'Something different'

Designed by Morgan Cronin, Cronin Kitchens

From the designer:

Design brief

The owners of this home are recent empty nesters – with their grown-up daughters living overseas. 

The home had leaking issues, so they decided to completely rebuild it. 

I was engaged early on, to design the kitchen, scullery and laundry. 

The basic shape of the concrete living room floor was existing, the concrete post (which is a feature) had been cast, the back wall of the kitchen, scullery and laundry walls were also existing.

The owner wanted a smart, elegant kitchen – 'something different' with warm tones and dramatic natural stone. 

The living room is large, and, with the way it would be furnished, the owner liked the idea of the kitchen pushing out into the living space. 

The scullery was required to be an extension of the kitchen in aesthetic terms. 

The wish list included seating for five at the island and a drinks cabinet for entertaining.

The challenges

• Designing the kitchen around the existing walls.
• The entry that goes through the wall into the (now) scullery and laundry could not be moved.
• Aligning the face of the tall cabinetry with the window joinery and the stairway wall.
• Working with the feature concrete post.
• Designing something that's different, while remaining functional.
• Pushing the kitchen out into the living room space without the island looking too big and bulky.

Designer's response

Extending the kitchen’s oak panelling over the stairway wall on the right, as well as into the window joinery on the left, plus the use of a secret door entry into the scullery, have together given the kitchen a seamless expansive, luxurious look.

When the scullery secret door is open, the door fits perfectly within the Oak lined entry. 

Concealed hinges and magnets hold the door either in its open or closed position, while the vertical oak handles slot neatly into the side of the drinks cabinet, allowing the door to reveal the full width of the opening.

The view through the oak-lined entry is of a scullery that is both visually and practically an extension of the kitchen.

The drinks cabinet fully opens up when entertaining, yet is simply concealed when not in use. 

A drinks fridge, pull out drawers for glasses, smokey glass shelving, LED lighting and a full height smokey mirror splashback elevate the entertaining experience, while the stone bench top subtly keeps the bar connected to the kitchen's aesthetics.

The large, bold, floating stone boxed island certainly is something different. 

The seating table pushes out into the living room, adequately filling the space, while remaining elegant within the scale of this large living room.

Story by: Trendsideas