Tell us about your recent renovation
For our eleventh project we went back to our home turf, the Hills District of Sydney. This house was your typical Aussie plain Jane, double-storey, brick build. It’s on a great sized block but was definitely lacking street appeal.
There was a swimming pool that had seen better days, black floors, carpeted stairs and lots of wooden ‘features’ that just weren’t doing this house any favours.
We wanted to create a home for this lovely family of five that was light, bright and inviting, with a much better flow than it previously had.
We felt that the existing home leant itself to a Hamptons vibe in its structure. And by embracing this we could make some good cost savings like keeping the existing windows.
We called our vision #colourmehamptons as it was an important part of the design to add pops of colour throughout the home, rather than an all-white home.
What were the biggest challenges?
This family was willing to forgo a big laundry to allow us to incorporate a powder room into the same space and also to create a bar which opens to the outdoor entertaining patio via a gas strut window.
We weren’t able to move the structural wall between the casual lounge and kitchen, so instead we installed a half wall of windows which give the illusion of space and let the light flood through, without taking out the whole wall.
This works so well in this home because it meant we were able to build in a buffet underneath the internal windows which provides much needed additional bench space and storage.
What’s the best thing about the new kitchen?
We wanted to create this gorgeous eat-in kitchen where they could eat meals together, hang out, do homework.
The previous, tiny, kitchen was located in the middle of the house, and because the budget didn’t extend to moving any structural walls, we were limited with how we could extend the kitchen.
We doubled the space by removing a non-structural room and kept the existing dining nook, adding a window seat, to maximise seating space.
All the details
Benchtop and splashback
The benchtops and splashback are Caesarstone Empira White.
The island bench is a real standout in this kitchen. It’s solid and chunky and looks like a freestanding piece of furniture. It’s painted in gorgeous Angora Blue by Dulux and has the Electrolux integrated dishwasher tucked into it, beside the sink.
Cabinetry
The cabinetry was built by our kitchen company Carrera by Design. We work closely with Ronnie and the team to design our kitchens so that they’re as functional as they are beautiful.
In this kitchen, the island bench needed to be the hub of the room so that this busy family can congregate while they prepare meals, eat breakfast or grab a drink on the go.
We added bar stools for seating which meant we couldn’t add cupboards throughout the whole island but we know how important storage is for a big family so created a built-in sideboard adjacent to the island for added storage and bench space.
The V-groove profile cabinetry is White on White by Dulux, with the feature island in Angora Blue, also by Dulux.
Flooring
We used ‘Oak Elegance’ engineered timber boards from Godfrey Hirst. The colour is named ‘Coastal Oak’ – perfect for a Hamptons-style home!
Lighting
The lighting is a combination of downlights – with warm bulbs, always warm! You don’t want your house to have the glare of a supermarket aisle for falling for the trap of cool lights. We also added feature pendants, wall sconces. Some of our favourites are:
- Freedom Capiz Pendant over the dining table.
- Beacon Norwest Solid Brass Sconces either side of the window seat in the formal lounge – these are outdoor lights but we think they look great indoors and out.
- The cute little Beacon Lighting Koralky 1 Pendant in the combined laundry/powder room.
Tapware
We used the Kado Classic range from Reece throughout the bathrooms and kitchen this house because of its elegant profile and timeless chrome finish.
Hardware
The hardware throughout the house is from Domino Brass, finished in Satin Nickel. A satin finish is far more forgiving than chrome in a family home but still works with the chrome tapware in the wet rooms.
Appliances
We look for appliances that not only suit the family (i.e. a fridge, dishwasher, washing machine etc. that’s large enough for the task) but that also look good.
We love the Electrolux fridge with the built-in water and ice dispenser – the double-door stainless steel looks great in the kitchen and it’s practical for this family of five.
We think the Electrolux washer and dryer look so good stacked on each other in the laundry that we didn’t even put them behind doors.
The exact appliances we used are:
Kitchen:
- Electrolux 681l French Door Fridge (EHE6899SA), $3,499
- Electrolux Reallife Xxl Integrated Dishwasher (ESL8530RO), $1,499
- Electrolux 25l Built In Combination Microwave Oven (EMB2529DSD), $1,039
- Electrolux Multifunction Pyrolytic Oven (EVEP916DSD), $4,729
- Electrolux 86cm Integrated Rangehood (ERI842DSD), $1,109
- Electrolux Flexibridge Induction Cooktop (EHI997BD), $2,939
Laundry:
- Electrolux 9kg Front Load Washer (EWF9043BDWA), $1,499
- Electrolux 800 Series Ultimate Care Heat Pump Dryer (EDH803BEWN), $1,949
- Electrolux Laundry Stacking Kit (STA9GW), $129
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