Room Of The Week
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Room of the Week: A Minimalist Retro Kitchen in Green
With its retro olive-green cabinetry, pared-back lines and supersize island, this new kitchen scores top marks for cool
In a Q&A format, we talk to the designers – and examine the creative thinking – behind some of Houzz’s most loveable rooms.
The new floor plan
What was your brief?
Clean and modern with a hint of retrospect, given it’s a 1950s house. The addition is contemporary, but it has hints of the old in its colours and materiality.
What was your brief?
- Introduce more light.
- Design a kitchen that connects to the backyard.
- Create a kitchen island that looked like a piece of furniture.
Clean and modern with a hint of retrospect, given it’s a 1950s house. The addition is contemporary, but it has hints of the old in its colours and materiality.
What was your starting point?
The benchtop materials.
What was your thinking behind the arrangement of fixtures?
We wanted to be as minimal as possible. The client wanted the island to resemble a piece of furniture.
Is this the year of your new kitchen? Find a local kitchen designer on Houzz
The benchtop materials.
What was your thinking behind the arrangement of fixtures?
We wanted to be as minimal as possible. The client wanted the island to resemble a piece of furniture.
Is this the year of your new kitchen? Find a local kitchen designer on Houzz
Colour palette
Olive green, white and tan leather.
What challenges did you have to work around?
Building the curved wall of the island to the right size, radius and height to suit the cabinetry, and installing and cutting the huge Lithostone benchtop – it’s right on the maximum length of 3.2 metres.
Olive green, white and tan leather.
What challenges did you have to work around?
Building the curved wall of the island to the right size, radius and height to suit the cabinetry, and installing and cutting the huge Lithostone benchtop – it’s right on the maximum length of 3.2 metres.
Tell us about the design of the island
The client wanted a unique-shaped island bench – one we had never seen before. We also wanted to include curves in the island so they would match the curved bench seat.
The cabinet makers couldn’t curve the cabinetry so we curved the sides of the island, which are MDF, and put the cabinets behind it. We finished the island in a stucco render to give it a unique texture and give a nod to the home’s heritage.
Browse more images of contemporary kitchens on Houzz
The client wanted a unique-shaped island bench – one we had never seen before. We also wanted to include curves in the island so they would match the curved bench seat.
The cabinet makers couldn’t curve the cabinetry so we curved the sides of the island, which are MDF, and put the cabinets behind it. We finished the island in a stucco render to give it a unique texture and give a nod to the home’s heritage.
Browse more images of contemporary kitchens on Houzz
Why the olive-green cabinetry?
It’s the same for the render in the kitchen. The idea was to tip the hat to some classic materials and colours that would usually be associated with projects in the mid-century or earlier, but use them here in a more contemporary setting.
What is the curved, built-in seat for?
This spots gets a lovely wash of natural light, making it the perfect place for guests to sit when the owners have parties. Including it was a no-brainer.
A generous butler’s pantry is located behind this curved wall.
It’s the same for the render in the kitchen. The idea was to tip the hat to some classic materials and colours that would usually be associated with projects in the mid-century or earlier, but use them here in a more contemporary setting.
What is the curved, built-in seat for?
This spots gets a lovely wash of natural light, making it the perfect place for guests to sit when the owners have parties. Including it was a no-brainer.
A generous butler’s pantry is located behind this curved wall.
Tell us about the outdoor set-up
The kitchen and courtyard face north, so we wanted to capture as much light as possible. The steel pergola will also provide some protection to these windows when the plants grow over it.
Why do you think this kitchen works so well now?
Because of its flow and generous size. When guests are over, everyone seems to gravitate to the island bench. It’s like a huge dining table.
The kitchen and courtyard face north, so we wanted to capture as much light as possible. The steel pergola will also provide some protection to these windows when the plants grow over it.
Why do you think this kitchen works so well now?
Because of its flow and generous size. When guests are over, everyone seems to gravitate to the island bench. It’s like a huge dining table.
Key design aspects
Materials palette
Your turn
Which features in this kitchen are your favourites? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
More
Missed last week’s opulent curved kitchen? Catch up here with this Room of the Week: A Spacious Kitchen With Luxurious Materials
Materials palette
- Two-pack polyurethane joinery finished in Dulux Algae.
- Tile Cloud Paddington Mixed terrazzo-look tiles to the floor.
- Lithostone benchtops.
- ABI Interiors brushed brass tap.
- Temple & Webster tap.
- Beacon Lighting pendants.
- Porter’s Paints Coconut Milk to the walls, ceiling and the stucco render.
- Dulux Algae to the cabinetry.
Your turn
Which features in this kitchen are your favourites? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
More
Missed last week’s opulent curved kitchen? Catch up here with this Room of the Week: A Spacious Kitchen With Luxurious Materials
Answers by Andrew Stapleton, building designer and director of DOOD Studio
Who lives here: A young couple and their daughter
Location: Brunswick East, Victoria
Approximate budget: $40,000
Room purpose: An open-plan kitchen/dining area measuring around 20 square metres, located in the new addition of a four-bedroom, three-bathroom 1950s home
Architect: DOOD Studio
Builder: Character Built (the owner’s building company)
Joinery: Northern Joinery & Cabinet Works
How did you use Houzz?
We used Houzz to find inspiration for this project and to develop ideas collaboratively.