Albert Park Project. The initial brief for this project was to prepare a master plan for a proposed reconfiguration and extension to the owners’ existing double fronted Victorian home incorporating a new living and study extension, kitchen, bathroom ensuite, robes and courtyard landscaping. The proposed construction was then broken down into three distinct stages. Stage 1, the kitchen (complete), stage 2, the living & study extension (due for completion early 2011) and finally stage 3 the bathroom, ensuite and robes.

The brief for the kitchen pictured here was to reconfigure or relocate the existing dated kitchen to make better use of the adjacent living and dining spaces, while providing a compact and functional kitchen, maximising storage and minimising clutter. This kitchen was to be the owners’ ‘final kitchen’ so it was crucial to get the design right, from the placement of appliances, ease of use of cabinetry and for a design that will not date. In response to the brief to maximise storage while reducing clutter, the entire end wall of the kitchen comprises floor to ceiling cabinetry extending beyond the kitchen bench into the adjacent living space.

The front and rear stone bench tops continue inside the end cabinets, forming appliance storage, with multiple power-points within, eliminating the need for appliances to sit in view on the bench-tops. Miele Cooking appliances were installed – a 2 burner gas hob sits alongside a 2 element induction cooktop so that the owners can enjoy the benefits of induction technology while still being able to use favoured pans that do not work with induction cooking. The ‘best of both worlds’. The existing timber floorboards were sanded and sealed along with the boards in the adjacent living/dining areas. A different floor finish was not installed within the kitchen to increase the sense of space in the overall area. An all-white colour scheme (with the exception of the glowing Baltic Pine floorboards) was selected after considering a range of colour approaches so that the kitchen blends into the open plan living space without becoming the ‘hero’ of the space and allowing colour to be introduced week to week by the owners through the placement of vases, bowls etc.

This project was featured in "Best Kitchens & Bathrooms" published by Abode in February 2011.