JO CARMICHAEL, interior designer

Eight years ago, Carmichael and her husband Adam bought a 1960s bungalow in Fremantle, Western Australia, extending it sideways and adding a second storey to create a four-bedroom home for them and their two daughters

‘The Jarrah floor was darkened and I thought the burgundy tones in the Violetta marble sat well with it’

■The proportions of the kitchen didn’t allow for a decent-sized island, so we knocked the bottom half of the window out and pushed the bulk of the sink and several cupboards into it to create more space. The island is a work surface and a place to gather: the curved end means that we can fit four ‘Tangerine’ bar stools.

■ I use marble a lot in my designs and saw this Calacatta Viola marble at CDK Stone. The Jarrah floor was darkened with an ebony oil wax to take away the fresh red of the wood and I thought that the burgundy tones in the Violetta sat well with it.

■ I knew I wanted fluted cabinetry and eventually found ‘Porta Contours’ Timber Lining Boards in oak by Porta. Usually these curved strips are used for wall panelling, but I had a very clever joiner who bracketed them together to make cabinet doors.

■ The rest of the cabinets are handpainted in a custom light sage green by Porter’s Paints. We also opened up the stove area and maximised the space with cabinets either side.

■ Fremantle is an industrial port city and our house is clad with black wood so it has a rustic feel. I wanted to bring that into the kitchen through details such as the ‘Marianne’ double wall lamp by Wo & Wé, the ‘Lounge’ handles by Linear Standard on the cupboards and the kitchen island’s steel frame.

■ We entertain a lot in the kitchen: friends pop in for coffee, the kids have breakfast at the island and, in the summer, we open the windows and put more stools on the deck. People wander in to pick from grazing plates and watch the sunset with cocktails outside. jocarmichaelinteriors.com ➤