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This kitchen combines a sculptural, minimalist aesthetic with a wealth of storage options

Warm colours featured in this traditional kitchen cabinetry, countertop, floor, flooring, hardwood, interior design, kitchen, laminate flooring, property, real estate, room, wood flooring, white, orange — Warm colours featured in this traditional kitchen

Warm colours featured in this traditional kitchen - ceiling, floor, flooring, hardwood, home, interior design, kitchen, laminate flooring, property, real estate, room, wood, wood flooring, gray, orange

Warm colours featured in this traditional kitchen - cabinetry, countertop, interior design, kitchen, product design, room, under cabinet lighting, yellow, orange

Warm colours featured in this traditional kitchen - cabinetry, countertop, cuisine classique, floor, flooring, interior design, kitchen, real estate, room, wood flooring, orange, brown

Warm colours featured in this traditional kitchen - cabinetry, countertop, interior design, kitchen, room, shelf, shelving, gray, brown

Warm colours featured in this traditional kitchen - cabinetry, countertop, interior design, kitchen, refrigerator, room, orange, gray

Warm colours featured in this traditional kitchen - ceiling, floor, flooring, furniture, hardwood, interior design, laminate flooring, table, wood flooring, white, orange

Sometimes, pared-back, linear spaces provide an ideal contrast to a traditional house exterior. However, while a clean and simple design brings a winning aesthetic, there is always the issue of concealing the clutter of daily living.

This kitchen and breakfast space by designer Clive Champion forms part of a 19th-century stately residence. The owners asked Champion to replace an earlier fit-out with a more contemporary space with ample storage and a direct connection to the breakfast area.

"In terms of layout, the room has not changed greatly," says Champion. "We stripped out tired beech veneer cabinets built a decade ago and replaced them with lacquered minimalist versions."

A white island, in the same lacquer, abuts the new dark-stained breakfast bar in the centre of the large room the two combined create a central sculptural feature. These contrasting elements also help demarcate areas of use in the greater space the kitchen ends at the island and the breakfast area and corridor space are defined by the breakfast bar. As the back of the bar is 200mm higher than the island, it helps keep any mess out of sight of those having breakfast.

"All the appliances are integrated, and recessed aluminium box-grip handles are in keeping with the minimalist aesthetic of the lacquered cabinetry," Champion says.

There are four areas to the kitchen: the central island, the perimeter cabinetry and worktops, the combined office and pantry area in an adjacent space, and another dedicated pantry in a room beyond that.

"Storage was an important part of the client's wish list and we addressed this in several ways," says Champion.

The dark end-wall includes several shelving options as well as two integrated Liebherr refrigerators. There is also a pantry space set to the right of the wall. This is shallow to accommodate the introduction of a home-cinema cabinet in the living room on the other side.

However, the standout feature of the wall is the German Dispensa, a swing pantry designed to pivot and pull out to maximise use of available cabinet space and provide convenient access.

"The kitchen area connects to the living area, dining area, the rear French doors and a corridor," Champion says. "This centralised design works well as a family kitchen, with ample work surfaces and everything to hand.

"At the same time, it doesn't interfere with the open-plan room's sense of space."