Brigid Arnott
Decorating a kitchen in all (or, mostly) white lends a certain freshness and elegance to any style of home. It’s just timeless. Accents of texture here and there with finishes and furnishings break it up to avoid it looking too stark. Here are some winning combinations that will make your mouth water.
A Hamptons-inspired kitchen on Sydney’s Northern Beaches
Owner Annabel describes her kitchen in Avalon, below, as “a dream”. Every morning she makes herself a cup of coffee and sits in the kitchen nook to look out the window. “I do that before everyone else in the house wakes up. It’s my little moment to myself before the day starts,” she says. The custom bench seat was made by Stritt Design & Construction, is made comfy with cushions from The Classic Outfitter, and is paired with chairs from Alfresco Emporium. The French antique dining table was sourced from Moonee Ponds Antiques in Melbourne.
The Shaker-style kitchen was custom built by The Kitchen Maker and finished in Porter’s Paints Dusty Mule. The pendants are from Emac & Lawton.
A ‘coastal grandma-style’ kitchen
Channelling the ‘coastal grandma‘ trend, this kitchen (below) was so inspired by the kitchen in the Nancy Meyers movie Something’s Gotta Give, it was actually designed by the American company that created the filmset. It features all the mod cons including a pot filler tap over the stove. The all-white colour scheme works as a counterbalance to the large scale of the cabinetry, appliances and accessories.
A Montauk-worthy kitchen in Sydney with a splash of blue
Before Lynne and Glenn knocked down and rebuilt their home on the Northern Beaches, the kitchen, below, was in the middle of the house with no light or flow. “Now, as part of the open-plan design, it’s my favourite room,” says Lynne. The Hamptons-inspired kitchen features ‘Lakehouse’ lights from Custom Lighting and Nicolazzi nickel tapware from Bathroom Collective. The island bench is painted in Dulux Ship’s Officer, while the cabinets are in Dulux Snowy Mountains Quarter. The ‘Cape Town’ stools are from Wisteria Design.
One island bench is not enough in this modern country kitchen
The kitchen in Louise Keats’ Southern Highlands home (below) is often full of action, facilitated by two island benches and two sets of ovens. “We can have my mum, my sister, my husband and myself, all in the kitchen, all doing different things and no-one’s getting in anyone’s way,” says Louise. The central island is handmade in oak by Reid Brothers and the white kitchen island, topped with Super White Dolomite marble, has seating on both sides so it can be used for casual dining.
A coastal kitchen with a modern, curved island bench
The floodlit kitchen, below, in this NSW Central Coast home is on a roomy upper level and accommodates a butler’s pantry and powder room. Kit-kat tiles (or, ‘finger tiles’) from Tile Cloud are on both the overhead cabinetry and the island, and are one of owner Megan’s favourite features in the kitchen. “I always prioritise kitchens, floors and windows,” says serial renovator Megan. “If you get those right, your house will last.”
Time in the Hamptons inspired the design of this white kitchen
Homeowner Almira knew that if she ever had the chance to build her dream house in Australia, it would encapsulate the Hamptons and Montauk aesthetic. She fell in love with the region when she was living in New York with her husband, Brad. Back in bayside Melbourne, Almira, with interior designer Aimee Tarulli, created a grey and white kitchen (below) featuring Shaker cabinetry, Carrara Bianco marble splashback tiles and ‘Goodman’ pendant lights from The Montauk Lighting Co. Dark ‘Saddle’ French oak flooring from Made By Storey adds gravity and warmth.
It’s all about the design details in this country manor kitchen
The land surrounding this WA country home has been in the same family for five generations, but there’s nothing antiquated about the farmhouse kitchen, below. In true American east-coast style, grand proportions and carefully curated details have transformed it into an elegant space. The owners’ starting point for the kitchen design was a trio of bespoke timber-beaded chandeliers, followed by a blue island bench, herringbone marble splashback tiles and glass-fronted overhead cupboards displaying treasured wares.
A bland worker’s cottage gets a light, bright kitchen
When the owners of this Brisbane worker’s cottage, below, had their European travel plans cancelled due to the pandemic, they channelled their energy (and budget) into renovating. Their top priority was a Carrara marble slab for the island bench, “which was a logistical headache but worth the effort and expense,” recalls owner Monica.
Monica also wanted to bring colour and pattern into what she describes as a formerly very bland house. It looks white, but this kitchen is in fact blue. “I never would have dreamt of a powder-blue kitchen and (now) it’s one of my favourite features,” says Monica. Zellige splashback tiles from Elite Bathware & Tiles and bar stools in duck egg blue complement the joinery perfectly.
Family comes first in this Victorian-inspired white kitchen
This sprawling six-bedroom, three-level mansion, below, in Melbourne’s south-east has been renovated in a timeless style that may accommodate three generations of one big family in the coming years. The kitchen is now the perfect place for everyone to come together. “My previous kitchen was all-timber and quite dark,” says owner, Sue. “I wanted my new one to be white, bright and welcoming.” Shaker joinery in Dulux Natural White provides the backdrop for blue and white urns and ginger jars, from Cromwell, sitting atop a Caesarstone ‘Frosty Carrina’ island bench.
Modern meets heritage in the kitchen of this Mosman house
This 1890s heritage home on Sydney’s Lower North Shore has been given a chic and sympathetic update, with the kitchen, below, the jewel of the crown. The bespoke island bench has different details and hardware to the rest of the kitchen, so it feels like a custom piece of timber furniture, explain the designers from Smith + Levine. It’s topped with Carrara honed marble by CDK Stone with curved edges that give the kitchen a modern aesthetic. The stools are &Tradition ‘In Between SK7’ from Cult.
