Minimalist kitchen design complements sculptural, clean-lined home

This long, luxurious entertainer’s kitchen slots neatly into the available space, echoing the sculptural feel of the home itself

This long, linear Poggenpohl kitchen, precision tweaked and architecture, ceiling, countertop, interior design, kitchen, lobby, gray, marble, concrete, marble benchtop — This long, linear Poggenpohl kitchen, precision tweaked and installed by Pepper Design, fits neatly into the clean-lined home it forms part of. Sleek cabinetry finishes contrast the semi-industrial fair-faced concrete wall that partially frames the space.

This marble island has a waterfall countertop with countertop, floor, flooring, interior design, kitchen, real estate, gray

Large stacker doors open these living areas to architecture, daylighting, estate, home, house, interior design, living room, real estate, gray

As well as from the stacker doors on apartment, architecture, balcony, courtyard, home, house, interior design, property, real estate, gray

Stacker doors to the left, stacker doors to estate, home, house, interior design, living room, lobby, real estate, gray

A dramatic pendant draws attention to the scale apartment, architecture, ceiling, daylighting, handrail, home, house, interior design, lobby, stairs, gray

This kitchen by Pepper Design slots neatly into architecture, estate, house, interior design, living room, lobby, real estate, gray

Great kitchen design is all about balance – be it dark tones set alongside lighter hues or sleek surfaces contrasted with semi-industrial finishes. Sometimes a kitchen has both these connections.

For this dramatic entertainer’s kitchen, the owners asked Nikki Rankin of Pepper Design to create a minimalist design that would match their contemporary, clean-lined home.

“The home, by Chris Vandyke Designs, is in Port Douglas and we were regularly flying up to the site from Melbourne – so it was great to have an experienced builder like Nathan Verri on hand to oversee the work day to day.”

“The owners fell in love with the +Artesio design from Poggenpohl, so it was up to us to blend this into the narrow, elongated space available,” says Rankin. “This included tucking part of the kitchen in behind a prominent blade wall in fair-faced concrete.”

For the cabinetry, Pepper Design chose high-gloss white surfaces to frame the kitchen’s hero element – a dark wood splashback bisected by a run of stainless steel. This strip, another on the cabinetry and a slender metal display shelf together present a semi-industrial touch that connects with the concrete blade wall.

“The stainless steel panels break up the wood surface and also play a practical role – housing the tap, power points and the switches, so maximising bench space,” Rankin says.

The sleek cabinetry finishes offer a contrast to the blade wall, while the island – in a grey marble chosen by the owners – offers a balancing point in the design. The island has a refined feel, like the white cabinetry, but also tones in with the adjacent concrete wall.

“As part of the clean, crisp look, attention to fine detail was all-important."

“For example, the white corner bench seat and dining chairs, and the wood-topped dining table match the kitchen’s two-tone finishes. Even the stitching on the leather bench seating was measured to run in 130mm increments to match the measurements of the panelled wall.”

Being on show to the living spaces, the kitchen needed to achieve an uncluttered look and electronic, push-to-open cabinet hardware contributes to this. A concealed pantry also helps, making it easier to keep benchtops clear.

“The pantry/appliance area is tucked on the inner side of the concrete wall and has clear shelves to enhance the feeling of spaciousness. These were fitted directly to the concrete wall.