[ CLASSIC STYLE ]
Respect for tradition and a love of blue prove to be magic ingredients.
THE BRIEF
“The clients adore navy and white, so it was only natural that this would be the palette we worked with,” says interior designer Kate Walker of this delicious 6.7x3m kitchen. In renovating their circa-1910 home on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, the homeowners were keen to pay homage to the era. As avid foodies, they were seeking a serious cook’s kitchen. “And as parents of three young children, they wanted it to be a place where the family could congregate while meals are prepared.”
THE DESIGN APPROACH
Mindful of the home’s original architecture, Kate designed the kitchen with a classic aesthetic while also equipping it with top-notch, modern functionality. She even designed a chimney-like cavity space to house the rangehood, ovens and cooktop. “It looks like an original chimney to emphasise the traditional aspect of the kitchen.” To underline the theme, she used hand-aged mirror as a splashback in this nook. The colour scheme was dictated by a blue Ilve oven, the owner’s first purchase for the kitchen. “When we saw the navy oven we made the decision to go with blue and pair it with white and brass. It would have been predictable to have a white kitchen in this home, but we wanted to design something a bit punchier and our clients were bold enough to follow our lead,” says Kate. A decorative metal grille above the row of tall cupboards is another classic reference, adding texture and interest to the scheme. To secure the kitchen’s role as a family gathering place, she designed a grand-scale, multipurpose island bench combining food prep and dining zones, topped with an elegant slab of Carrara marble. KWD; www.katewalkerdesign.com.au.