Subtle design a winner

Taking the top position in a nationwide design competition is a worthy accomplishment and a great accolade for a designer. The Smeg Design Awards provide a regular opportunity for kitchen designers, architects, architectural designers and homeowners, who have designed a new kitchen or renovated a kitchen using Smeg appliances, to showcase their work. In 2008, the categories were for apartments and freestanding or semi-detached homes. The awards are run in association with Trends Publishing.

The overall winner, kitchen designer Peter Collingburn of Collingburn Cabinetmaking, Yamba, receives a prize of $10,000 worth of advertising with Trends, and the winning homeowner has the cost of the Smeg appliances refunded.

In its commentary, the judging panel drew particular attention to the standout design of the kitchen designed by Collingburn, with its clean, white cabinetry and sleek joinery.

"The Smeg appliances are quietly understated, and fit into the greater design as individual aesthetic pieces. At the same time, each appliance is ideally placed ergonomically," the judges noted.

The kitchen design incorporates a series of subtle internal and external curves along the length of the perimeter cabinetry and the central island, and every door and drawer front also has a soft, subtle curve. The satin lacquered finish on the cabinetry is understated and has been paired with lightly flecked stone benchtops and glass splashbacks. Stainless steel D-handles pick up on the stainless steel finish of the Smeg appliances and the undermounted double-bowl sink.

Collingburn says the owners asked for three ovens, so a Smeg convection oven and a separate steam oven were wall-mounted into the cabinetry at the far end of the kitchen. An under-bench microwave/convection oven was tucked into the end of the 180cm-long central island.

To maintain a subtle appearance, the Smeg 90cm-wide gas hob has been flush-mounted into the long, curved stone benchtop, and teamed with a Smeg stainless steel rangehood.

"Both the hob and the rangehood above it have been installed to follow, as closely as possible, the same angle as the curve on the benchtop, rather than the straight wall behind," says Collingburn.

Close to the sink is Smeg's 90cm-wide fully concealed dishwasher. Dishes stack into one level directly below bench height, so this dishwasher is easy to load and empty.

"Everything about the long wall bench ensures the kitchen looks spacious, and yet the designer could incorporate four vital appliances and still maintain the proportions," say the judges.

To maintain the contemporary look, most cabinetry is below bench height. Generous amounts of storage space are provided by a combination of small and deep drawers, although the kitchen also includes some cupboards.

A stack of open shelves at one end of the kitchen enables the owners to add a hint of colour and a personal touch to the space.

A modern kitchen for a large family in a classic, country-style home closely followed with the prize for the runner-up kitchen.

Designed by the architectural team at Scott Salisbury Homes, who are based in Camden Park, SA, the three-level house is in an open-plan style, with the kitchen, dining and living areas combined to create a single large entertainment space. Lofty, vaulted ceilings and generous flows of natural light enhance the sense of spaciousness that characterises this house.

"The square shape of the kitchen is emphasised by the gloss lacquered cabinetry and the chunky square-edged stone benchtop, and complemented by the linear look of the built-in Smeg appliances. The light and airy atmosphere is due both to the design and to the skylight positioned above the centre of the space," the judges noted.

"Straight lines and clear space in the kitchen enhance the open layout and the ergonomic placement of the appliances," they said.

The kitchen features a large 90cm-wide Smeg stainless steel under-bench oven and matching 90cm-wide Smeg gas cooktop. Cooking odours are easily removed by the powerful, oversized 120cm-wide chimney rangehood.

Concealed below the peninsula benchtop is a semi-integrated 60cm-wide dishwasher. Further improving the convenience of the kitchen is a Smeg coffee machine, which is plumbed into a veneered feature wall. Below it is a stainless steel utility drawer, also from Smeg, where coffee beans and other coffee-making requirements can be stored.

For more details, contact Smeg Appliances, 2 Baker Street, Botany, NSW 2019, phone (02) 9384 5678, fax (02) 9666 3025. Website: www.smegappliances.com.au.

Story by: Trendsideas