A small kitchen island sits opposite a rammed earth fireplace. “This home is a very delicate balance of materials and form,” says architect Tono Mirai. “My design concept is not to add anything extra, and I aim to construct earth walls in a very sophisticated and contemporary way.”
Mutuus Studio cofounders Saul and Kristen Becker remodeled the kitchen of their 1954 dwelling over a three year period, finishing it this year.
Carrara marble countertops and backsplash add a luxurious feel, as does the dark green leather upholstery on the bench seating which, in a space-saving move, is essentially part of the kitchen island. The Highline linear pendant light is from Archier.
Kitchen
The kitchen is a central gathering place for the Baker family. The custom cabinetry was painted a light white color to make it feel a part of the wall.
Banana leaves grow right outside the window over the prep sink. “It’s the most beautiful painting in our house,” says Andrew.
The kitchen features white oak cabinetry and an island topped with Caesarstone in Rugged Concrete. The Torii stools are from Bensen and the Compendium pendant is from Luceplan, while the oven is by Wolf and the faucet is by California Faucets. The long white wall was meant for hanging art but so far remains bare. “It feels like a gallery that was ransacked,” jokes Jim, “but we’ve grown attached to the clean expanse.”
Stippled glass partition and cast concrete basin and counter
In the light-filled kitchen, gray sardo granite by Peraway Marble lines the backsplash and countertop. The kitchen island is built from Plyco birch plywood.
Calacatta Superwhite Quartzite and white oak decorate the kitchen, as well as (
Mouser Cabinetry’s textured laminate flat-front doors were used throughout. The slim, black hardware is Europa by Top Knobs.
The kitchen layout was reconfigured so that the focus is on the view—the wall of windows, which look out on the ocean, is now underscored by one long, uncluttered counter. There, the faucet is Delta and the dishwasher is Bosch. The range stayed in nearly the same spot, and the opposite wall has been thickened with storage and the refrigerator column. Both the refrigerator and range are by Bertazzoni.
The new kitchen is an IKEA kitchen with Reform fronts painted a moody blue color, not unlike the ocean itself. "Sometimes it looks really gray, and sometimes it looks way more green-blue," says Jocie. "I like that. Depending on the light, it has a very different feel." The countertops are Richlite Black Diamond.
The flooring in the main room and bedroom is Worthwood Solid End Grain from Oregon Lumber.
The family share a love for the color teal, which was already featured in the home. So, when selecting a backsplash tile, teal was the obvious choice. The tiles are locally sourced from Yeomans Bagno & Ceramiche in Eltham.
"Anthony and Sherry love to entertain, so they wanted something that felt a little more austere from the street and then became warm and cozy on the interio,” says architect Eric Hughes.
Custom cabinetry spans the entire width of the home, providing ample storage.
Spring cleaning is the perfect time to move larger appliances and heavier pieces of furniture to clean all the dirt, dust, and grime that is usually left unnoticed.
Consider an open layout. When there’s a crowd in your kitchen, it’s important to ensure that people are comfortable and can move around and mingle with ease.
kitchen facing the living room and patio.
Originally designed for the 1962 World's Fair, the condo building is flush with midcentury design details including full-height aluminum windows and parquet tile wood floors.
Local cabinetmaker Peter Pomerantz made the custom, white oak cabinetry and Flywheel Industrial Arts fabricated the steel hood. “It’s about lines and shadows; no hardware,” Herrmann says.
To avoid the sight of dirty dishes, the sink is on the side rather than in the island, where instead an induction stove from Bora (with a cleverly designed down-draw exhaust system) makes the kitchen “really social,” says Kate. “One of us can be cooking while the other can sit and have a glass of wine.”
The chairs are from Hay, the Cast Pendant is by Tom Chung & Jordan Murphy with Menu, and the TE070 countertops are from Diespeker.
The kitchen island and cabinets at this Melbourne renovation are made of recycled timber, taking cue from the wooden bookcase that designer Kim Kneipp installed during the home’s first restyling.
The kitchen flooring is 24” x 24” DalTile Chadwick Charcoal Tile and the wall tile is by Heath Ceramics.
In the dining room, Guillerme et Chambron armchairs from Maison Gerard surround a CB2 table. The ceiling light is by Lambert & Fils. In the kitchen, rich blue cabinetry with wood details from GD Arredamenti is topped with a Caesarstone “Aire Concrete” counter. The gold artwork is by Joyce Billet.
A staircase with white oak treads accesses the loft-style bedroom. The kitchen counters and bathroom flooring are crafted from concrete mixed with glass beads that give the material an organic feel and a lighter weight.
Lee helped the couple source lighting, like the Nuura Anoli pendants above the kitchen island. “We're constantly having meals at home,” says Serena. “We get a CSA and I like to cook, so it's nice to have a lot of space in the kitchen, and have it be really functional for cooking and entertaining.”
Polished concrete floors and pale clay plaster on the walls were used throughout the kitchen and living spaces.
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