The Port Stephens home in NSW was for a young couple with a small child. The modern home was constructed of brick and render with a Colorbond roof, extra wide Jarrah timber floors and significantly used large glass panel windows throughout.
The client wanted a kitchen design that did not use cabinets as a feature. Due to the home’s location, with the kitchen providing views from Port Stephens in the north all the way down to Newcastle in the south, the kitchen also had to be designed to ensure the best possible use of the outlook.
“The client was very specific in communicating that they did not want a traditional style kitchen design: there were to be no large end panels on view, no mass of polyurethane and no overhead cabinets,” says Dale Gardner, director at Seaside Cabinets, who won the 2008 HIA award for Australian Kitchen Designer of the Year for this project.
“By the same token, the client wanted large areas of storage and had a list of specific items that they wanted to store in their kitchen space, [which was dependent] on the size of the items and the frequency of their use. In addition, the client had already selected all large appliances, including the refrigerator, so the design had to take into account the size and style of these particular items.”
The design process began early in the construction phase. The client was presented with a series of sketches based around the idea of furniture pieces, as opposed to kitchen cabinets. This included open style cabinet designs with recessed shelves in the large island bench and floating open shelves on the island ends.
“Although the client was happy with the concepts provided, they pointed out the design reduced the storage capacity and also could become very high maintenance with open shelves prone to dust. To achieve the minimalist look the client was after, a new design was developed and the existing design brief was achieved,” Gardner says.
One of the main features of the kitchen is the 5m x 1.2m stone island, which also provides utility space on the inner side. The side facing the entrance appears to be flat panels. However, push catch doors conceal a large number of soft closing stainless steel inner drawers which provide space for the storage of items which are not used often. The kitchen also includes glass display cabinets, hidden storage and a walk-in a pantry.
“By working with the builder it was also possible to design a series of structures to house the various components of cabinetry. For example, wall structures and bulkheads were placed around the fridge space allowing it to become separate from the cooktop area and also, allowing space for a large, walk in pantry unit ensuring minimal clutter on bench areas,” Gardner says.
“With a mass of stone on the island bench, it was also important that it did not overwhelm the space. The inclusion of glass cabinets on each end of the island not only softens the appearance of the stone, but provides a stunning display space for the client’s porcelain and glass collection and also, when viewed from either the living or dining space, this glass cabinetry becomes the key feature of the kitchen, particularly at night.”
