MIRIAM FANNING

Miriam is the founder of Melbourne interior-design practice Mim Design. She lives with her husband David and their sons Charlie, 17, and Sam, 14.

Our kitchen was built in 2008 as part of a new rear extension to the home. It’s an open-plan kitchen and, together with the adjacent living area, it’s a great space for entertaining. We entertain a lot. The island bench is lovely and big – 3.5m long and

1.5m wide – which is a perfect size, whether we’re preparing a large meal or having a wine and cheese platter gathered around it. It was really important for us to have a kitchen that was not only a meeting place but also a practical and functional zone where we can all prepare our own breakfasts and snacks. We have many laughs sitting around our kitchen bench. The boys study and draw in this space and sometimes our dog Lucky (a labradoodle) gets chased around the kitchen.

When I designed the kitchen I knew exactly what it would look and feel like. Is there anything I’d do differently? Yes, next time I’d design a more centralised pantry. Ours is located behind the white cupboards, under the stairs. If I had more space I’d prefer the pantry to be larger. Also, I would definitely use natural stone for the benchtops next time. I love the character of a natural product.

Layout-wise, I always like to ensure the dishwasher is located near the sink, and crockery storage opposite the dishwasher. The careful placement of the oven, sink, fridge and cooktop is integral to a smooth, functioning kitchen. They should all be within a step and a half of each other.

The palette I’ve used is gallery white and dark charcoal. We have a lot of large art pieces in the adjacent living space and I didn’t want the kitchen to ‘fight’ with those visual elements; I wanted a soft blend.

The mirror splashback was designed to reflect the greenery outside. We planted a hedge of Ficus microcarpa hillii (weeping fig) specifically for this purpose. The mirror also allows me to see into the living space when I’m standing at the cooktop.

I love our semi-industrial stainlesssteel-fronted fridge. It’s robust, clean-lined and a fantastic size.

‘We wanted a meeting place as well as a practical zone where we can all prepare our own breakfasts and snacks.’ Miriam Fanning