining. It’s also very much the heart of this home, so we wanted to put it at the centre of the apartment.
We opened up the kitchen and connected the dining area to the island to increase the living space.
We wanted the kitchen to have wow factor in keeping with our clients’ love of entertaining. It’s also very much the heart of this home, so we wanted to put it at the centre of the apartment.
We opened up the kitchen and connected the dining area to the island to increase the living space.
We love the textural contrast here – tell us about it
The contrast between the dark-grey cabinetry, Calacatta marble, textural splashback and copper detailing creates a relaxed yet luxurious feel.
The contrast between the dark-grey cabinetry, Calacatta marble, textural splashback and copper detailing creates a relaxed yet luxurious feel.
Why did you add the floating shelf?
To allow us to furnish the cooking space with artwork and objets d’art so it would feel like an extension of the living space.
It was balanced with the same shelf on the opposite living room wall.
To allow us to furnish the cooking space with artwork and objets d’art so it would feel like an extension of the living space.
It was balanced with the same shelf on the opposite living room wall.
What challenges did you work around?
Budget was – and always is – a challenge. But keeping a clear vision of the brief and design direction allowed us to make alternative selections and be smarter in those choices. The splashback tile was actually one of those decisions and as it turns out, the perfect one!
Why do you think this room works?
The different materials are inviting and practical for everyday modern living and also create drama – ideal for an entertaining space at the centre of the home.
Budget was – and always is – a challenge. But keeping a clear vision of the brief and design direction allowed us to make alternative selections and be smarter in those choices. The splashback tile was actually one of those decisions and as it turns out, the perfect one!
Why do you think this room works?
The different materials are inviting and practical for everyday modern living and also create drama – ideal for an entertaining space at the centre of the home.
Key pieces of furniture/fittings:
- Abey Tonk D-B kitchen mixer tap with pull-out from Winning Appliances.
- Innermost Glaze copper and white pendant lights from ECC Lighting & Furniture.
- Siemens cooktop.
- Copper extraction unit custom-designed and manufactured by the builder, Blackwood Builders.
- Ley dining chairs from Poliform.
Materials palette:
Tell us
Are you as wowed by the this makeover as we are? Tell us your favourite elements in the Comments below, save the images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Want more interior design inspiration? Check out last week’s Room of the Week: A Classic Living Room With Elegant Arches
- Diamante 74300 white ceramic tiles from Academy Tiles on splashback.
- Honed Calacatta marble benchtop from Granite and Marble Works.
- Copper trim by Blackwood Builders.
- Polyurethane kitchen joinery
- Custom-stained timber flooring from Eurostyle Timber Floors.
- Walls and joinery painted in Dulux Malay Grey.
Tell us
Are you as wowed by the this makeover as we are? Tell us your favourite elements in the Comments below, save the images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Want more interior design inspiration? Check out last week’s Room of the Week: A Classic Living Room With Elegant Arches
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Very interesting use of space - and yes, I loved the light fittings and
the copper accents. Would have loved to see pix of the rest of the
area, including what was round the corner in that kitchen! And the green wall outside of course! (I have just dug deeper and spotted the luxurious bed and bath rooms, plus little corners in living area.)
Beautiful
Love the aesthetic, warmth but still crisp and fresh and modern. The copper details are really clever - nice accents but the commitment is not too huge if the owner wants to change it up in a few years.