The American celebrity chef Geoffrey Zakrian once said the following words about kitchens: “I love hospitality, and I love cooking. The kitchen is where I feel most at ease and where I feel most like myself.”
Zakrian is a professional chef, so his circumstances are a little different to mine. However, being a person who loves having family and friends over for dinner, I relate strongly to what he’s saying.
For me, an even better quote about kitchens comes from the designer Candice Olson. She said: “Today’s kitchen is all about a well-planned space that makes cooking a completely interactive experience among family and friends.”
A well-planned space is where I come in! I have designed many kitchens over the years, and take great pride in creating kitchens that are light-filled, space efficient and beautifully designed.
I thought I would take a moment to share with you some memorable kitchens I have designed in recent years.
Coogee unit
Maximising space and storage facilities in this unit was absolutely essential. The kitchen in particular was meticulously thought out, with a great deal of time invested in making this area enjoyable and personalised.
I designed the table so that the chairs fit comfortably between the legs. This might sound like a small touch, but believe me, it has a huge impact on one’s day to day appreciation of the space.
This space was east-faced, so we added additional lighting in order to make it brighter. We put lights behind a glass-fronted cabinet, which broke down the scale of the room and enhanced the experience.
North Bondi apartment
At this North Bondi apartment, I re-organised all the internal spaces. This included reworking the kitchen so that it had one long bench, which modulated into the dining room and living area.
Other than having a beautiful aesthetic, this had a secondary purpose – providing the illusion that the area is bigger than it actually is!
I just love the dining room table. It lights up with LED lights, and was designed in collaboration with the excellent joiner, David Reddy.
Balmain terrace
There is so much light in this terrace in Balmain. It is just lovely.
The clients were a family with two young children. The property needed a complete revamp, but there were certain limitations, arising from a conservation area around the front of the house that had to be maintained.
I added a kitchen with bifolding doors. These doors opened up to the courtyard, bringing light flooding in and extending the illusion of space.
Bronte house
The trick to the kitchen in this Bronte house was highlight glazing! Highlight glazing over the kitchen and living spaces maximised cross ventilation and captured north light throughout the year.
And, as you can see, the results speak for themselves. A gorgeous kitchen!
The clients were chuffed with this, and also the rest of the house. They had purchased a poorly renovated property. Until I came along, none of the rooms had much natural light and no spaces were enjoyable to be in.