Light industrial touches link this apartment kitchen to its wider heritage environment

Black subway tiles, dark cabinetry and crisp white countertops give this apartment kitchen its dramatic presence

Dark cabinetry surfaces in this kitchen work well countertop, floor, flooring, interior design, kitchen, room, gray, black — Dark cabinetry surfaces in this kitchen work well because the space has plenty of natural light.

A picture of white, black and metal trim, architecture, countertop, interior design, kitchen, real estate, gray

On this new kitchen project, the kitchen is architecture, floor, flooring, house, interior design, interior designer, living room, loft, gray, black

Often with a kitchen design, the cues for the aesthetic are drawn from the wider setting. This apartment kitchen is in a new mixed-use building in a sensitive heritage area. The facade's tiled elements reference existing historic shopfronts in the vicinity and the kitchen continues this feel.

Project architect Andrew Smith worked closely with kitchen designer Lara Farmilo at Poggenpohl to achieve the exact look required.

"I chose a glazed subway tile in black for the splashback to echo the exterior tilework," says Smith. "And, building on this, we wanted the whole kitchen to have a light-industrial touch."

To achieve this, Farmilo says they chose the Poggenpohl cabinetry in a Black Satin lacquer finish with aluminium negative details.

"The metal detailing and the Cameo White Corian countertops offset the dark cabinetry," says Farmilo. "Satin lacquer also has a slight reflective surface which helps bounce light around the living spaces."

On show from all areas, stairs included, the kitchen needed to have a 3D sculptural quality.

"To accentuate the height of the interiors, we wanted the cabinetry to reach to the ceiling. This could have been tricky given the high stud but Poggenpohl was able to accommodate this aspect into the design. The rangehood with its marble-look tile front also reaches to the ceiling."

However, Smith says they avoided overhead cabinets to enhance the overall sense of space.

The waterfall island offers ample storage and prepping and breakfasting surfaces, while its cantilevered benchtop appears to point out to the deck and the scenery beyond.

"Two windows on the back wall also had a strong influence on the layout," Farmilo says. "One of these enabled us to add a light-filled study area in a rear corner of the space."