Cappuccino per favore

With its mirrored wall, display shelving and colourful glass splashback, this kitchen has both the aesthetics and functionality of a vibrant city cafe

View of the outdoor entertaining area which features house, interior design, patio, real estate, gray — View of the outdoor entertaining area which features outdoor cooking equipment, orange-coloured splashback, cedar table with chairs, decking.

View of a cafe-styled kitchen which features an countertop, interior design, kitchen, real estate, gray

View of a cafe-styled kitchen which features CaesarStone cabinetry, countertop, cuisine classique, interior design, kitchen, real estate, gray, brown

View of a cafe-styled kitchen which features an cabinetry, countertop, flooring, interior design, kitchen, real estate, room, gray

View of the scullery which features shelving, refrigeration, cabinetry, countertop, interior design, kitchen, real estate, shelf, shelving, brown

View of a cafe-styled kitchen which features an countertop, interior design, kitchen, gray, brown

View of a cafe-styled kitchen which features an dining room, furniture, home, interior design, kitchen, living room, room, table, gray, brown

View of a cafe-styled kitchen which features CaesarStone cabinetry, countertop, interior design, kitchen, room, brown

View of the scullery which features shelving, refrigeration, cabinetry, closet, furniture, kitchen, room, shelf, shelving, orange

To create a kitchen for a family that loves to entertain, the designer of this new house took her cue from catering professionals she designed a cafe-style kitchen complete with coffee machine, mirrored walls and display shelving.

Sally Anderson of Saaj Design says the importance of the kitchen to the family's lifestyle could not be underestimated.

"The kitchen is very much the pivotal point of the house," she says. "Both parents like to cook and the family constantly entertains, both indoors and out. The design needed to provide enough space for more than one person to work in the kitchen at the same time. The visual aspect was also important given the open-plan layout of the house the kitchen needed to be part of a fun environment where people could relax with good food and wine."

Central to the design is a bronze-tinted mirrored wall inlaid with dark-stained cedar battens, which splay out in key areas to form curved shelves. The wall is also highlighted by a vibrant burnt orange colour-backed glass splashback the orange reappears as an accent colour in the living area. CaesarStone benchtops and a matching shelf further enhance the kitchen's strong horizontal lines.

"The design effectively takes the kitchen to another level," says Anderson. "It becomes more like a cafe than a family kitchen. For this reason also, additional storage, food preparation areas and the refrigerators are located in a scullery that can be closed off by cavity sliders. The coffee machine, however, is off to one side of the kitchen for easy access."

Anderson says the mirrored wall and glass splashback make the entire area appear more spacious. They also reflect the bush landscape, enhancing the indoor-outdoor link, which was another key consideration. This connection is further reinforced by an extension of the benchtops and splashback beyond the kitchen wall onto the deck.

"The kitchen flows directly outdoors where we have installed commercial barbecue facilities," Anderson says.

When opened, large concertina doors stack against the walls, framing the kitchen. Similarly, a lowered ceiling and white wall wrap the space to focus attention on the kitchen and the island centrepiece.

"The island is designed as a piece of furniture rather than a cabinet," says Anderson. "To enhance this effect, the woodgrain laminate, which is laid vertically on the rear cabinets, is horizontal, and there is no hardware in sight."