Kitchen Tour: A Characterful Kitchen That Connects With Nature
A reworked layout, improved flow and a forest green colour palette breathe new life into the kitchen of an Art Deco flat
In this Q&A series, we turn the spotlight on one thought-provoking renovation each week. Here, Will Crutchley, a builder and director at Hatch Constructions Group, shares the journey of revitalising the kitchen and outdoor area and extending the floorplan in an Art Deco flat in Sydney, Australia.
The kitchen and dining area before works.
Describe the home
It’s an apartment in a small, 1920s block with gardens and sweeping views.
Eager to start on your new project? Get in touch with a local kitchen designer on Houzz.
Describe the home
It’s an apartment in a small, 1920s block with gardens and sweeping views.
Eager to start on your new project? Get in touch with a local kitchen designer on Houzz.
The floorplan after works.
What’s been gained?
What’s been gained?
- A spacious, open-plan kitchen that connects with the living area and balcony.
- A new, larger balcony.
- Generous storage.
- Natural light through floor-to-ceiling windows and exterior doors.
- An indoor-outdoor connection.
What was the original kitchen like?
It was small and located at the rear of the house, where it led onto a small balcony overlooking the garden. It was dark, short on storage and worktop space, and it felt disconnected from the living and entertaining areas.
It was small and located at the rear of the house, where it led onto a small balcony overlooking the garden. It was dark, short on storage and worktop space, and it felt disconnected from the living and entertaining areas.
Incorporating cabinets with reeded-glass fronts into the top of the built-in cabinetry prevents the unit from looking too heavy while maximising storage.
What was the brief?
What was the brief?
- To open up the back of the house and increase the floor space and allow for a larger kitchen and a covered balcony.
- To make the kitchen the central point of the home where the owners could do everything from entertain and eat family meals to watch their child play while prepping dinner.
- To create a dynamic, sophisticated and child-friendly style.
- To bring in a colour palette that steered away from white.
What were the owners’ must-haves?
More light, ample storage and plenty of worktop space.
What was the budget?
Around AUD220,000 (around £120,935)
Where did most of it go?
On structural supports and the relocation of walls to open up the space.
The renovation involved underpinning by hand to the front bedroom and old kitchen to allow for the installation of the new balcony. We removed 20 tonnes of sand by hand!
Like the connection to nature? Take a look at these 24 kitchen designs inspired by the great outdoors.
More light, ample storage and plenty of worktop space.
What was the budget?
Around AUD220,000 (around £120,935)
Where did most of it go?
On structural supports and the relocation of walls to open up the space.
The renovation involved underpinning by hand to the front bedroom and old kitchen to allow for the installation of the new balcony. We removed 20 tonnes of sand by hand!
Like the connection to nature? Take a look at these 24 kitchen designs inspired by the great outdoors.
What exactly did you do?
- Demolished the old kitchen and balcony; extended the property’s footprint by installing new structural steel to support the property above and redefine the rear building facade.
- Removed the external brick wall between the kitchen and balcony and replaced it with floor-to-ceiling, custom-made bifold doors. This allowed for a connection between the kitchen and deck.
- Installed a new kitchen/dining area, including custom-made joinery, top-end appliances, oak flooring, and a natural stone worktop and splashback.
- Installed a new covered balcony.
- Installed new electrics and plumbing throughout the home.
Rich green cabinetry visually connects the kitchen to the vegetation outside.
What were the main challenges?
Extending the kitchen and balcony meant there would be less light in this south-west-facing apartment. We recommended using pale flooring and incorporating full-height windows to make the space feel lighter and brighter.
Why do you think this kitchen works so well?
It has generous proportions, an easy-to-navigate, open-plan layout and unique styling.
Also, charming little touches brought the kitchen aesthetic together, such as the high sections of timber in the joinery that came from sections of the flooring.
But largely, the success of the project comes down to the owners’ trust in their builder.
What were the main challenges?
Extending the kitchen and balcony meant there would be less light in this south-west-facing apartment. We recommended using pale flooring and incorporating full-height windows to make the space feel lighter and brighter.
Why do you think this kitchen works so well?
It has generous proportions, an easy-to-navigate, open-plan layout and unique styling.
Also, charming little touches brought the kitchen aesthetic together, such as the high sections of timber in the joinery that came from sections of the flooring.
But largely, the success of the project comes down to the owners’ trust in their builder.
Interior fixtures and fittings
Interior materials palette
Paint colours
Tell us…
What’s your favourite feature here? Let us know in the Comments, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
- Custom-made steel doors and windows, Steel Door.
- Brass handles, Handle House.
- Ceiling roses, Silver Cornices.
- Lighting, Emac & Lawton.
- Manhattan tapware set in Brushed Nordic Brass, Brodware.
- Novi Ribbed Fireclay butlers sink, Candana.
Interior materials palette
- Worktops and splashback in Sea Pearl quartzite with a leather finish, WK Stone.
- Joinery in MDF board with a polyurethane finish.
- Joinery supplied by Delta Joinery and installed by Hatch Constructions Group.
- Chamoisee Eterno Piccolo oak flooring, Tongue n Groove.
Paint colours
- Cabinets painted in Ecology Green (available in Australia) to cabinetry, Dulux.
- Walls painted in Antique White USA, Dulux.
Tell us…
What’s your favourite feature here? Let us know in the Comments, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
Who lives here? A young couple with a toddler
Location Bellevue Hill, Sydney, Australia
Kitchen dimensions before works Around 8 sq m
Kitchen-diner dimensions after works 16 sq m
Builder Hatch Constructions Group
Styling Alexandra Marrotte at Amarot Spatial Design
Images by Rebecca Vanderhoek
Answers by Will Crutchley of Hatch Constructions Group