Interior Design
Design Masterclass: A Classically Beautiful Kitchen & Laundry
An interior designer does a deep dive into the creation of a stylish kitchen and laundry – prepare to pick up some tips!
A classic-meets-contemporary kitchen and laundry will never date – and they’re hugely popular looks here in Australia. But what are the essential ingredients and how do you go about putting them together? Working with a combined budget of AU$90,000, interior designer Jo Carmichael of Jo Carmichael Interiors reveals the steps she took to put a modern spin on a classic Georgian-style kitchen and its adjoining laundry – and provides plenty of useful tips for renovators along the way.
What was the brief?
The owners wanted a classic and family friendly kitchen that fitted with the style of their house.
What were the client’s must-haves for the kitchen?
We started with the floor plan, layout and function of the kitchen. Then I looked to tie in the colour of the floors and cabinetry.
Ready to redo your kitchen? Find a local kitchen designer on Houzz
The owners wanted a classic and family friendly kitchen that fitted with the style of their house.
What were the client’s must-haves for the kitchen?
- Black cabinetry.
- An island bench with enough seating for the three children.
- Feature marble for the island.
- Lots of storage.
We started with the floor plan, layout and function of the kitchen. Then I looked to tie in the colour of the floors and cabinetry.
Ready to redo your kitchen? Find a local kitchen designer on Houzz
Island benchtops and splashback: Calacatta Statuario Extra marble; island painted in Porter’s Paints Aniseed semi-gloss; flooring: jarrah boards with a hard-oil waxed finish.
What exactly did you do?
First and foremost, I designed the kitchen to be extremely functional. Style-wise, I created a classic look that wouldn’t date and that worked with the architecture of the home.
I added a large island to the centre of the kitchen that was elegant rather than chunky or boxy.
Together with the client, we chose an extra-wide marble slab for the island benchtop so we could run a small section of it as a feature for the splashback.
What is the colour and materials palette?
Black cabinetry hand-painted in a licorice colour (Porter’s Paints Aniseed), Italian marble, a warm custom white from Porter’s Paints for the light-coloured cabinetry, and warm white (Dulux Natural White) for the walls.
Why dark joinery?
The space was large with tall ceilings and deep cornices so I knew it could take a bold cabinetry choice.
We balanced the black joinery with a bank of tall, white cabinetry to house the fridge and pantry so the island and the dark cabinetry took centrestage.
What exactly did you do?
First and foremost, I designed the kitchen to be extremely functional. Style-wise, I created a classic look that wouldn’t date and that worked with the architecture of the home.
I added a large island to the centre of the kitchen that was elegant rather than chunky or boxy.
Together with the client, we chose an extra-wide marble slab for the island benchtop so we could run a small section of it as a feature for the splashback.
What is the colour and materials palette?
Black cabinetry hand-painted in a licorice colour (Porter’s Paints Aniseed), Italian marble, a warm custom white from Porter’s Paints for the light-coloured cabinetry, and warm white (Dulux Natural White) for the walls.
Why dark joinery?
The space was large with tall ceilings and deep cornices so I knew it could take a bold cabinetry choice.
We balanced the black joinery with a bank of tall, white cabinetry to house the fridge and pantry so the island and the dark cabinetry took centrestage.
Rear kitchen benchtop and laundry benchtop: Q Stone in Beton Naturel; walls in Dulux Natural White.
What was your thinking around the design of the island?
It was designed to look like a piece of furniture that is reminiscent of a central working table in the cook’s kitchen of a Georgian home. It has a utilitarian feel about it, but is elegant and functional.
Why did you choose a skinny Shaker profile for the cabinetry?
To achieve the contemporary-classic style that I was after. It’s a traditional touch that doesn’t feel dated, and works across many styles.
Why did you dispense with wall cabinets?
The layout of the kitchen meant that we could fit a north-facing window in front of the sink. I felt this was more important and a better feature than a bank of heavy cabinetry.
Storage was not an issue with all the drawers in the island and the fridge cabinetry, plus all the wall-to-ceiling cabinetry in the laundry. Being free of wall cabinets also gives the kitchen an air of simplicity.
What was your thinking around the design of the island?
It was designed to look like a piece of furniture that is reminiscent of a central working table in the cook’s kitchen of a Georgian home. It has a utilitarian feel about it, but is elegant and functional.
Why did you choose a skinny Shaker profile for the cabinetry?
To achieve the contemporary-classic style that I was after. It’s a traditional touch that doesn’t feel dated, and works across many styles.
Why did you dispense with wall cabinets?
The layout of the kitchen meant that we could fit a north-facing window in front of the sink. I felt this was more important and a better feature than a bank of heavy cabinetry.
Storage was not an issue with all the drawers in the island and the fridge cabinetry, plus all the wall-to-ceiling cabinetry in the laundry. Being free of wall cabinets also gives the kitchen an air of simplicity.
Why did you choose jarrah flooring?
The jarrah flooring runs throughout the house and as the dining sits to the side of the kitchen, it helps maintain the flow and openness of the spaces.
Why this particular marble?
The Calacatta Statuario Extra marble was chosen by the client after looking at a few options. They fell in love with the softness of the colour and its veining and detail. It runs across the island and the splashback.
A soft grey reconstituted stone was chosen for the hardworking benchtop housing the cooktop and sink. The same material was used in the laundry for cohesion. This helped reduce wastage and costs.
Tell us about the tapware and handles
The tap is aged brass. As all the handles were matched and powder-coated to their cabinetry colour, we could use a feature brass tap without it feeling overtly traditional. The tap finish also visually connects with the shelf brackets in the laundry.
The jarrah flooring runs throughout the house and as the dining sits to the side of the kitchen, it helps maintain the flow and openness of the spaces.
Why this particular marble?
The Calacatta Statuario Extra marble was chosen by the client after looking at a few options. They fell in love with the softness of the colour and its veining and detail. It runs across the island and the splashback.
A soft grey reconstituted stone was chosen for the hardworking benchtop housing the cooktop and sink. The same material was used in the laundry for cohesion. This helped reduce wastage and costs.
Tell us about the tapware and handles
The tap is aged brass. As all the handles were matched and powder-coated to their cabinetry colour, we could use a feature brass tap without it feeling overtly traditional. The tap finish also visually connects with the shelf brackets in the laundry.
Laundry cabinetry finish: Polyrey laminate in Mega White.
What were the client’s must-haves for the laundry?
As we already had an abundance of storage and the ceilings are high, open shelves display the client’s plants and collections. They are also budget-friendly and help open up the space.
What were the client’s must-haves for the laundry?
- Open shelving to show off her plants (the client owns an indoor plant shop).
- A different flooring material from the jarrah in the kitchen and its adjoining living area.
- Lots of cabinetry, but with an open and airy feel.
- An easy transition and overflow area from the kitchen when they’re entertaining with room for a bar fridge and bench space.
As we already had an abundance of storage and the ceilings are high, open shelves display the client’s plants and collections. They are also budget-friendly and help open up the space.
Flooring: honed slate tiles laid in a herringbone pattern.
What exactly did you do in the laundry?
I pulled aspects of tiling and cabinetry from other parts of the house so the laundry connected with the existing decor, and then I added extra character with timber and brass-bracket shelving.
Why did you choose a different flooring for the laundry?
We needed a tile and the client really wanted a herringbone floor, so I chose a dark floor to connect with the kitchen and contrast with the white cabinetry. I love natural materials, so I worked with a supplier I knew in Sydney and sourced some natural slate tiles.
See more images of great laundries on Houzz
What exactly did you do in the laundry?
I pulled aspects of tiling and cabinetry from other parts of the house so the laundry connected with the existing decor, and then I added extra character with timber and brass-bracket shelving.
Why did you choose a different flooring for the laundry?
We needed a tile and the client really wanted a herringbone floor, so I chose a dark floor to connect with the kitchen and contrast with the white cabinetry. I love natural materials, so I worked with a supplier I knew in Sydney and sourced some natural slate tiles.
See more images of great laundries on Houzz
How did you tie the kitchen and laundry together?
The main part of the laundry cabinetry is in the same profile as the kitchen cabinetry, and the black slate flooring connects with the black of the kitchen cabinetry.
Also, I matched the custom white paint of the kitchen cabinetry to the laundry laminate colour.
What is the colour and materials palette?
Black slate herringbone flooring, concrete-look benchtops, a bank of plain push-to-open tall cabinets along one wall (to simplify the space and reduce costs), and more decorative Shaker-style cabinetry on the opposite wall.
Your turn
Do you love this refined kitchen and laundry as much as we do? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images, and join the conversation.
More
Want to see another lovely kitchen? Don’t miss this Room of the Week: A New-Build Kitchen in NZ Caught Just in Time
The main part of the laundry cabinetry is in the same profile as the kitchen cabinetry, and the black slate flooring connects with the black of the kitchen cabinetry.
Also, I matched the custom white paint of the kitchen cabinetry to the laundry laminate colour.
What is the colour and materials palette?
Black slate herringbone flooring, concrete-look benchtops, a bank of plain push-to-open tall cabinets along one wall (to simplify the space and reduce costs), and more decorative Shaker-style cabinetry on the opposite wall.
Your turn
Do you love this refined kitchen and laundry as much as we do? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images, and join the conversation.
More
Want to see another lovely kitchen? Don’t miss this Room of the Week: A New-Build Kitchen in NZ Caught Just in Time
Styling and answers by Jo Carmichael, interior designer at Jo Carmichael Interiors.
Who lives here: A couple with three children in high school
Location: East Fremantle, WA
Architectural style of the house: Federation
Bedrooms and bathrooms: Four bedrooms and two bathrooms
Kitchen size: 22 square metres
Laundry size: 10 square metres
Budget for the kitchen: Around $65,000
Where most of it went: Cabinetry and marble
Budget for the laundry: Around $25,000
Where most of it went: Cabinetry and the honed slate flooring
Interior designer: Jo Carmichael Interiors