Designer in the spotlight: Alexa Beer

The team of expert designers at smarterBATHOOMS+ did exceedingly well at the KBDi awards in SA last month. One particular designer, Alexa Beer, took home the KBDI award for Kitchen Designer of the Year VIC. She was later called back to the stage and presented with the National Winner KBDi First Time Entrant award. Let’s get to know her better.

Tell us about your role at smarterBATHROOMS+.

I have been with smarterBATHROOMS+ for just over two years now and I absolutely love both the creative and technical aspects of my job and the design process. I have a cabinetry detailing background but have expanded my design capability and skill-set hugely since taking on this role. I live, eat and breathe renovating and love living vicariously through my clients each and every time I help craft their new home. I have actually been renovating my own home for the past two years as well!

Who is your favourite designer?

Doherty Design Studio. They achieve perfection in their joinery and finishes in every project they do. I am also a big fan of Biasol Design.

Tell us about your kitchen project that won you the KBDi award.

My client had separate kitchen and laundry spaces that were divided by a solid brick wall. With a single entry point to the living room via the kitchen, too many corners and restricted access, the design wasn’t working for them. This family loved cooking so it was imperative that the new kitchen was user friendly and could accommodate many chefs at once. So the first thing we did was remove the brick wall to accommodate a new, open-plan kitchen design.

There was a strong emphasis on materials, with the hero of the space being a slab of Marri timber that the client had personally sourced. The overall look we wanted to achieve was leaning towards industrial, but it needed to carry a sense of warmth and elegance too. The contrasting concrete benchtop is in keeping with the raw and relaxed feel of the room, and the partially exposed, 70-year-old brickwork on the wall does wonders to heighten the industrial aesthetic. This was extremely important to the client, who wished to pay homage to the original build of the home.

How does it feel to have designed a multi award-winning kitchen?

It’s very surreal and quite an exhilarating feeling! To be recognised by industry leaders and professionals is really special and something I will cherish now and in the future. It was incredible to be able to share the news with my client, who came to me with such an exciting and inspiring brief in the first place.

What is your favourite kitchen inclusion that every home should have?

Just one? Top of the list would be integrated appliances. Followed closely by a hero stone benchtop… and fabulous bespoke handles. I can’t pick just one!

Find out more about how smarterBATHROOMS+ did at the KBDi awards and keep an eye out for our next designer in the spotlight.