LIKE A GLOVE

It's hard to believe the elegant kitchen hasn't always been part of this provincial-style home. It’s obviously vital that any new kitchen blends in with the rest of a home – often a tricky task if the property has heritage features. That was the case with this provincial-style house, which boasts gorgeous period looks but needed a major upgrade to its kitchen space.

The original kitchen was very small and had no bench space. The laundry was in a cupboard in the kitchen and there was no rangehood. Devoid of a pantry, the kitchen had no space to store all the food and the whole thing was literally falling apart.

“The owner wanted to create a beautiful kitchen that was in keeping with the provincial style of the home,” says Terry Steegstra from Kitchens Victoria. “A large pantry and plenty of drawer and bench space were a must. The owner is a potter and wanted to have her pieces on display in the kitchen, so a large display unit with glass doors and lots of shelf space was created and became a part of the overall kitchen area.”

The main features of the kitchen are the Farmers Waratah doors that effortlessly create the unique period style the owner wished to have flowing throughout the whole house.

The glass display cabinets, feature panels and corbels add to this feel.

Even the modern influences are in keeping with the period style. The large pantry, storage drawers, twin bin, hidden appliance cabinet and granite benchtops all add modern convenience without detracting from the overall look.

“The kitchen is elegant and fits in well with the period of the house as though it has always been there,” says Terry. “We have been able to achieve a space that is functional with lots of drawers for easy access. It’s appealing to the eye and versatile, with the addition of the wall display unit. Plenty of bench space and the addition of an island hot plate and rangehood complete the kitchen,” adds Terry.

The perfect space to prepare meals, The island is fitted with a hot plate and rangehood.

Appliances - Oven DéLonghi - Cooktop DéLonghi - Rangehood/ canopy Schweigen silent rangehood - Dishwasher Miele - Refrigerator Samsung side-by-side with ice dispenser - Sink Shaws fireclay classic double bowl - Taps Perrin & Rowe Provence in nickel finish Like a glove It's hard to believe the elegant kitchen hasn't always been part of this provincial-style home. 

Fact file - Doors Farmers Doors Profile Waratah in 'Crème Mocha' - Panels To match doors - Mouldings Waratah capping, three flute pilasters with rosette top and bottom, large turned posts, three flute pilasters with corbels and fancy plant on kicker to island bench - Internal hardware Knife block, door mount twin bin, lighting in glass display cabinets plus LCD TV - Handles Pewter shell handles and pewter knobs - Benchtop TTI Stone Pty Ltd 40mm granite with bullnose edge and handcurved ends in Corsi & Nicolai 'White Alaska' - Splashback Glass - Kickboards Farmers Doors recessed kicker in 'Crème Mocha' and 'Fancy Plant' on kicker to island bench - Floor Baltic pine - Walls Dulux in 'Ecru' - Lighting Downlights.

FRENCH TRADITION

“The homeowners were keen for their kitchen to blend seamlessly with the existing marble floor tiles and French monastery door. We modelled the design on the French Provincial style and sourced custommade decorative mouldings from a number of different countries. The marble splashback tiles came from a Sydney supplier. The result is an ornate and elegant design with features that are typical of architectural periods going back through the ages. Additional details include the integrated fridge cabinet with custom antique-look bronze handles and the chimney cornice which matches the existing ceiling cornice.

The island is designed around structural supports which we clad with decorative panels. This gave us the opportunity to install power for small appliances. The owners’ tall children like to get involved in the cooking process so the bench is higher to accommodate them but the sink is lower to conceal it from view. We also incorporated an array of elaborate internal hardware for modern cooking comfort.”
We love the blend of classic details and integrated storage solutions.

Designer: Lindy McGrath and Terry Steegstra for Kitchens Victoria. 

SHOP THE LOOK

- kitchensvictoria.com.au

- Cabinetry Farmers Waratah Café Latte

- Panels Farmers Waratah Café Latte

- Benchtop 40mm pencil round steel granite, 80mm pencil round steel granite to island bench

- Handles KV Provincial handles

- Splashback Tiled

- Kickboards Plant on and double plant on

- Oven ILVE

- Cooktop/hotplate ILVE

- Rangehood/canopy Qasair

- Dishwasher Integrated

- Refrigerator Liebherr integrated fridge

- Sink Franke

- Taps Perrin & Rowe

POLISHED PROVINCIAL
“This new home presented the opportunity to design a provincial-style kitchen on a grand scale. We had the luxury of space so were able to build all the cabinetry galley style along the back wall. Provincial features include the cabinet profile, the large canopy over the oversized free-standing oven, glass French-door cabinets for display items and the tiled splashback. The 4.5m-long island bench is the real focal point of the kitchen and was designed to look more like a piece of furniture than your typical solid, rectangular island. We achieved this by having open shelving at each end plus a decorative kick rail and rosette pilasters. We couldn’t get a piece of stone long enough for the whole island benchtop, so separating the ends from the middle preparation area was a good solution. The dark cabinets were sanded by hand to create a worn patina, which, along with other details such as the butler’s sink and handles, completes this authentic provincial design.”

Designer: Terry Steegstra for Kitchens Victoria

We love the grand statement made by the island bench.

SHOP THE LOOK
Cabinet doors & panels - Farmers Provincial edge in Milk & Espresso
Internal hardware - Euro Cargo bin, Grass soft-close drawers
Benchtop - Caesarstone in London Grey 40mm and 80mm feature to island
Splashback - Tiled
Kickboards - Plant on kick rail to island
Mouldings - Rosette pilasters, pencil pilasters to fridge panels
Handles - KV Provincial selection
Flooring - Timber floorboards
Oven- ILVE 1500mm free-standing
Rangehood - QASAIR
Dishwasher - Bosch semi-integrated
Refrigerator - Liebherr side-by-side, Vintec wine fridge
Sink - Shaws 1000mm butler’s sinkEXPERT

EXPERT TIP
Glass French-door cabinets can help break up solid cabinetry.

UNIQUE & STYLISH

Dreams came true when the owners of this kitchen were granted a brand new space to cook and entertain inWith a definite idea of how they wanted to transform their existing green and cream laminate 1960s kitchen into a more functional and stylish space, the owners approached Kitchens Victoria to turn their vision into a reality.

Sherbrooke Design & Construction also came on board to help rework the room and the joint effort has resulted in this lovely, free-flowing kitchen.

It’s all the little details that come together to create one show-stopping space. To ensure the kitchen operates at the height of efficiency, Kitchens Victoria designer Terry Steegstra recognised the importance of including a range of innovative features. The asymmetrical cabinet with integrated wine rack located at the end of the island bench is the perfect example of this. Conveniently located for easy entertaining, wine bottles are artfully stowed away so as not to cause congestion in the “work” area. Soft-closing drawers, a handy pull-out drawer with not one but four rubbish bins and a spray kitchen tap add to this “smart” design.

The kitchen’s layout has also been carefully considered. Separate work zones have been provided for cooking and food preparation, with the large rectangular CaesarStone island bench positioned so it’s in easy reach of the sink and stove. Although the oven and cooktop are close to each other, they are not stacked — to allow for easy access when there are multiple chefs in the kitchen.

An inviting colour scheme welcomes family and friends alike. The warmly toned spotted gum veneer complements the matching floor, while frosted glass display cupboards with under lighting showcases the owners’ precious pieces.

Fact file
The kitchen was designed by Terry Steegstra from Kitchens Victoria Pty Ltd in conjunction with Sherbrooke Design & Construction and built by KITCHENS VICTORIA.
Doors - Spotted gum veneer and Alabaster matt vinyl wrap anodised aluminium frame doors with translucent glass
Panels - Flush finish
Internal hardware - Soft-close drawers
Handles - Kethy Benchtop TTI Stone Pty Ltd CaesarStone in Almond Rocca
Splashback - Marazzi Marlit Gres Porcellanato Italian tiles
Kickboards - Brushed aluminium
Floor - Spotted Gum 130mm wide
Paint - Whisper White
Lighting - Pendant lights and downlights
Appliances - include a Ariston oven, rangehood and filter unit, St George cooktop, Fisher & Paykel refrigerator and Franke sink

Cost approximately, for design, manufacture, installation, $25,000 Tim Turner Photography