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This custom-designed kitchen provides for a contemporary urban lifestyle

View of a custom-designed kitchen which features a house, interior design, real estate, window, gray, black — View of a custom-designed kitchen which features a glass breakfast bar and kitchen island, kitchen appliances, tiled flooring, cabinetry, benchtops, sink and tapware.

View of a custom-designed kitchen which features a countertop, floor, flooring, furniture, interior design, kitchen, real estate, room, table, gray

View of a custom-designed kitchen which features a countertop, interior design, kitchen, black, white

View of a custom-designed kitchen which features a cabinetry, floor, flooring, furniture, interior design, living room, room, gray, black

View of a custom-designed kitchen which features a furniture, home appliance, kitchen appliance, black, white, gray

View of cooktop and hood in this custom-designed cabinetry, countertop, cuisine classique, home appliance, interior design, kitchen, kitchen appliance, kitchen stove, white, black

View of a custom-designed kitchen which features overhead cabinetry, countertop, furniture, home appliance, kitchen, kitchen appliance, kitchen stove, major appliance, microwave oven, room, black, gray

Most people use their kitchen in different ways, to suit individual cooking styles or eating habits. Providing for these needs as well as creating an aesthetically pleasing kitchen can be a challenge.

The family who owns this kitchen lead busy, urban lives, and had specific requirements that the kitchen had to fulfil. Adding to the challenge, designer Tom Kanchanasinith from John Mainwaring & Associates Architects was presented with an empty, concrete-walled apartment with a pre-defined space in which to design the kitchen.

"The space for the kitchen was not large, and the design had to reflect the homeowners' contemporary lifestyle," he says. "As they prefer eating meals casually in the kitchen, I created dual-purpose benchtops, with a glass table positioned flush with the workbench. Glass is chosen for its transparency; it extends the sense of space."

Lower cabinetry is handle-free with a push opening mechanism. This makes it easier to move about in the main work area of the kitchen. The upper cabinets pull out and upwards to avoid the problem of cupboard doors colliding with heads.

The deck is open to the kitchen, which also extends the sense of space. The benchtop and a cutlery and crockery cabinet can be accessed from the deck to allow for easy outdoor living.

In terms of aesthetics, Kanchanasinith aimed to create an urban-style, light-filled space with clean lines. This is accomplished through Laminex Fineline cabinetry, which has an aluminium trim.

"Aluminium and stainless steel provide visual highlights in the kitchen and help reflect light. The timber veneer cabinets lend a sense of depth and contrast against the white walls and benchtops," says the designer.

Ceramic tiled floors in a subtle tone lend gloss to the room. Glass upper cabinets tie in with the glass table and reflect sunlight from the windows.