Room of the Week: A Kitchen That Doesn't Hide Everyday Clutter
This family asked for an 'honest' kitchen that didn't hide away the accoutrements of cooking or modern living
Vanessa Walker
10 December 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.
Images by Tatjana Plitt Photography
Answers by Zoë Geyer, principal architect, ZGA Studio
Who lives here: A family with three young boys
Location: Hampton, Victoria
Room purpose and size: A 16-square-metre kitchen that opens to the adjacent living room
Answers by Zoë Geyer, principal architect, ZGA Studio
Who lives here: A family with three young boys
Location: Hampton, Victoria
Room purpose and size: A 16-square-metre kitchen that opens to the adjacent living room
Brief
The kitchen was always an important space at the heart of this project. The clients’ early brief was for “somewhere to spend most of our family life, relaxing together, cooking together, eating together”.
The kitchen had to be incredibly functional with a large and versatile cooker and rangehood. The feel of the house was to reflect its beach-side location; to be relaxed but filled with light and connected to the natural world beyond, as well as the large rear garden.
The kitchen is a U-shaped configuration that provides a large overhanging island bench, with stools drawn up for the family to casually gather around.
The kitchen was always an important space at the heart of this project. The clients’ early brief was for “somewhere to spend most of our family life, relaxing together, cooking together, eating together”.
The kitchen had to be incredibly functional with a large and versatile cooker and rangehood. The feel of the house was to reflect its beach-side location; to be relaxed but filled with light and connected to the natural world beyond, as well as the large rear garden.
The kitchen is a U-shaped configuration that provides a large overhanging island bench, with stools drawn up for the family to casually gather around.
Starting point
The kitchen wasn’t supposed to be precious, but rather support the clutter of everyday family life. Materials were selected for durability and warmth, with open shelving above the bench for objects and crockery, and a built-in cookbook shelf next to the cooker.
The kitchen wasn’t supposed to be precious, but rather support the clutter of everyday family life. Materials were selected for durability and warmth, with open shelving above the bench for objects and crockery, and a built-in cookbook shelf next to the cooker.
Key design aspects
Colour palette: Natural tones, whites and greys with timber features.
Materials palette: Maximum ‘Venus’ porcelain benchtop, limed-blackbutt timber veneer cupboards, Dulux ‘Antique White USA’ wall colour, and Academy Tiles ‘Amano Walls’ tiles on splashback.
Key pieces of furniture/fittings: Smeg 90-centimetre ‘Victoria’ freestanding cooker, Astra Walker hob mixer tapware set, Euroluce ‘Mini Glo Ball’ wall light above the sink, and stools selected by the owners.
Colour palette: Natural tones, whites and greys with timber features.
Materials palette: Maximum ‘Venus’ porcelain benchtop, limed-blackbutt timber veneer cupboards, Dulux ‘Antique White USA’ wall colour, and Academy Tiles ‘Amano Walls’ tiles on splashback.
Key pieces of furniture/fittings: Smeg 90-centimetre ‘Victoria’ freestanding cooker, Astra Walker hob mixer tapware set, Euroluce ‘Mini Glo Ball’ wall light above the sink, and stools selected by the owners.
Thinking behind the arrangement of furniture/fixtures
The U-shaped configuration of the kitchen kept it as an open and inviting space for the whole family to use. The kitchen is open-plan with the living space beyond. It blends together the traditional ‘working’ and ‘social’ uses of these spaces for a family who loves to be together and spend time around the rituals of meals.
The kitchen is approached from the dining space and the rest of the house – which is one step up – and can be separated by sliding doors for flexible use and zoning of the spaces. In this arrangement, the kitchen is the area between the dining and living spaces, and is open to both.
The U-shaped configuration of the kitchen kept it as an open and inviting space for the whole family to use. The kitchen is open-plan with the living space beyond. It blends together the traditional ‘working’ and ‘social’ uses of these spaces for a family who loves to be together and spend time around the rituals of meals.
The kitchen is approached from the dining space and the rest of the house – which is one step up – and can be separated by sliding doors for flexible use and zoning of the spaces. In this arrangement, the kitchen is the area between the dining and living spaces, and is open to both.
Challenges you worked around
There were no major challenges in realising the kitchen for this project. Small hiccups along the way were opportunities for fine-tuning the design. For instance, the cabinet maker provided a sample of the limed-timber veneer that showed a lot more of the natural timber colour, but this was approved and has resulted in a much warmer and textured space.
The material originally selected for the grey high ceiling went out of production. However, I tested many approaches and products, and the result was a hand-painted finish on a fibre-cement sheet that is a highlight of the space and echoes some early images the owners provided of spaces they loved.
Being involved during the construction phase of the project allowed the design intent to stay true whenever small issues arose. The outcome is a simple, textural, and light-filled house that reflects the character of this beautiful family.
There were no major challenges in realising the kitchen for this project. Small hiccups along the way were opportunities for fine-tuning the design. For instance, the cabinet maker provided a sample of the limed-timber veneer that showed a lot more of the natural timber colour, but this was approved and has resulted in a much warmer and textured space.
The material originally selected for the grey high ceiling went out of production. However, I tested many approaches and products, and the result was a hand-painted finish on a fibre-cement sheet that is a highlight of the space and echoes some early images the owners provided of spaces they loved.
Being involved during the construction phase of the project allowed the design intent to stay true whenever small issues arose. The outcome is a simple, textural, and light-filled house that reflects the character of this beautiful family.
Why do you think this room works?
So often we receive briefs from clients for kitchens that are seamless, minimal and sleek, and hide all the mess and clutter that is inherent in a kitchen as a working space. We were delighted to provide such an honest design solution for this family who sought to celebrate the warmth and texture, chaos and clutter of everyday life.
Tell us
What do you love about this kitchen? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, save the story, and join the conversation.
More
Want more great design? Take a look at last week’s Room of the Week, a textured and tonal bathroom in gentle green
So often we receive briefs from clients for kitchens that are seamless, minimal and sleek, and hide all the mess and clutter that is inherent in a kitchen as a working space. We were delighted to provide such an honest design solution for this family who sought to celebrate the warmth and texture, chaos and clutter of everyday life.
Tell us
What do you love about this kitchen? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, save the story, and join the conversation.
More
Want more great design? Take a look at last week’s Room of the Week, a textured and tonal bathroom in gentle green
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Quite subtle in its form and colours. One thing that stands out to me though, is where are the power points? Every kitchen has whizzy things and things that help a cook, but unless they are hidden behind the pot plants, I can't see any!
junipergirl.........maybe the homeowners have been very clever in CAMOUFLAGING their power points so that they DON'T jump out at us......because, obviously they DO have some in their kitchen...! I have just read an article about that very subject this morning on HOUZZ....!
I like this kitchen very much, however talk about it being “honest” and on ”show” are misleading at best. There are a couple of tasteful and carefully chosen accessories on a couple of open shelves. The every day clutter and workings are kept behind closed doors where they belong, and as they are in every other kitchen