Pivotal role

Houses built in the '70s are not usually renowned for their great kitchen design. In fact the owners of this '70s house, Samantha and Simon Jerard, go so far as to say nothing was right with the original kitchen.

"It was old and literally falling apart," says Samantha Jerard. "But the design was also a problem. The overhead cupboards were above head height, and the narrow galley layout meant we couldn't walk through the kitchen if an appliance door was open. With a growing family, we found it almost unusable."

Architect Wulf Borrmeister of Borrmeister Architects was consequently commissioned to design a new kitchen as part of an extensive house renovation.

"The kitchen needed to be a much more open space for the family," Borrmeister says. "It also needed to incorporate a really good cooking centre for Samantha, who has worked professionally as a chef."

To provide enough space for a larger kitchen, the house was extended by a metre, a hallway was removed, and the wall and servery between the kitchen and dining room taken down. The original hallway is now part of the kitchen its low ceiling replaced by a new ceiling that follows the line of the roof gable, creating a much more spacious feel.

Borrmeister says that right from the outset, the kitchen was treated as the pivotal heart of the home. As such, it was not designed in isolation, but in conjunction with the rest of the interior.

"For example, there is a consistency with the use of materials. Red beech veneer gives the house a focal point it defines the more social spaces. The veneer appears in the entry hall and visually guides guests through to the kitchen and living areas."

The bookmatched veneer features on all the cabinetry, where a mix of recessed pulls and touch latches ensure the look is sleek and uncluttered. Red beech veneer can also be seen in the adjacent laundry, which doubles as a second kitchen with additional bench space and storage. A wide pocket door can be opened to link the two spaces as one large kitchen.

A large, near-square island wrapped in CaesarStone serves as the cooking centre. With double ovens positioned on the inside of the island, the visual impact of the appliances is minimised. A custom-built suspended ventilation unit with both downlights and uplights was also designed to ensure the aesthetics would not be compromised. The island also provides concealed storage systems and flush CaesarStone doors.

Other special features include strip lighting along the top of the cabinetry, and LED lights within the toekicks, which stay on at night.

Story by: Colleen Hawkes

Photography by: Jamie Cobeldick