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Kitchen Tour: A Rejigged Layout Maximises Leafy Outdoor Views
Now light and airy, this kitchen is almost unrecognisable from the dated and cluttered room it was
In a Q&A format, we talk to project architect Stephanie Reed-Marshall of Bryant Alsop Architects about this cleverly transformed kitchen.
The view into the kitchen before works.
What wasn’t working for the owners about the original kitchen?
There was a large masonry chimney that divided up the previous kitchen and dining space and blocked natural light from the rear windows, making the kitchen feel dark.
Our client loves to cook and the layout of the previous kitchen didn’t work for her. It also lacked adequate food storage.
Thinking of renovating your kitchen? Find a specialised kitchen designer near you on Houzz, view images of their work and read reviews from previous clients.
What wasn’t working for the owners about the original kitchen?
There was a large masonry chimney that divided up the previous kitchen and dining space and blocked natural light from the rear windows, making the kitchen feel dark.
Our client loves to cook and the layout of the previous kitchen didn’t work for her. It also lacked adequate food storage.
Thinking of renovating your kitchen? Find a specialised kitchen designer near you on Houzz, view images of their work and read reviews from previous clients.
The kitchen before works.
The adjacent dining area before works.
What did you do?
While mostly an internal overhaul, some of the bold moves we did were to realign the opening into the kitchen from the hall to create better flow from the front door to the rear kitchen-diner.
A large chimney was removed and the orientation of this space was turned 90 degrees. This let us create the kitchen and dining space as well as a shower room and laundry.
The main feature of the kitchen is the seamless, oak-coloured cabinetry block that conceals the laundry door and the shower room around the corner. The timber finish brought warmth to the kitchen space. The remainder of the kitchen was done in white, which is light and bright, with marble-look porcelain worktops and splashback and the black metal-leg detail on the island.
While mostly an internal overhaul, some of the bold moves we did were to realign the opening into the kitchen from the hall to create better flow from the front door to the rear kitchen-diner.
A large chimney was removed and the orientation of this space was turned 90 degrees. This let us create the kitchen and dining space as well as a shower room and laundry.
The main feature of the kitchen is the seamless, oak-coloured cabinetry block that conceals the laundry door and the shower room around the corner. The timber finish brought warmth to the kitchen space. The remainder of the kitchen was done in white, which is light and bright, with marble-look porcelain worktops and splashback and the black metal-leg detail on the island.
The floorplan before works.
The floorplan after works.
Brief
What were the client’s must-haves?
We love how the kitchen island on legs feels like a piece of furniture. Why did you specify it?
We wanted an element of delicacy, but also sharpness, and to create a consistency of visual language with the steel windows. The memory of a solid masonry chimney was still very present in everyone’s heads, so lifting the island on thin legs was one of the furthest things away from the chimney that we could design. It was a counterpoint.
- Something soft and delicate that respected the ‘prettiness’ of the existing Victorian detail in the house.
- A strong design, but not overbearing or slick to the point of being cold.
- Storage baskets for vegetables and fresh fruit.
- Storage for small worktop appliances.
- A school-drop zone.
- A low-maintenance design.
What were the client’s must-haves?
- Ample storage.
- Natural light.
- Good-quality joinery.
- Organisation.
- Functionality.
We love how the kitchen island on legs feels like a piece of furniture. Why did you specify it?
We wanted an element of delicacy, but also sharpness, and to create a consistency of visual language with the steel windows. The memory of a solid masonry chimney was still very present in everyone’s heads, so lifting the island on thin legs was one of the furthest things away from the chimney that we could design. It was a counterpoint.
The dining area seen from the hallway.
What was the thinking behind the arrangement of furniture and fixtures?
What challenges did you face with this kitchen and how did you solve them?
Removing the chimney, which involved working closely with a structural engineer. Also,
maximising storage in a useable way while retaining the feeling of openness that we were working so hard to achieve by removing the chimney.
What was the thinking behind the arrangement of furniture and fixtures?
- Reorientate the space in a long direction, away from a U-shaped kitchen.
- Exploit the typical long and thin terraced house footprint to create a feeling of openness and space.
- Increase natural light.
- Play on the long and linear, for example with the table, island, pendant and recessed lighting channels in the ceiling.
- Extend the eye into the outdoor space beyond.
What challenges did you face with this kitchen and how did you solve them?
Removing the chimney, which involved working closely with a structural engineer. Also,
maximising storage in a useable way while retaining the feeling of openness that we were working so hard to achieve by removing the chimney.
How important was an indoor-outdoor connection with this kitchen-diner?
The client had already completed some work on the outdoor area, to make sure the new spaces integrated without having to redo the outdoor space.
Having spent much time in Queensland, the client was also very realistic about the amount of year-round use the outdoor space would get, so an indoor window seat, which could be enjoyed even in the middle of winter, was determined to be more important than an entire wall of bifold doors.
You might also like How to Link Your Indoor and Outdoor Spaces.
The client had already completed some work on the outdoor area, to make sure the new spaces integrated without having to redo the outdoor space.
Having spent much time in Queensland, the client was also very realistic about the amount of year-round use the outdoor space would get, so an indoor window seat, which could be enjoyed even in the middle of winter, was determined to be more important than an entire wall of bifold doors.
You might also like How to Link Your Indoor and Outdoor Spaces.
We love the window seat with the small open shelf beside it. Can you tell us about it?
The idea was the kids could chat to the adults cooking dinner while they were reading books. It allows the chef to remain engaged with the conversation and provides an element of warmth and an opportunity for colour.
Tell us…
Which idea would you steal from this space? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
The idea was the kids could chat to the adults cooking dinner while they were reading books. It allows the chef to remain engaged with the conversation and provides an element of warmth and an opportunity for colour.
Tell us…
Which idea would you steal from this space? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Who lives here? A couple with two teenage children
Location Brunswick, Victoria, Australia
Dimensions 40 sq m
Scope of work This was a whole house renovation; the kitchen was renovated and the window seat was added
Furniture design Do it by Design
Builder Knot Only Carpentry
Architect Stephanie Reed-Marshall of Bryant Alsop Architects
Photos by Rhiannon Slatter