Sue Stubbs
The owners of this Sydney home hit a reno roadblock when they wanted to turn their living room and kitchen into one big space, but the two areas were on different levels. There was no easy answer, until they met Melissa Bonney of The Designory, and builder Brendon of B2 Construction. Melissa arranged for the kitchen and living zone floors to be lowered to the same level, bringing them in line with the garden. With the basic footprint resolved, Melissa delineated the dining area from the living area by adding steps, storage cabinetry and an eye-catching timber screen, and devised an elegant kitchen that repeats the beautiful finishes across the open-plan space, unifying the whole zone.
The double bank of three-tier drawers on the living room side of the island complement those in the cooktop bench, supplying plenty of extra storage. On the island bench is an Afa ‘Flow’ double sink, teamed with a Sussex ‘Scala’ pull-out mixer, both from Reece. The undermounted sink not only gives the island a stylish, continuous line, but also allows vegetable peelings, crumbs and moisture to be wiped straight from the benchtop into the sink.
Any potentially clever space-saving spots – or space-giving for that matter – have been skillfully utilised by designer Melissa. A custom-made wine rack and cookbook shelves in blackbutt timber give definition to the wall of 2-pac cabinetry in Dulux Vivid White that surrounds the Fisher & Paykel fridge-freezer. Both finishes are echoed across the whole zone, tying the scheme together. “Repetition of materials and cohesiveness is how you achieve that relaxed feeling of home,” says Melissa. The striking timber screen at the top of the steps acts as a divider between the cooking and living areas, and the more formal dining zone on the ground floor.
A multi-functional island works perfectly for the owners and their children.The Caesarstone benchtop in Organic White on the island extends into a blackbutt timber table that echoes the cabinetry in blackbutt veneer from Briggs Veneers. On the floor, travertine ‘Pompeii’ tiles, from Marble & Ceramic Corp, have a subtle, textured look, and run throughout the open zone.
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