Crisp, white, Scandinavian-look kitchen with brushed oak flooring

Designed by Natalie Du Bois, Du Bois Design

From the designer: 

While the homeowners live in a beautiful, architecturally designed home, their existing kitchen had been dark and closed off, and had lacked a good workflow. 

It also lacked adequate storage or a butler’s pantry – something they desperately wanted.

They liked the light, Scandinavian look, and wanted some interesting aspects incorporated into the new design, but nothing too dominating or showy.

One of the challenges was to ensure the low ceiling and support posts – which couldn’t be removed or altered – were made as visually understated as possible.

Other key requirements were an abundance of storage inside the kitchen and also in the scullery area; two large sinks – one for prepping food and another for large dishes; and two dishwashers – one for the main kitchen and an extra half dishwasher in the pantry room.

Plus there was to be an area for a foot stool to be stored for high-reach areas; a bag drop area; a place to charge phones etc; and lastly a boiling and chilled tap situated in a position for their children to access without being in the main part of the kitchen.

To minimise the cumbersome post and detract from the low ceiling I shaped Corian seamlessly around the post and kept all the colours light and in tone with each other.

This subdued soft greyed and off-white pallet was chosen for the walls, cabinetry and surfaces, and then teamed with the warmth of brushed French oak flooring, bar stools, and even the wall hooks in the pantry.

The adjoining bathroom behind the kitchen was reconfigured into a butler’s pantry and a separate smaller guest bathroom. 

A slim window was designed to allow in a sneak of natural light.

An island now encourages two ways into the kitchen, with a chilled tap located to one side so the children can help themselves without being in the busier parts of the kitchen.

All cabinet interiors are finely finished, with a sleek look, to give the room the desired modern Scandinavian feel.

Just shy of 50 Blum Legrabox stainless steel drawers with clear glass sides were fitted within the cabinets. 

The interiors of the cabinets were finished in Prime Panels Premium Oak interiors which match the brushed matt oak flooring perfectly.

Electronic servo drive mechanisms are also found in the kitchen, making it easier to access the rubbish bins units, for example. 

The mechanism means you don’t need to pull the drawer out with your whole hand, instead it opens with a just touch.

The entire island and rangehood housing are made from Corian, with matching feature panels. 

These are channeled in various thicknesses and depths, then lit with the LED lighting, to give the room a point of difference and interest.

Charcoal Caesarstone was used for the cooking surface to pick up on the tones of the marble pattern and give a more integrated look to the dark induction hob.

Story by: Natalie Du Bois

Photography by: Kallan Macleod