skip to main content
Sign In
Join as a Pro
History of Houzz
  • PHOTOS
    KITCHEN & DINING
    • Kitchen
    • Dining
    • Outdoor Kitchen
    • Kitchen Islands
    LIVING
    • Living Room
    • Family Room
    • Home Theatre
    • Sunroom
    • Fireplace
    • Study Room
    BATHROOM
    • Bathroom
    • Laundry
    • Powder Room
    • Small Bathroom
    BEDROOM
    • Bedroom
    • Kids Bedroom
    • Nursery
    • Master Bedroom
    • Storage & Wardrobe
    KERB APPEAL
    • Exterior
    • Driveway
    • Carport
    • Garage
    • Entry
    OUTDOOR
    • Garden
    • Courtyard
    • Balcony
    • Deck
    • Patio
    • Pool
    • All Outdoor
    MORE IDEAS
    • Granny Flat
    • Home Office
    • Home Gym
    • Staircase
    • Home Bar
    • Wine Cellar
    • View All
  • FIND PROFESSIONALS
    BUILDING & RENOVATION
    • Architects
    • Home Builders
    • Building Designers
    • Design & Construction
    DESIGN & INTERIORS
    • Interior Designers & Decorators
    • Home Stylists & Property Staging
    • Painting & Wallpaper
    • Carpet & Flooring
    • Shutters, Blinds & Curtains
    • Furniture & Home Decor
    • Artists & Artisans
    GARDEN & LANDSCAPING
    • Landscape Architects & Designers
    • Landscape Contractors
    • Garden & Landscape Supplies
    • Arborists & Tree Services
    OUTDOOR & EXTERIOR
    • Pools & Spas
    • Decks, Patios & Structures
    • Fencing & Gates
    • Driveways & Paving
    • Stone, Pavers & Concrete
    • Cladding & Exterior Contractors
    • Roofing & Gutters
    • Blacksmiths & Welders
    KITCHEN & BATHROOM
    • Kitchen Designers & Renovators
    • Bathroom Designers & Renovators
    • Kitchen & Bath Fixtures
    • Tile, Stone & Benchtops
    • Joinery & Cabinet Makers
    HOME SERVICES
    • Lighting
    • Heating & Air Conditioning
    • Fireplaces
    • Windows
    • Doors
    • Staircases & Balustrades
    • Wine Cellars
    SYDNEY
    • Architects in Sydney
    • Bathroom Renovators in Sydney
    • Builders in Sydney
    • Interior Designers in Sydney
    • Kitchen Renovators in Sydney
    • Landscapers in Sydney
    MELBOURNE
    • Architects in Melbourne
    • Builders in Melbourne
    • Bathroom Renovators in Melbourne
    • Landscapers in Melbourne
    • Interior Designers in Melbourne
    BRISBANE
    • Architects in Brisbane
    • Builders in Brisbane
    • Landscapers in Brisbane
    • Bathroom Renovators in Brisbane
    • Cabinet Makers in Brisbane
    • Fencing in Brisbane
    PERTH
    • Landscapers in Perth
    • Tilers in Perth
    • Bathroom Renovators in Perth
    • Kitchen Renovators in Perth
    • Cabinet Makers in Perth
    • Architects in Perth
    View All Pros View All Services
  • STORIES
    STORIES FROM HOUZZ
    • Houzz Tours
    • Kitchens
    • Bathrooms
    • More Rooms
    • Renovating
    • Building
    • Architecture
    • Interior Design
    • Gardens
    • Eco Living
    • Lifestyle
    • News Stories
    • How to Use Houzz
    HOUZZ RESEARCH
    HOUZZ TV
  • ADVICE
    HOUZZ DISCUSSIONS
    • Design Dilemma
    • Before & After
    • Polls
    • Kitchens
    • Living Rooms
    • Bathrooms
    • Gardens
    • Renovating
    • Home Decorating
    • Exterior
    • Flooring
    • Building a home
Kitchens
Kitchens
White, Out: 13 Ways to Use Colour in the Kitchen
Top Ideabooks
White, Out: 13 Ways to Use Colour in the KitchenKitchen Experts Reveal: 8 Dos & Don'ts of Designing an IslandRoom of the Week: An Open Area & Pretty Details Made This KitchenRoom of the Week: Simplicity Wins the Day in This New Build
Appears in
Latest from Houzz
See also
Kitchen TrendsKitchen LayoutsKitchen RenovationsKitchen StylesKitchen FAQsKitchen Expert AdviceWhite KitchensColourful KitchensKitchen SplashbacksKitchen CabinetsKitchen BenchtopsKitchen Island BenchesKitchen LightingKitchen StorageKitchen Sinks
Room Of The Week
Room Of The Week
Room of the Week: A Pretty Family-Friendly Living Room
Top Ideabooks
Room of the Week: A Pretty Family-Friendly Living RoomRoom of the Week: An Open Area & Pretty Details Made This KitchenRoom of the Week: Simplicity Wins the Day in This New BuildBefore & After: An Entertainer's Kitchen in Soft Tonal Hues in NZ
Appears in
Popular Houzz Series
Popular Houzz Series
Popular Houzz Series
Picture Perfect: 45 Ideas for Bathroom Mirror Style and Placement
Top Ideabooks
Picture Perfect: 45 Ideas for Bathroom Mirror Style and PlacementRoom of the Week: An Open Area & Pretty Details Made This KitchenBest of the Week: 34 Grand Homes Around the World22 Ways to Lift Your Home With Joyful Colours
Appears in
Latest from Houzz
See also
Fun HouzzFrom The ProsHouzz Around The WorldProject Of The WeekStickybeak Of The WeekQuizzesCreatives At HomeAt Home With...Best Of The WeekRoom Of The WeekDesigner Profiles3 Things I Wish My Clients KnewHow Do I...Buyer's GuidesExpert EyeInnovation AlertSo Your Style Is...Spotted!Picture PerfectBefore & AfterBudget BreakdownHome Time
Kitchen Styles
Kitchen Styles
15 Essentials for the Entertainer's Kitchen
Top Ideabooks
15 Essentials for the Entertainer's KitchenKitchen Inspiration: 20 of the Best Country KitchensCafe-Style Kitchens: How to Groove to the Bistro BeatBest of the Week: 30 Kitchens With Wonderful Timber Touches
Appears in
Kitchens

Room of the Week: A Secret Kitchen With a Dash of French Flair

A chic Parisian feel and the ability to disappear when not in use were priorities for the owners of this kitchen

Georgia Madden
Georgia MaddenSeptember 16, 2018
Senior writer, Houzz Australia
More
Print
Embed
Facebook
Twitter
Email
In a Q&A format, we talk to the designers – and examine the creative thinking – behind some of Houzz’s most loveable rooms.
Minosa | Design Life Better
Images by Nicole England

Answers by Darren Genner and Simona Castagna, co-founders and lead designers at Minosa

Who lives here: A professional couple with a teenage daughter
Location: Woollahra, NSW
Room purpose and size: A kitchen measuring 12 square metres
Minosa | Design Life Better
Brief
This kitchen was located near the front entrance and main living space of this turn-of-the-century terrace. The owners are not big cooks and they wanted the kitchen to disappear from view when not in use.

Design-wise, they wanted the space to feel fresh and light, and have a touch of the sophisticated French look they love.
Minosa | Design Life Better
Starting point
As with most turn-of-the-century terraces, the kitchen was originally in a small, dark room at the back of the house. This did not fit in with the owners’ desire for open-plan living.

Re-doing the kitchen was part of a large-scale renovation of the house, and the first task was to make sure we found the right spot for it. We chose to relocate it to a more central position on the ground floor where it would form the hub of the home.
Minosa | Design Life Better
Key design aspects
Colour palette: White and pale grey against a dark-stained oak floor.

Materials palette: White two-pac polyurethane kitchen cabinetry; dark-stained parquet oak floors; Calacatta honed-marble slab on the kitchen island and splashback; stained French oak casual meals area.
Minosa | Design Life Better
Key pieces of furniture/fittings:
Armando Vicario Tink kitchen mixer tap from Winning Appliances; Caboche Grande Suspension lamp from Space Furniture; Häfele pocket fold-and-slide door system.
Minosa | Design Life Better
Thinking behind the design
As the kitchen is located near the entry of the home and the clients aren’t keen cooks, it was designed to disappear from view when not in use. The design also makes it easy to conceal any cooking mess.
Minosa | Design Life Better
Challenges you worked around
Creating a practical and functional kitchen for cooking that could quickly and easily vanish from view when it wasn’t being used.
Minosa | Design Life Better
Why do you think this room works?
It is a highly functional kitchen when open and incredibly beautiful when closed, so it ticked all the boxes in the clients’ brief.
Minosa | Design Life Better
Tell us
What do you love about this hidden kitchen? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, like the story, and join in the conversation.

More
Did you miss last week’s Room of the Week? Catch up here with Houzz’s Room of the Week: A Recycled Kitchen That Connects to Nature
Print
Embed
Facebook
Twitter
Email
See 17 comments
Explore Related Topics
KitchensRoom Of The WeekPopular Houzz SeriesKitchen Styles
Read Related Stories
White, Out: 13 Ways to Use Colour in the KitchenWhite, Out: 13 Ways to Use Colour in the Kitchen
By Erica Barlow·24
Colourful Kitchens
Kitchen Experts Reveal: 8 Dos & Don'ts of Designing an IslandKitchen Experts Reveal: 8 Dos & Don'ts of Designing an Island
By Georgia Madden·0
Kitchen Expert Advice
Room of the Week: An Open Area & Pretty Details Made This KitchenRoom of the Week: An Open Area & Pretty Details Made This Kitchen
By Vanessa Walker·4
Room Of The Week
Room of the Week: Simplicity Wins the Day in This New BuildRoom of the Week: Simplicity Wins the Day in This New Build
By Vanessa Walker·4
Room Of The Week
How to Survive a Kitchen RenovationHow to Survive a Kitchen Renovation
By Becky Harris·257
Most Popular
Before & After: An Entertainer's Kitchen in Soft Tonal Hues in NZBefore & After: An Entertainer's Kitchen in Soft Tonal Hues in NZ
By Vanessa Walker·6
Kitchen Renovations
Need a New Under-Bench Bin? Don't Buy One Until You Read ThisNeed a New Under-Bench Bin? Don't Buy One Until You Read This
By Georgia Madden·20
Kitchen Expert Advice
Room of the Week: A Practical, Beachy Keen Kitchen in NZRoom of the Week: A Practical, Beachy Keen Kitchen in NZ
By Vanessa Walker·1
Room Of The Week
Before & After: A Dowdy Kitchen Made Shaker-Style SpectacularBefore & After: A Dowdy Kitchen Made Shaker-Style Spectacular
By Vanessa Walker·11
Room Of The Week
10 Dos & Don'ts of Designing a Kitchen Island10 Dos & Don'ts of Designing a Kitchen Island
By Georgia Madden·21
Kitchen Expert Advice
Best of the Week: 27 Clever Kitchen Set-UpsBest of the Week: 27 Clever Kitchen Set-Ups
By Georgia Madden·25
Most Popular
Meet the World's Most-Popular Kitchens of 2020Meet the World's Most-Popular Kitchens of 2020
By Julia Bolotina·73
Kitchen Trends
12 Tactics for Creating More Kitchen Bench Space12 Tactics for Creating More Kitchen Bench Space
By Julia Fairley·19
Most Popular
Room of the Week: A Timber Kitchen With a Wraparound CeilingRoom of the Week: A Timber Kitchen With a Wraparound Ceiling
By Vanessa Walker·2
Room Of The Week
6 Ways to Whip Your Baking Centre Into Shape6 Ways to Whip Your Baking Centre Into Shape
By Patricia Lee·39
Kitchens
People who liked this story also liked
White, Out: 13 Ways to Use Colour in the Kitchen
White, Out: 13 Ways to Use Colour in the KitchenFull Story
Kitchen Experts Reveal: 8 Dos & Don'ts of Designing an Island
Kitchen Experts Reveal: 8 Dos & Don'ts of Designing an IslandFull Story
Room of the Week: An Open Area & Pretty Details Made This Kitchen
Room of the Week: An Open Area & Pretty Details Made This KitchenFull Story
Room of the Week: Simplicity Wins the Day in This New Build
Room of the Week: Simplicity Wins the Day in This New BuildFull Story
How to Survive a Kitchen Renovation
How to Survive a Kitchen RenovationFull Story
Before & After: An Entertainer's Kitchen in Soft Tonal Hues in NZ
Before & After: An Entertainer's Kitchen in Soft Tonal Hues in NZFull Story
Need a New Under-Bench Bin? Don't Buy One Until You Read This
Need a New Under-Bench Bin? Don't Buy One Until You Read ThisFull Story
Room of the Week: A Practical, Beachy Keen Kitchen in NZ
Room of the Week: A Practical, Beachy Keen Kitchen in NZFull Story
Before & After: A Dowdy Kitchen Made Shaker-Style Spectacular
Before & After: A Dowdy Kitchen Made Shaker-Style SpectacularFull Story
10 Dos & Don'ts of Designing a Kitchen Island
10 Dos & Don'ts of Designing a Kitchen IslandFull Story
  • Australia
  • ABOUT
  • MOBILE APPS
  • PROFESSIONALS
  • BUTTONS
  • FAQs
  • CAREERS
  • ADVERTISE
  • Terms & Privacy
  • © 2021 Houzz Inc.