In a parallel universe

A spacious kitchen is a modern-day luxury, but it can still pose a challenge for kitchen designers looking to provide the perfect work triangle while minimising the amount of cabinetry on show.

For the designer of this kitchen in a new house designed by architect Kerry Mason, the solution was to break up the visual expanse of the perimeter cabinetry.

Rachel Barnes of Ingrid Geldof Design says the galley-style kitchen is very long, with a 4m island, but two matching banks of white lacquered cabinets would have been too much. Because the kitchen is part of an open-plan living area, it needed to work with the overall space, rather than dominate it.

To relieve the expanse of white on the rear wall, Barnes introduced dark timber veneer cabinets with a chunky, industrial-style stainless steel benchtop that abuts a long, narrow window.

"The stainless steel benchtop forms the reveal for the window behind, making this a key architectural feature," she says.

The long window reinforces the strong horizontal lines of the kitchen, as does the white-painted glass wall above it.

"The veneer cabinetry beneath this window juts out a little further than the cabinetry on either side, which helps define the food preparation area," says Barnes. "It also reduces the distance between the workstations and appliances."

A change of benchtop level is another way the designer helped to break up the visual expanse of the perimeter cabinetry. The benchtop is elevated at one end to accommodate two raised ovens. Barnes says this design also has practical benefits the ovens are positioned at the perfect height for the owner.

The benchtops above the ovens and flanking the veneer unit feature extra-thin stainless steel benchtops. The different surface treatment ensures the island, which has a cantilevered CaesarStone Osprey benchtop and negative detailing, has a more social role to play.

"The decorative light pendant, which echoes the shape of another fixture in the house, was deliberately suspended above the area at the end of the island," says Barnes. "It puts the focus firmly on the seating area."

To enhance the sleek, streamlined look of the kitchen, appliances are integrated into the cabinetry wherever possible. The refrigerator is within a bank of cabinets at the end of the kitchen, next to the pantry. Barnes says all the cabinetry is customised to ensure items are stored right where they are needed, from the pot-and-pan drawers to the bottle storage for oils and spices.

Story by: Colleen Hawkes

Photography by: Jamie Cobeldick