Kitchen connects to its surroundings through material choices

Tall banks of cabinetry and appliances are demurely set back into the walls in this contemporary kitchen within a revamped cottage interior

A bronze cabinet door on the island stands house, interior design, living room, white, furniture, leather, kitchen, Biji Architects, cottage — **A bronze cabinet door on the island stands out, while much of this kitchen by Bijl Architects nestles back into the wall planes – harmonising with the wider cottage renovation.**

This home renovation plays with the dynamism of architecture, house, interior design, white, home, renovation, kitchen

A bronze, white and black palette in this interior design, kitchen, living room, benchtop, CDK Stone, Biji Architects

Niche handles on the island cabinetry continue this architecture, home, house, interior design, loft, window, gray, white, furniture, cabinetry, Biji Architects, timber floor, skylights

With effective kitchen design, the immediate environment is almost always a key driver. This kitchen forms part of a major cottage renovation that dismantles its classic, claustrophobic feel, instead, opening up the residence horizontally and vertically for dynamism and visual richness.

Architects Melonie Bayl-Smith and Andrew Lee of Bijl Architecture undertook the kitchen as part of the wider space and light-bringing refit.

“We wanted the kitchen to be open to the living area without imposing on it visually or dimensionally,” says Bayl-Smith.

“As part of this, the perimeter cabinetry and appliances were nestled back into the rear and side walls in a seamless match of 2-pac polyurethane joinery and flat black and crisp white paint finishes.”

The understated cabinetry is matched with veined engineered stone benchtops and a drinks station splashback that add colour to the design. The two-tone walls and marble-look surfaces connect with the living room finishes. Plus, the island’s bronzed cupboard links with the cabinet handles and nearby balustrade and handrail.

“The pendant light creates minimal visual disruption to the space, while the introduced skylight brings natural light into the kitchen.”

Credit list

Architect

Melonie Bayl-Smith and Andrew Lee, Bijl Architecture

Cabinetry hardware

Hettich; Blum

Floors

Solid Oak Vulcano Timber Floorboards with Brushed White Oil finish, from Mafi

Kitchen sink

Barazza Cubo Double Bowl by Abey

Oven

Miele, in Obsidian Black

Ventilation

Qasair

Dishwasher

Miele, integrated

Cabinetry

Polytec finishes – Black Wenge and Artisan Oak, Ravine Range; Crisp White, Legato Range; Flat Black and Crisp White, Matte Finish Melamine; custom Arcturus oiled bronze door by Bijl Architecture, metal from Astor Metal

Benchtops and splashbacks

Estatuario and Basalt Black Neolith engineered stone from CDK Stone

Lighting

Darkon custom LED and Brightgreen recessed downlights, profiles and pendants

Taps

Armando Vicario

Cooktop

Miele Induction cooktop

Refrigerator

Fisher & Paykel, integrated

Awards

Trends International Design Awards (TIDA) Kitchens – Highly Commended

Story by: Australia TIDA Kitchens

Photography by: Katherine Lu

04 Apr, 2021

Kitchen

Australia TIDA Kitchens

For more than 30 years, Trends has promoted great home design ideas through its print, digital and online media.The Trends International Design Awards – TIDAs – take that involvement to the next level with the search for the best kitchens, bathrooms and homes across a number of the countries where Trends has a presence.

Home Trends Vol. 35/1

We talk a lot about kitchens today being at the heart of a home – a focal point where everyone can gather and be part of all the activity going on there. And that means most kitchens are open-plan. But when you open up your kitchen to adjacent areas, you need to consider how its style, materials and finishes work across those wider interiors.