Back to black

Visual continuity is one of the hallmarks of good architecture. What you see on the outside of a house may not necessarily be replicated on the interior, but it can be reinterpreted to create a sense of progression or uniformity.

The exterior of this new house has a slight Japanese aesthetic, which is echoed by key aspects of the interior design, including shoji-style sliding doors in the main hallway.

Kitchen designer Celia Visser says the shoji influence is repeated in a vertical lightbox that marks the main entry to the open-plan kitchen and living area.

"These geometric elements fit with the owners' desire for a kitchen with a very linear look and strong horizontal lines," she says. "They also wanted black cabinetry, but we didn't want to create a black-and-white kitchen as such. And it was essential that the design would not detract from the spectacular view from the main work bench."

Visser says the solution was to mix a very dark high-gloss lacquer Resene Nero with dark-stained timber battens on the front of the island. A matching dark-stained Tasmanian oak bar top wraps around the island to enclose the main work area.

"The island cabinetry stops short of the wall, leaving a gap beneath the bar top," says the designer. "This helps ensure the cabinetry doesn't overwhelm the space visually. It also means there is space for extra bar stools the owners wanted to be able to seat six people at the counter."

The black cabinets are complemented by stainless steel benchtops, one of which features an integral double sink.

A custom-designed ventilation unit with integrated cabinets was carefully detailed to accommodate the sloping ceiling.

"Everything in the kitchen was designed to reinforce the square, linear look," says Visser.

Story by: Colleen Hawkes

Photography by: Jamie Cobeldick