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A communal family kitchen that doesn't forgo design detail or practicalities befits its new site in a large villa

Modern kitchen with stainless steel and DuPont benchtops, countertop, home appliance, interior design, kitchen, real estate, gray — Modern kitchen with stainless steel and DuPont benchtops, sink with mixer tap, gas cooktop and oven, stainless steel splashback, rangehood and refrigerator, with skylights in ceiling.

Closeup of kitchen bench with two barstools, and desk, furniture, product design, table, black, gray

Kitchen with sink in island, chestnut veneer cabinetry, cabinetry, ceiling, countertop, daylighting, glass, interior design, kitchen, real estate, room, window, gray, black

Closeup of mixer tap in kitchen, with pop-up product design, tap, gray

Kitchen with barstools at large kitchen island with cabinetry, ceiling, countertop, floor, flooring, hardwood, interior design, kitchen, real estate, room, wood flooring, gray

Edge of benchtop with veneer cabinety, and mixer bathroom sink, countertop, plumbing fixture, product design, sink, tap, black, gray

Bar stools at wide dark kitchen island, with bookcase, furniture, interior design, product design, shelf, shelving, table, gray

Colour can make or break the successful union of traditional architectural features and a modern kitchen. Highlighting older elements in bold tones could look tacky, while painting them white can render them insignificant.

Kitchen designer Damian Hannah says a solution lies in the use of aluminium.

"Aluminium is the new white," he says. "It has so many application possibilities: benchtop surfaces and edging, cabinet doors, trim, bar handles and splashbacks. But it also suits all types of homes, from contemporary new apartments to traditional-style residences."

He showcases his theory in this home, a large 1910 weatherboard villa which had been gutted and re-laid to suit to the requirements of a young family. Architect Angela Foster says the concept was for a modern interior and the kitchen was integral in establishing this look, hence the choice of Poggenpohl cabinetry.

However, says the kitchen designer, utmost consideration was required for the integration of old and new in such a contemporary application.

This attention to detail can be seen particularly between the back bench and the island. This area is an extension to the house and it was decided to highlight this fact. So, in the existing section, the floorboards remain with the cabinetry a complementary chestnut brown veneer. In the extension, granite floor tiles and anodised aluminium feature.

"We used the aluminium because most of the home's interior is white," says Hannah. "Aluminium doesn't detract from white but doesn't blend in too much with it either. It was the perfect complement."

The kitchen is in a completely different position to its predecessor, says the architect. It was relocated for a number of reasons establishing a connection to the outdoors was just one. Now the homeowners can watch their children playing outside and pass platters through the back windows when dining outdoors.