Minimalist and understated, this kitchen also connects well with the traditional home it forms part of.

This substantially reworked and repositioned kitchen combines contemporary elements with more classic features – the result is off-white and welcoming.

Classic cream cabinetry complements the parquet flooring in building, cabinetry, ceiling, countertop, cuisine classique, cupboard, floor, flooring, furniture, hardwood, home, house, interior design, kitchen, light fixture, lighting, material property, property, real estate, room, sink, tile, wood flooring, orange — Classic cream cabinetry complements the parquet flooring in this Michael Folk-designed kitchen.

Classic pendants are matched with modern slender countertops building, cabinetry, ceiling, countertop, cuisine classique, cupboard, floor, flooring, furniture, hardwood, home, house, interior design, kitchen, light fixture, lighting, material property, property, real estate, room, sink, tile, wood flooring, orange

Traditional pendants and crown finishes both provide connection building, cabinetry, ceiling, countertop, cuisine classique, cupboard, design, dining room, floor, flooring, furniture, hardwood, home, house, interior design, kitchen, laminate flooring, light fixture, lighting, major appliance, property, real estate, refrigerator, room, sink, table, wood, wood flooring, orange

Shaker-style doors with decorative black handles are both architecture, building, cabinetry, ceiling, countertop, cupboard, drawer, floor, flooring, furniture, home, house, interior design, kitchen, lighting, material property, property, real estate, room, sink, tile, wood flooring, yellow, orange, brown

Glass-fronted cabinets break up this kitchen's wider use architecture, building, cabinetry, countertop, cupboard, drawer, floor, flooring, furniture, home, house, interior design, kitchen, material property, property, room, sink, tile, orange, yellow

For this Michael Folk renovation, the new dining architecture, building, ceiling, chandelier, dining room, estate, floor, flooring, furniture, hardwood, home, house, interior design, lighting, living room, property, real estate, room, table, wood flooring, gray, brown

Designed by Michael Folk Architects and Interiors

From the architect:

For this project, we were commissioned to increase the public living space at the rear of a classical styled house originally renovated by the clients in the 90s, says Michael Folk.

The previous kitchen had been small and located adjacent to the large open garden. So to create a more substantial kitchen at the rear of the public living spaces, we repurposed a seldom-used internal formal dining room next to the existing kitchen.

We also opened the new kitchen onto a new dining space, in the area that the previous kitchen had occupied.

The existing kitchen floors are echoed in the building, cabinetry, ceiling, countertop, cuisine classique, cupboard, design, dining room, floor, flooring, furniture, hardwood, home, house, interior design, kitchen, laminate flooring, light fixture, lighting, major appliance, property, real estate, refrigerator, room, sink, table, wood, wood flooring, orange — The existing kitchen floors are echoed in the herringbone-laid splashback tiles.

The homeowners had no structured outdoor living space, and this had also been on high on the design agenda.

In response, we opened the new dining space directly onto a generous new covered outdoor living and dining space with a barbecue and fridge. This has become the favourite hangout for the family in winter and summer.

And this was only part of the kitchen design story. The existing living room was enlarged with a new bay window to the side, as well as out towards the pool and a small covered patio.

These moves allowed for a more generous kitchen, dining and informal living space, with improved visual and physical flow between them and out to the rear garden and pool, which were also reworked during the project. We also created a herb garden off the covered patio, close-to-hand for use in the new kitchen.

The kitchen itself is substantial and U-shaped with the island situated in the middle, with a walk-in pantry in a corner. An appliance cupboard is located adjacent to the cooking area and two rows of new horizontal slot windows provide light around the joinery on the external wall.

The clients were adamant not to have a sleek minimalist kitchen. Their preferences went towards an elegant, classic and timeless design, in keeping with the general tenor of the house.

Plus, being in the restaurant business, the clients wanted high-level appliances, and did a lot of research to ensure they had the best.

To meet this brief, we custom-designed simple shaker-style doors with decorative black handles for the kitchen. These are contrasted with panelled glass doors above the windows.

Also in keeping with the classic home, detailed cornices cap off some of the overhead cupboards, while the fridge and freezer are completely integrated to unify the joinery. The cooking area is crowned with a rangehood giving a sense of a traditional fireplace and the accompanying splashback is in herringbone tiles, echoing the existing parquet flooring.