Heart of the home
Inviting kitchen designs that unite the household
Over the past year, kitchens have been put to the test as households in lockdown spent more time at home and the place for food production became a hub for work, homework and social gathering. With this perspective, we acknowledge the inherent adaptability and diverse spatial offerings of kitchens in 2021. In the projects surveyed here, we celebrate the ways in which human connections are forged in the kitchen, while baking or sharing a glass of wine before dinner. A place of refuge, the kitchen at Balmoral Blue House by Esoteriko (page 46) supports mindfulness and the art of slow-cooking while creating a calming mood. Meanwhile, the kitchen at Lindfield House by Arent and Pyke with Polly Harbison Design (pictured and page 60) establishes the vibrant heart of the home. Around the island bench – which is visible from the front door – the chaos of family life is grounded and celebrated.
Colours and materials inspired by and hewn from nature are wholeheartedly embraced across this collection. Australian hardwood timbers such as Tasmanian oak and blackbutt strongly feature, as do lustrous stones such as marble and granite. These sumptuous natural materials bring an enduring quality and, importantly, an appreciation for the natural world. A yearning for tactility is satisfied by the crafted quality of bespoke forms – from pull handles to pantries – that continue to embrace the softness and curvature witnessed in previous years. Island benches remain a focal point, and standout works of sculpture include the mosaic-tiled centrepiece of Wahroonga House by Tom Mark Henry (page 30) and the granite monolith anchoring the kitchen at Balmoral Blue House by Esoteriko (page 46).
In this issue, we discover a kitchen that appears to dissolve into the living room at Small Grand Apartment by Tsai Design (page 92), and another that is cradled by nineteenth-century limestone rubble walls at Orient Street House by Philip Stejskal Architecture (page 68). These projects exemplify the full spectrum of kitchen personalities, from quiet, contemporary backdrop to intriguing, historic centrepiece.
Designed for calm and flamboyance and tailored to home cooks as well as Uber Eats enthusiasts, the kitchens of 2021 amplify the personalities and support the ceremonies of both the sanctuary-seeking and the exuberantly extroverted households.
01 A Room of its own
The kitchen remains the heart and hub of the home, a space that is positioned centrally in the plan and opens out to other rooms. But this year we see a shift toward spatial autonomy, in which the kitchen becomes a more distinct and contained spatial territory. At Orient Street House by Philip Stejskal Architecture (page 68), historic stable walls are the container for a kitchen that is visually connected to but physically separated from traditionally adjacent zones such as the dining room. At Lindfield House by Arent and Pyke with Polly Harbison Design (pictured and page 60), the kitchen also occupies a room of its own – and its own half-level. The position and autonomy bestowed on this kitchen reflect the central role it plays in uniting the household.
02 Celebrating the eatery
Enabling moments for connection, both fleeting and long-lasting, is a common thread explored in kitchens this year. Island benches are commonly designed to accommodate bar stools and promote gathering, but this concept is taken a step further with the breakfast booth at Toowong Lighthouse by Alcorn Middleton (page 130). The horseshoe-shaped eatery exemplifies an approach to fostering dining opportunities within the kitchen space. Similarly, at SRG House by Fox Johnston (pictured and page 82), the built-in dining booth offers a casual group setting adjacent to the kitchen.
03 Walls for objects and art
Some kitchens command attention, while others are designed to blend in. At Small Grand Apartment by Tsai Design (page 92), the kitchen adopts the smooth lines and muted tones of the living room. Ensuring the kitchen creates minimal visual disruption to the small-footprint apartment, above-bench cupboards are replaced by a sinuous display shelf. Walls for art and objects are found in the kitchen at Bulimba Hill House by Hive Architecture (pictured and page 106), where integrated shelving – supporting plants, pottery and books – brings personality to the kitchen.
These projects exemplify the full spectrum of kitchen personalities, from quiet, contemporary backdrop to intriguing, historic centrepiece.
04 Timber to the front
Australian hardwood timbers return as the hero of joinery in 2021. Native Western Australian jarrah is used extensively at Dune House by Ohlo Studio with Simon Pendal Architect (page 122), and its rust-coloured hues reverberate a richness and warmth that extends beyond the kitchen. The discovery of historic Tasmanian oak floors under the old carpet of Toorak House by Melanie Beynon Architecture and Design (pictured and page 38) inspired the deployment of a contemporary counterpart in the kitchen. Both solid and veneer Tasmanian oak timbers are used to connect historic and contemporary finishes born from the same species.
05 The extraordinary pantry
In 2021, we see an emergence of the “deconstruction” of kitchen joinery – away from the seamless, utilitarian modernist ideal and toward a more playful, postmodern design sensibility. Feature pantries such as the arched timber unit at Wahroonga House by Tom Mark Henry (pictured and page 30) create a memorable storage unit for the kitchen. This pantry looks like a found object, placed in deliberate contrast to the whole. Similarly, at Tsai Design’s Small Grand Apartment (page 92), both refrigerator and storage are concealed in a pantry that is visually distinct.
06 Sculptural stone centrepieces
While we see extraordinary beauty in the bespoke detailing across all projects surveyed in this issue, it is impossible to deny the wizardry that comes with the realization of significant stone island benches. The intriguingly imbalanced blue crystal monolith of Balmoral Blue House by Esoteriko (pictured and page 46) and the perfectly symmetrical, pill-shaped Calacatta Vagli marble bench of Lindfield House by Arent and Pyke with Polly Harbison Design (page 60) are examples of masterfully designed and executed sculptural stone centrepieces.