Room Of The Week
Before & After
A Kitchen and Living Area Makeover With a Sunset-Inspired Palette
Rich blues, gold and blush cocoon an open-plan area that radiates out from an entrancing kitchen
In a Q&A format, we talk to the designers – and examine the creative thinking – behind some of Houzz’s most loveable rooms.
The laundry/kitchen before works
Brief
The homeowners wanted a welcoming, homely and cosy space to entertain family and friends. The house renovation was sympathetic to the age of the home with a contemporary feel.
Is your interior ripe for a revamp? Find an interior designer near you on Houzz
The homeowners wanted a welcoming, homely and cosy space to entertain family and friends. The house renovation was sympathetic to the age of the home with a contemporary feel.
Is your interior ripe for a revamp? Find an interior designer near you on Houzz
Adjacent to the dining table is a curved sofa; beyond that is the renovated kitchen
Starting point
A large dining table to accomodate extended family and a round sofa to provide a cosy space to retreat to. The kitchen was the central space; the engine of the room.
A large dining table to accomodate extended family and a round sofa to provide a cosy space to retreat to. The kitchen was the central space; the engine of the room.
Materials palette:
- Jurassic black marble splashback.
- Black granite benchtops.
- Brass hardware from Designer Doorware.
- Urban Brass tapware from Astra Walker.
- White polyurethane cabinets.
Key pieces of furniture and fittings:
- Flos pendants above island bench.
- Thayer Coggin curved clip sofa and ottoman.
- Arles dining table from Restoration Hardware.
- Hans Wegner Wishbone dining chairs.
- Gubi Beetle dining stools.
- Nemo Crown Plana Major chandelier dining table light.
- Christopher Boots Branch Chain Amino light over the living area.
- Mid-century Curtis Jere brass Pom Sea Urchin Brutalist wall sculpture.
- Greg Natale custom-made rugs.
- Custom-made Halo storage cabinet from Zuster.
- Fornasetti Architettura square Lamp.
- Kate Barry ‘Florabunda’ commissioned oil painting.
Image by Anson Smart
Challenges you worked around
Challenges you worked around
- Tying in the ornate period ceilings from the rest of the house to flow into a modern yet sympathetic way into this living area extension.
- Trying to get minimal seams in the marble slabs.
- Getting the metal legs to the right gold finish.
- Finding the right gold satin-finish kickboards.
- Complying and working with the designer’s designs.
Thinking behind the arrangement of furniture
The idea was to create a communal space where the family can spend time together.
The clean lines in the joinery reflect the ornate ceiling.
Each light (throughout the whole house) was also individually selected to suit the specific space.
The idea was to create a communal space where the family can spend time together.
The clean lines in the joinery reflect the ornate ceiling.
Each light (throughout the whole house) was also individually selected to suit the specific space.
Why do you think this room works?
The kitchen has the prime position overlooking the open-plan communal living space that spills out onto the outdoor entertaining zone where the barbecue area’s cabinetry mirrors the interior.
This area is a sanctuary where you can be inspired by designs of genius creative artists such as Greg Natale, Hans Wegner, Fornasetti and Kate Barry as well as local workmanship.
Your turn
What do you love about this rich kitchen and living area? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Craving more great interiors? Take a look at this Room of the Week: Warm Desert Colours Transform a Townhouse
The kitchen has the prime position overlooking the open-plan communal living space that spills out onto the outdoor entertaining zone where the barbecue area’s cabinetry mirrors the interior.
This area is a sanctuary where you can be inspired by designs of genius creative artists such as Greg Natale, Hans Wegner, Fornasetti and Kate Barry as well as local workmanship.
Your turn
What do you love about this rich kitchen and living area? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Craving more great interiors? Take a look at this Room of the Week: Warm Desert Colours Transform a Townhouse
Interior design by Greg Natale Design
Answers and all custom-made joinery by In Vogue Kitchens & Joinery
Who lives here: A family with two young children and an Italian greyhound
Location: Croydon, NSW
Room size: 81 square metres
Room purpose: A kitchen, dining and living area used for family gatherings and entertaining