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Room of the Week: An All-Black Streamlined Kitchen

A soft black streamlined kitchen hides all sorts of practical and clever storage solutions

Vanessa Walker
Vanessa WalkerJune 28, 2020
Houzz Australia & New Zealand Editor.
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In a Q&A format, we talk to the designers – and examine the creative thinking – behind some of Houzz’s most loveable rooms.
Kitchen Elegance
Images by Stuart Hughes Photography
Styling by Fanuli
Answers by Michelle Parr, interior designer at Kitchen Elegance

Who lives here: A family of two adults and two children
Location: Waverton, Sydney
Kitchen and interior designer: Kitchen Elegance
Budget: $50,000 to $60,000 (including appliances)
Room purpose and size: A 52-square-metre kitchen
Architect: Pierre Della-Putta, Architects Ink
Builder: Andrew Whitlock
Kitchen Elegance
Brief
This was a whole-home renovation on a budget of $1,100,000. For this space the idea was to open up the kitchen, living and dining areas to improve flow and connection to the garden.
Before Photo
Kitchen Elegance
The kitchen before works

What was once a confused mixture of enclosed rooms has been logically transformed into a series of well-proportioned spaces that seamlessly flow between formal, informal, living, private and outdoor activities.
Kitchen Elegance
Starting point
Yes, the painting in the living room was used as a focal point for the design of the larger area.
Kitchen Elegance
Key design aspects
Colour palette: Dark/monochrome/greys. Opening up and connecting the living spaces and increasing the access to natural light permitted the use of a dark colour palette, combining natural Australian hardwoods with synthetic materials such as Dekton porcelain and Italian vitrified floor tiles.
Kitchen Elegance
Materials palette:
  • 12-millimetre benchtop and splashback in Dekton Fossil Natural.
  • The joinery is in a polyurethane satin finish that matches Colorbond’s Monument.
  • LED strip lighting.
Kitchen Elegance
The kitchen has some clever inclusions, such as…
Kitchen Elegance
…A Häfele Dispensa Arena Classic pull-out pantry…
Kitchen Elegance
…And cupboards within the kitchen island, which are accessible from the living area.
Kitchen Elegance
The floor plan
Kitchen Elegance
Thinking behind the arrangement of furniture/fixtures:
Ease of access. The Blum Aventos motorised flip-up doors provide ready access to above-bench cupboards, full extension drawers below benches and the pull-out full-height pantry provides ease of access to storage. Deep work benches, appropriately spaced, make for an efficient kitchen operation.
Kitchen Elegance
Challenges you worked around
The original residence was a mixture of small spaces poorly constructed and separated from the garden. This required substantial reconstruction and remedial work.
Kitchen Elegance
The new kitchen now continues outside into an outdoor kitchen
Before Photo
Kitchen Elegance
The kitchen before works
Kitchen Elegance
Why do you think this room works?
What was once a confused mixture of enclosed rooms has been logically transformed into a series of well-proportioned spaces with a seamless flow.


Your turn
Tell us what you like most about this kitchen. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, like this story and join the conversation.

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Can’t get enough of home makeovers? Read this great Room of the Week: Warm Desert Colours Transform a Townhouse
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Comments (7)
See 4 more comments
  • Dm Stan
    6 months ago

    The old kitchen is what a lot of people are still installing. In comparison though, the new one looks very classy.

  • HU-319610855
    6 months ago

    This is a beautiful kitchen- hope the owners are super happy with it

  • ASHLEY HARRIS
    11 days ago

    Hello White PowerPoint!!! Surely this should have been black or charcoal so it blended. Otherwise, I love kitchen.

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