Singing the blues

The colours of the ocean and sky come together beautifully in this top-performing compact kitchen.

Old homes possess oodles of built-in charm but are often spatially challenged. That was the dilemma facing the owners of this kitchen when they renovated their 1876 terrace located near Sydney’s Harbour Bridge. Measuring 7x2.5 metres, the kitchen was narrow and relatively small for a family home, so they were keen to make the most of every centimetre. They approached interior-design team Woods & Warner with three must-haves: it needed to include a casual dining zone, have integrated appliances, and be imbued with a light and airy feeling. Colourwise, they nominated white and blue, a favourite combination. Given the space constraints, Woods & Warner co-directors

Jacinta Woods and Sonia Warner, decided on an L-shaped galley-style layout with banquette seating at one end. “We included an integrated fridge/freezer, full-size pantry and a 900mm-wide Ilve oven,” says Jacinta. “The oven and sink are sited perpendicular to the fridge for ease of use, leaving the adjacent benches for food preparation.” The custom joinery, featuring Shaker-style detailing, is painted a medium-dark blue, Dulux Stream. “We wanted a shade that was dark enough to have strength, but with a hint of grey to be easy on the eye,” says Jacinta. The banquette seating is arranged in a U-shape to soak up water views and includes storage under the seating, It is upholstered in a vibrant green textured vinyl, which is easily wiped clean. The dining nook measures 1.5x2x1.2 metres – large enough to accommodate a 1 metre-diameter dining table. “We feel the layout and design maximises every inch of space!” says Jacinta. >