Now We’re Cooking!
The kitchen is going in at My Ideal House.
Beautiful yet understated, the kitchen will be the jewel in the crown of My Ideal House. From the outset, Sydney architect Madeleine Blanch field, whose competition-winning design is now being built, intended that the kitchen be seamlessly integrated into the very structure of the home.
“I like the kitchens I design to be almost indistinguishable from the architecture, particularly when they’re open plan,” she says. “They might be partially concealed or have the same finishes as the bones of the building.” Her aim is to blur the lines so the kitchen flows into the broader living space and its key elements begin to feel like furniture.
In the case of My Ideal House, the island bench will be central to how the future owners gather, dine and entertain. “It’s designed to be the only kitchen fixture that truly stands out,” says Madeleine. Smartstone reconstituted stone in Carrara covers the top and sides of the island, with a crisp shadow line detail giving the benchtop definition. “The Carrara replicates marble with its subtle, random veining on a luminous white background,” says Belinda Kelaher, national sales and marketing manager at Smartstone.
While the island is a focal point, Smartstone Absolut Blanc on the rear benchtop and splashback enables this section of the kitchen to blend into its surrounds. “It’s an ultra fine-grained surface that’s perfect when the kitchen calls for a pure, solid white,” says Belinda. Set into the rear benchtop will be a state-of-the-art Smeg gas cooktop, also in white. “White appliances are great for downplaying the kitchen in a white-walled space,” says Madeleine.
The appliances selected for My Ideal House come from Smeg’s ‘Linear’ collection and were chosen for their streamlined, timeless appeal. “Just as the whole of My Ideal House has refinement, efficiency and ease of use at its heart, so do these appliances,” says Tamara Buchanan, head of brand for Smeg Australia. The 72cm white gas cooktop can accommodate up to five pans at once; the 72cm ‘Linear’ oven has the same internal capacity as a standard 90cm model but takes up much less kitchen space.
Tucked away inside a clever concealed appliance tower is a Smeg coffee machine and a ‘Compact Speed’ oven, which offers microwave and convection-cooking functionality in the one model. “It’s details such as an appliance tower that make an open-plan kitchen liveable and good-looking, while saving the owners the annoyance of having to drag their toaster out every time they want to use it,” says Madeleine. Also hidden from view will be a Smeg 6-star WELS rated push-to-open dishwasher and a fully integrated fridge.
Satin polyurethane doors and drawers with a V-groove profile have been specified and will be fitted with Blum soft-close hardware and matt-white powdercoated handles. The lines in the joinery are replicated in the ceiling, which will be clad with 90mm Glosswood prefinished lining boards in Clear Ash. “The timber lining boards add warmth and texture to the living areas in a cost-effective and maintenance-free manner,” explains Madeleine.
Positioned over the island bench will be dual sets of two Brightgreen ‘D900 SH Curve’ surface-mounted downlights. These will provide excellent task lighting when required and look sleek against the ceiling when not in use.
The kitchen will be flooded with natural light via the large high-performance Viridian glass doors that enclose the living zone and connect to the garden.
The kitchen is positioned next to the outdoor dining area and can be completely opened up to this space. The same floor tiles will run from inside the kitchen to outside. “These large-format, concrete-inspired tiles are extremely durable and come in a non-slip finish for outside,” says Tina Di Lorenzo, marketing manager for Di Lorenzo Tiles. “They create a beautiful cohesion that ties everything together.”