Maribyrnong Home 2 – Kitchen, bathroom + ensuite

Kitchen.

The client came to us with a cry of “we need a new kitchen and we need it to be different!” The kitchen in this 1910 bungalow could not be in a better spot, with light pouring in from the north facing window which looks over the Maribyrnong River. The problem with the space was 3 fold. It was part of a 90’s Reno and was in a pseudo-Victorian style. There was no decent pantry, and seating for only 2 people at the end of a large, unruly island bench. This family of 5 needed so much more.

The brief was one of the most evocative we have been challenged with yet. When the client was a little girl, her fondest memories were of having tea with her Nan. Nan lived at the bottom of her parent’s yard in a cute little 50’s caravan. The pastel colours, the banquet seating and the chrome finishes were etched into this happy memory and were given to the designer to re-incarnate into a highly functional kitchen for a busy professional couple and their 3 sons.

The result of this brief is something truly special. The rich and vibrant blue was selected for the cabinetry  in harmony with a favourite art piece that hangs in the main dining room. The profile of the cabinet doors were chosen to add texture and an artisan element to the otherwise huge blue space. Each detail has been meticulously selected to reflect the clients brief.

This kitchen has become such a social part of the home with its open, inviting feel and its twang of nostalgia, not only for the clients but for all their friends that visit. With the centralised bench seat used daily for breakfast, homework, coffees and catch ups this has become the meeting place within the home.

Bathroom.

The main bathroom in the home required rearrange as it was an awkward space for the clients three boys. The clients wanted to reinterpret the period style by retaining the existing leadlights, and add personality into the space with function in mind. Ensuring that the room had plenty of storage for their family and guests.

The room showcases bespoke cabinetry with matching framed mirror to elevate the elegance. Each black and white product selected to be as striking as the next, with hints of the period style shining through. Once of the biggest design decisions was also one of the simplest to implement and that was the cabinetry an wall colour, black. This daring decision does not close the room in; alternatively, it evokes a dramatic sense of elegance within the room.

Ensuite.

This room needed to be the one space, in this home of 4 boys, for mum that was completely her own to relax and rejuvenate. When selecting the fittings and fixtures for the ensuite, after having finished the kitchen and main bathroom, dad and the boys walked away. They had no say in this room.

The glossy, white, penny round tiles are a showstopper. They are the beginning, middle and end of this room. They dictate every other decision in the room, the basins, the knobs, the mirror, even the feature shelves are all round to perfectly reflect the bold tile selection. Yet the tiles are not the most daring decision in this space, it’s that pink grout. This was the glamorous, unexpected choice that injects a fun 60’s maximalist vibe into the space. The focus of this room is undoubtedly on the tile choice and is a shining testament to our tilers craft.