The Melbourne-based owners renovated six houses in six years, so unsurprisingly, they know their decorating onions. They’ve distilled that wealth of experience and created a unique family kitchen, the star of which is a beautifully crafted island bench, topped with granite and finished in oiled Tasmanian oak.
Stainless-steel corner edging gives it a furniture-like feel and it includes a breakfast bar big enough to comfortably fit the whole family for casual dining. The stainless-steel edging is repeated above the benchtop in the trim of the double row of open shelves under the oak bulkheads.
The room is more than just a pretty face: it combines all sorts of storage, ranging from the completely concealed – thanks to the butler’s pantry behind the main event – to the low-key, delivered by handle-free laminate cabinetry on the rear wall and back of the island. Then there’s the handsome box display shelves and multi-bottle wine rack, combined with a series of finishes including Laminex and Tasmanian oak; polished granite and concrete; and stainless steel and mirrored glass that, together, add up to one stunning look.