APRIL 24 2011 Page 47ST

Drab to fab, nowthe kitchen rules

TALKIN’ BOUTMY RENOVATION

Home heart: The Fig Tree Pocket kitchen has gone from a small closed-in room(below) to a galley-style hub (above), connected to the entertainment areas.

Wow factor: At New Farm, client knick-knacks and the colour red wereincorporated in a sophisticated refinement (above) of a drab outdated look (below).

To open up the area,the new designinvolved demolishingthe dividing wall thatseparated the kitchenand living roomand building a newgalley-style kitchen

Michelle Collins

WITH home cooking back in fa-shion, a new kitchen is on the menufor many renovators.

And it is possible to combine thebread-and-butter basics with ajaw-dropping design – as shownby Darren James, the Kitchen andBathroom Design Institute nationalcertified designer of the yearwho recently finished transforminga drab New Farm apartment

kitchen and a claustrophobic FigTree Pocket kitchen.

In New Farm, the owners wanted asophisticated kitchen with a splash oftheir favourite colour – red.

Mr James said apartments pres-ented special challenges.

‘‘The existing plumbing stacks re-side in the middle of the existingkitchen layout and, as most peopleknow, these sort of extensive plumb-ing services cannot be moved in anyapartment,’’ he said.

‘‘Working with this, I decided tomake a feature wall. To offset thelight grey lacquered cabinetry andfeature red splashback, the wall wascladded with a designer sandblastedgrey veneer.

‘‘The wall incorporated canti-levered glass shelves which wereback-lit with LED strip light andprovide the perfect place for theclients’ love of knick-knacks.’’

In the Fig Tree Pocket home theowners wanted a kitchen that linked

to the open-plan living area andprovided access to the pool andoutdoor dining area. But the originalkitchen was at the back of the housein a small closed-in room with just asmall doorway.

To open up the area, the newdesign involved demolishing thedividing wall that separated thekitchen and living room and buildinga new galley-style kitchen.

At the heart of the kitchen is anL-shaped island bench.

‘‘As the activity hub of the kitchen,it serves dual purposes of preparationand as a breakfast bar as well asproviding additional serving space,particularly when entertaining.’’

A ‘‘working wall’’ of cabinets pro-vide storage in the narrow space anda number of high-end applianceswere integrated into the wall.

To make the heights of the Combioven and Combi steam oven andwarming drawer align, a custom-made stainless steel drawer wasdesigned for under the Combi oven.

‘‘The effect of this is a seamlesslook,’’ Mr James said.

thesundaymail.com.au 47HOMEGROUND

EXPERTTIPS + TRICKS

Easy kitchensPlan your kitchen in fivezones: consumables, non-consumables, cleaning,preparation and cooking.

Avoid shelves in lower cabinets,select drawers and pull-outs instead.

Select cabinets that arespecially designed for specificitems.

Select pull-outs with high backs andclosed side walls.

Adjust work stations to yourheight.

Make sure there is enough workspace.

Source: Interiors by Darren James

NEXT WEEK

Each week Inside Out magazine will share with Sunday Mail readers hints, tips and trends for Queensland homes with heart. For more ideas see the April-May issue of Inside Out on sale now.

Sleeping beauty:Natasha Bieniek’s artshows great promise.

Inside Out editor Richard Wallershares three of his favouritethings:

NATASHA BIENIEK’SMINIATURE ARTAdd Natasha Bieniek to the list of

artists to look out for; her debut solo

show is on at Melbourne’s Dianne

Tanzer Gallery from May 28. I like

this small-scale work of a gen Y-er in

Caravaggio-esque repose. Visit

www.diannetanzergallery.net.au

PAPERPORCELAINCERAMICSPaper Porcelainceramics byScholten &

Baijings will shortly go into productionwith Danish company Hay and will bein Australia at the end of 2011 atCorporate Culture. For details, visitwww.corporateculture.com.au

SHIFTMARQUETRYTABLEDon’t delay, visitwww.patternity.co.uk, which isthe mostexciting design website I’ve seen in

some time. It celebrates thegraphic application ofpattern – as does this Shifttable, priced from $4980and available from theonline shop.

Do you have a renovation project you would like to share? Email details and photos to homeground@thesundaymail.com.au