Contemporary Utility Room with Green Worktops Ideas and Designs
Mihaly SlocombeBrunswick Parlour transforms a Victorian cottage into a hard-working, personalised home for a family of four.
Our clients loved the character of their Brunswick terrace home, but not its inefficient floor plan and poor year-round thermal control. They didn't need more space, they just needed their space to work harder.
The front bedrooms remain largely untouched, retaining their Victorian features and only introducing new cabinetry. Meanwhile, the main bedroom’s previously pokey en suite and wardrobe have been expanded, adorned with custom cabinetry and illuminated via a generous skylight.
At the rear of the house, we reimagined the floor plan to establish shared spaces suited to the family’s lifestyle. Flanked by the dining and living rooms, the kitchen has been reoriented into a more efficient layout and features custom cabinetry that uses every available inch. In the dining room, the Swiss Army Knife of utility cabinets unfolds to reveal a laundry, more custom cabinetry, and a craft station with a retractable desk. Beautiful materiality throughout infuses the home with warmth and personality, featuring Blackbutt timber flooring and cabinetry, and selective pops of green and pink tones.
The house now works hard in a thermal sense too. Insulation and glazing were updated to best practice standard, and we’ve introduced several temperature control tools. Hydronic heating installed throughout the house is complemented by an evaporative cooling system and operable skylight.
The result is a lush, tactile home that increases the effectiveness of every existing inch to enhance daily life for our clients, proving that good design doesn’t need to add space to add value.
Melton Design BuildHere the clients chose to add a pop of color with vibrant green laminate countertops. This laundry room features maple cabinets in pure white, front-loading washer and dryer, undermount stainless steel sink, and concrete flooring.
Photo Credit: Michael deLeon Photography
May Construction, Inc.The pre-renovation structure itself was sound but lacked the space this family sought after. May Construction removed the existing walls that separated the overstuffed G-shaped kitchen from the living room. By reconfiguring in the existing floorplan, we opened the area to allow for a stunning custom island and bar area, creating a more bright and open space.
Budget analysis and project development by: May Construction
Interior Changes home design & consultingThis creative display space is waiting for personal items to be highlighted!
Mihaly SlocombeCoburg Frieze is a purified design that questions what’s really needed.
The interwar property was transformed into a long-term family home that celebrates lifestyle and connection to the owners’ much-loved garden. Prioritising quality over quantity, the crafted extension adds just 25sqm of meticulously considered space to our clients’ home, honouring Dieter Rams’ enduring philosophy of “less, but better”.
We reprogrammed the original floorplan to marry each room with its best functional match – allowing an enhanced flow of the home, while liberating budget for the extension’s shared spaces. Though modestly proportioned, the new communal areas are smoothly functional, rich in materiality, and tailored to our clients’ passions. Shielding the house’s rear from harsh western sun, a covered deck creates a protected threshold space to encourage outdoor play and interaction with the garden.
This charming home is big on the little things; creating considered spaces that have a positive effect on daily life.
Contemporary Utility Room with Green Worktops Ideas and Designs
1