This project was a little unique, in that it was the first that was done completely remotely from initial client briefing through to contract documentation. Located on the other side of the country, in the leafy suburb of South Perth, Western Australia, this two-level red brick townhouse with a beige interior was built in the early 1990s and is long overdue for a makeover.

Key points of the initial brief from the client:

• It had to be a design that would last in her forever home. The client didn’t want to have to refurbish or upgrade anything ever again!
• It needed to incorporate clever storage ideas.
• The design needed to be classic and relatively neutral in terms of colours and fixtures so as not to date quickly, as well as a cool colour palette.
• The budget could only accommodate minor structural changes. These were mainly incorporated into the center of the ground floor where a ‘bottleneck’ exists between the entrances leading into the laundry, powder room, and storage cupboard which are very close and adjacent to the kitchen.
• A better flow and connection between the kitchen, dining area, and courtyard
• Seating in the small dining area to accommodate up to 15 guests and the overall kitchen/ dining area to be more user-friendly for entertaining

When initially discussing ideas with the client, I noticed that she liked elements from various interior design styles and eras that wouldn’t necessarily work together homogeneously or suit the 90’s built structure that is also part of a body corporate.

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The first step was to go through a discovery phase and define what her style was and how I was going to incorporate her own personality into the spaces to create a meaningful and lasting design.

A Mid-century interior was the preference, although discussed that replicating a mid-century design would look out of place in a ’90s built structure. I presented a concept that subtly incorporates some mid-century details into the design but they are used in a modern way. Finishes such as walnut veneer, reeded glass, grey smoked mirror, timber-framed elements, smoked glass wall lights, and Serge Mouille feature lighting have been incorporated.

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The kitchen layout has to be one of our favourite new spaces as it's now more user-friendly with all of the awkward corner cabinets removed. The layout is also better for entertaining with the original high section of the island bench removed, previously creating a visual barrier between the dining area and kitchen. The sink is closer to the window and frees up the space on the island bench where Helen can be preparing in the kitchen while chatting to guests as they mingle in the dining area. A breakfast bar has also been added to the courtyard window with direct access to the kitchen.

Bench seating and an extendable dining table allows for flexible seating arrangements along with additional storage.

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Cool grey tones in the tiles, stone, and tinted mirror compliment the walnut veneer used throughout, along with the gunmetal fixtures with knurled texture, which again adds contrast and sophistication to the overall palette.

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Check out what our lovely client had to say here!