Light from above

This kitchen features a large, dramatic island with a tower-like skylight – putting the island and surrounds in the best possible natural light

The owners set about modernising, extending and adding

The kitchen is central to the entertaining zone

The chunky marble-look island is the kitchen's leading

Wood floors complement both the stone and wood

Brass tapware adds bling accents. - Light from

The window splashback brings more natural light onto

Recessed pulls keep the look clean and avoid

The kitchen's overlying wood benchtop is from The

The long island with two benchtops while the

The capacious scullery includes plenty of open display

Designed by Rayza Lorca, Stylehouse Design

From the designer:

Our homeowners had embarked on a significant redevelopment of their classic iconic 1930s weatherboard property.

Originally designed by Canadian architect Sholto Smith, the home has the trademark canopy gateway, black and white sarked ceilings, built-in leadlight display cabinets and quarter-paned windows.

At the heart of the home was a well-appointed, but tired contemporary designer kitchen that had delivered its fair amount of entertaining and family living.

The original kitchen flowed to generous outdoors with sheltered, covered, open decks and adjacent garden areas.

As a family home, the current owners set about modernising, extending and adding spaces to improve the flow, with the new kitchen retaining its status as the true heart of the living areas.

As well as introducing expansive new doors to the new deck and pool areas, the kitchen/living zone enjoys an abundance of newly introduced natural light from a turret style light well that sits over the enormous new entertaining island.

Substantial structural work was required to create the generous ceiling heights in the kitchen, while a reformat of supporting areas included a new scullery, laundry and additional storage.

The results are a wonderful reinvention of space, retaining the iconic features of the home, while accommodating the needs of modern family living.

Featured products included a 4m long island comprising of 30mm mitred Dekton Opera Natural Matt porcelain, with 12mm cladding to the sides and an 80mm thick solid oak servery benchtop in Euro Oak with resin satin finish (ex Woodsmiths).

Hettich Avantech You soft close runners were used, and the results were superb.

Vertical cabinetry surfaces comprised 19mm American White Oak crown Cut – with a custom dark stain.

Several test stains were prepared to make sure the tone was neither too brown nor too black.

The final product exudes a warmth and crispness while delivering hard wearing surfaces for the busy family to enjoy.