Kitchen Updates
Styling by Kate Nixon
Photography by Maree Homer
“Focus a refresh on the areas that can be seen. If the work surfaces are in good condition, look at refinishing the vertical expanses with new paint, wallpaper panels or feature tiles.” - Kate Nixon
Window treatments such as roman blinds present an easy way to reinvigorate a kitchen.
Never before have we asked more of our kitchens, with both form and function on duty as we work, eat and entertain at home. If a full-scale renovation isn’t on the horizon for 2021, consider some quick updates and easy refreshes to up your productivity and everyday joy. Replacing a dated splashback or benchtop can be a relatively small project with big results. Repainting a tired timber door and drawers creates a fresh clean slate for beautiful new hardware. Decorative lighting – wall or ceiling – can help define the kitchen within an open-plan layout, plus deliver warmth and personality. Window treatments are an easy way to inject colour or pattern into a neutral palette; include floating shelves to display art and decorative objects.
Shop around…
REN STUDIO Designer door and drawer fronts for Ikea kitchens; renstudio.com.au. TIMBER MILL After-market kitchen hacks and custom millwork to suit all budgets; timbermill.com.au. CENTAUR CELLARS Australian-designed and made wine racks; centaurcellars.com.au. LO & CO Chic cabinetry hardware; loandcointeriors.com.au. DOMAYNE Extensive range of appliances; domayne. com.au. LUDUCO LIVING Specialists in locally made dining/cabinet furniture; luduco.com HARVEY NORMAN A large range of stools in upholstered, acrylic and timber finishes; harveynorman.com.au.
Special Ingredients
1 Visual Comfort ‘Antonio’ antiqued brass wall light by Thomas O’Brien, Bloomingdales Lighting; bloomingdales.com.au. 2 Slimline leather-wrapped metal cabinet handle, MadeMeasure; mademeasure.com. 3 White Leghorn Rooster, Sydney Royal Easter Show I artwork by Karen Barbouttis, Art2Muse Gallery; art2muse.com.au. 4 Perrin & Rowe ‘Country’ pot-filler tap in chrome finish, The English Tapware Company; englishtapware.com.au. 5 Palecek ‘Marino’ barstool with jute backrest and upholstered seat, Boyd Blue; boydblue.com.
“A change of surface helps demarcate zones for different purposes – especially useful in an open-plan space.”
ABOVE Switch out old cabinet fronts for glass or ones with a more stylish profile. BELOW LEFT When contrasted with cabinetry, appliances become the star of the show. BELOW RIGHT Sleek feature lighting can make a world of difference to a space that feels stale.
Fresh ideas & easy updates
● For a quick kitchen refresh, consider swapping out key appliances such as an integrated rangehood for an exposed stainless steel design, or an exposed rangehood for an integrated style with a tiled or rendered finish.
● Consider updating old whitegoods in different finishes such as matt black or fingerprint-resistant stainless steel.
● Integrated wine storage brings a bespoke finish and custom racks can be fitted to existing cabinet dimensions.
● A change of surface helps demarcate zones for different purposes – especially useful in an open-plan space.
● Decant oils and seasonings into decorative vessels and display on the benchtop or open shelves.
● Large-scale foliage gives an instant lift.
