Family function
The renovation
The project A more liveable kitchen was built as part of one family’s gradual home renovation. Why did you choose to renovate?
Natalie: We wanted to improve the functionality of the dining area. Our designer, Liz Kerby, came up with the idea of a wooden bench and shelves which created a useful area in what was previously a dead zone.
What’s your favourite feature of the new space? The oven! And the mix of natural materials and soft colours – the wooden shelving and flooring, marble benchtop and grey tiles.
Are there any changes you would make?
No. Overall we’ve been really happy with the design and how much we have been able to pack into a small space. We could always do with more storage, but we didn’t want to make any major structural changes so were constrained by the existing layout. Any disasters during the reno process? We were fortunate not to have any major hold-ups or disasters. We got really lucky and had great tradespeople who all did a fantastic job.
Timeline and budget
How long did the renovation take? The whole process took about six months, but the actual renovations only took a month. During that period we cooked on the barbecue, did the washing up in the laundry and had the fridge in the bathroom, so it felt like a lot longer!
What did you save and splurge on? We splurged on quality cabinetry, marble benchtops and a Falcon oven. We saved on the cabinetry handles; I bought them on Amazon for about $1 each!
TOTAL
APPROX $50,000