Treading lightly

It's rare for the original design of a recently purchased house to fulfil the new owners' taste entirely. Yet the elements that do fit are crucial, serving as inspiration in a renovation.

After purchasing this holiday home, the owners felt the kitchen needed an update. The room was dark, with heavy wooden beams on the ceiling, and the tiled floor was not to their liking. However, they were not asking for the space to be gutted the owners wanted the existing pantry and leadlight window to be a key part of the new design, says Sue Gillbanks of Kitchens by Design.

"Addressing the issue of light, I removed the wall between the kitchen and living room, and had the dark wood beams taken out and the ceiling painted. Timber floors now run through to the conservatory on the left of the kitchen, creating an open, light-filled space.

"The original pantry and leadlight window have a traditional feel, and as the owners also wanted a retro Smeg refrigerator and an Aga range, we chose a semi-traditional aesthetic for the space," says Gillbanks.

Simple, framed two-tone painted wood cabinetry was paired with tongue-and-groove panelling on the island. Mouldings on the cabinetry were selected by the designer to further the traditional ambience.

On either side of the new entrance to the living room are two crockery cabinets with leadlight inserts, forming a link to the existing window. Other traditional touches such as the butler sink and tapware sit alongside modern materials, such as the Silestone benchtops. A chimney above the range was introduced to conceal the ventilation unit.

The tiled splashback is a good example of the overall design approach.

"Colours are soft and delicate, and the beauty lies in the subtlety of the detailing," says the designer. "Old and new are tied together."

Story by: Olivia Wannan

Photography by: Jamie Cobeldick