Room of the Week: A Modern-Heritage Kitchen in Black and White
This stunning white kitchen features select black highlights and black steel doors, leading to a verdant garden
Vanessa Walker
6 September 2021
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 Tom Roe
Styling by Claire Foot at Smarter Bathrooms+
Answers by Vanessa Cook, interior designer and design manager at Smarter Bathrooms+
Who lives here: The owner
Completed: 2021
Location: Toorak, Victoria
Room purpose and size: This renovation covered the kitchen, living and dining area
Budget: For these areas, the interior design work, drafting, permits, engineering, materials, finishes, trades and project management came in at approximately $250,000.
Did you find your client on Houzz?
Yes, Houzz is one of our lead sources. We have a multitude of reviews on the Houzz platform and examples of completed projects, which allows potential clients to reach out to us and interact, asking questions and seeking advice before inviting our design team into their homes to start the renovation process.
Styling by Claire Foot at Smarter Bathrooms+
Answers by Vanessa Cook, interior designer and design manager at Smarter Bathrooms+
Who lives here: The owner
Completed: 2021
Location: Toorak, Victoria
Room purpose and size: This renovation covered the kitchen, living and dining area
Budget: For these areas, the interior design work, drafting, permits, engineering, materials, finishes, trades and project management came in at approximately $250,000.
Did you find your client on Houzz?
Yes, Houzz is one of our lead sources. We have a multitude of reviews on the Houzz platform and examples of completed projects, which allows potential clients to reach out to us and interact, asking questions and seeking advice before inviting our design team into their homes to start the renovation process.
Brief
- The owner of this Victorian terrace purchased the property with the intention to renovate the home from top to toe, and that is exactly what she has done.
- The kitchen formed the biggest part of the renovation project as there was a lot of structural work to be done to transform this area.
- The client, equally entranced by modern design and heritage architecture, wanted to create a space that marries both worlds and truly make it her own.
The kitchen before works
Thinking of renovating your kitchen? Find a specialised kitchen designer near you on Houzz, browse images of their work and read reviews from previous clients
- We designed a galley-style kitchen for ease of movement and flow, with two clear entry points and no corners. We made sure there was a door to the exterior where the kitchen ends, so when the client comes in from the back of the house, she can plonk her shopping on the island benchtop, then put it away in the pantry and fridge.
- We didn’t want the refrigerator on display, so we enclosed it in the cabinetry next to the pantry.
Thinking of renovating your kitchen? Find a specialised kitchen designer near you on Houzz, browse images of their work and read reviews from previous clients
Starting point
A non-negotiable in the brief was the inclusion of steel doors and windows, which the client loved and wanted to have in abundance throughout the house.
Because the house was so dark, when redesigning the kitchen one of the top priorities was to improve natural lighting. For example, including two big mirrors and a blackened mirror splashback helped bring natural light and the outside in. And once the outdoor area is landscaped, it will all be about the greenery and getting a view of it into the home.
A non-negotiable in the brief was the inclusion of steel doors and windows, which the client loved and wanted to have in abundance throughout the house.
Because the house was so dark, when redesigning the kitchen one of the top priorities was to improve natural lighting. For example, including two big mirrors and a blackened mirror splashback helped bring natural light and the outside in. And once the outdoor area is landscaped, it will all be about the greenery and getting a view of it into the home.
The client loves cooking, but she wasn’t cooking at all because her existing kitchen wasn’t functional and lacked efficient storage. We solved the lack of functionality and storage by creating a super functional, true galley-style kitchen.
The arched steel door in the hallway leading to the kitchen area was the inspiration for the rest of the design. Its curves are replicated in the VJ panelling of the island bench, the curved tapware, and the circular black timber handles.
We used the same Caesarstone in all the rooms for continuity, choosing Excava for its beautiful pattern and highly tactile quality, which our client loves. Here it works beautifully paired with a copper sink and tapware.
Browse more contemporary open-plan kitchens
The arched steel door in the hallway leading to the kitchen area was the inspiration for the rest of the design. Its curves are replicated in the VJ panelling of the island bench, the curved tapware, and the circular black timber handles.
We used the same Caesarstone in all the rooms for continuity, choosing Excava for its beautiful pattern and highly tactile quality, which our client loves. Here it works beautifully paired with a copper sink and tapware.
Browse more contemporary open-plan kitchens
Key design aspects
Colour palette: Black, white and grey.
Key pieces of furniture/fittings:
Colour palette: Black, white and grey.
Key pieces of furniture/fittings:
- City Stik Pullout kitchen mixer; Brodware.
- Cabinet handles; Kethy Australia.
- Steel windows and pendant light; supplied by client.
- Merricks bar stools; GlobeWest.
The kitchen before works
Challenges you worked around
Challenges you worked around
- There was a French door on one side and a small passage door on the right-hand side, which we filled in and then created props on either side with needles punching through the brickwork at certain distances to hold the weight up above. Then we had to implement a new steel beam across for support.
- Being an old house, we had to modify solid brick structures, not brick veneer. It was dangerous work that had to be pre-checked through multiple inspections with an engineer before installing the steel because of the high risk of damaging the back of the house if something went wrong.
- When we pulled down the ceiling and found the steel beam, we decided to showcase it as a nod to the house’s heritage. It’s now another feature of the room, which we ended up painting black like the steel doors and windows. We made a connection by extending the beam and made sure it was up to code. We then built a bulkhead over one of the beams because it was scarred.
- To make matters more complex, pretty much everything was out of square, out of level and nothing lined up or squared up with anything else. We had to excavate downstairs to create the proper clearance underneath the subfloor because it was too close to the frame. We replaced subfloors in hallways and made the necessary modifications to the structure to bring it up to code.
- Everything was out of sync, level, or twisted, so we put a lot of effort into marrying up elements, especially the kitchen area. Once the building works began, particularly during the demolition stage, we uncovered many things in dire need of repair.
- We took extra care from the demolition stage to ensure that works were done gently and considered the client’s wishes. One of the significant factors to take care of was the electrical wiring, which was outdated and had to be redone throughout the house. Redoing the wiring in every single room on a solid render double-brick house was a big challenge, but something had to be done.
- We replaced old, leaky skylights with a new flat roof that included a huge roof window for more natural light. It was an opportunity to update all the stormwater plumbing because these old buildings are rife with drainage issues and prone to flood back into the property.
Why do you think this room works?
One detail our client loves about her kitchen is the pantry with retractable doors, which allows her to have appliances neatly tucked away or on display as needed. The pantry also has drawers underneath for easy access to the pantry staples she reaches for every day. Every drawer was completely customised to suit her needs and preferences.
To get the lighting right, we collaborated with a lighting designer. We made sure there were plenty of standard downlights for task lighting, and we included a beautiful pendant light above the island bench for mood lighting. There’s plenty of mood lighting via wall lights strategically positioned all around the open-plan living area.
Your turn
What do you love about this kitchen? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images for inspiration, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Craving more great kitchen designs? Take a look at this Room of the Week: A Kitchen Reflects its Setting Among Gum Trees
One detail our client loves about her kitchen is the pantry with retractable doors, which allows her to have appliances neatly tucked away or on display as needed. The pantry also has drawers underneath for easy access to the pantry staples she reaches for every day. Every drawer was completely customised to suit her needs and preferences.
To get the lighting right, we collaborated with a lighting designer. We made sure there were plenty of standard downlights for task lighting, and we included a beautiful pendant light above the island bench for mood lighting. There’s plenty of mood lighting via wall lights strategically positioned all around the open-plan living area.
Your turn
What do you love about this kitchen? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images for inspiration, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Craving more great kitchen designs? Take a look at this Room of the Week: A Kitchen Reflects its Setting Among Gum Trees
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Looks very fresh and love the contrasts. Can you please advise where the long pendant light is from. I'm struggling in WA to find a decent size pendant for a 3 meter island bench.
Gorgeous
The kitchen is really light and airy and the panelling on the island looks fabulous. What is it, I’ve never seen it before and is it easily available?