Kitchen

A special finish brings out the grain in the kitchen's walnut cabinetry.

The cabinetry is fabricated by a local Indian craftsman styled in the manner of modern German and Italian kitchens at a fraction of the cost.

In their query letter, Ben and Sarah were clear that they wanted a home that could accommodate all of life’s messes. “We don't want a white display kitchen that only looks good when it's clean and not in use. We want our kitchen to be able to work hard. We love to cook and when we do, there are usually lots of things on the go and a mess being made.”

“I like the darkness of walnut. Other woods tend to yellow if you don’t stain it, while walnut stays true to itself,” Caleb says. The white glass tile backsplash melds with the wall.

The homeowners chose knotty alder cabinets and concrete countertops, starkly contrasting with the rest of the home. A white tile backsplash draws attention to the black faucet and barstools.

The kitchen is composed of stainless steel, from the cabinetry fabricated by Barcelona company Timblau, to the counters and backsplash, the latter given a mirror polish for contrast to the former’s patina on the surfaces. The boxes were brought in on a crane and then the group put them together in place. “The kitchen shouldn't be a closed dirty area of the house,” says Jon. “But [rather] the heart.” Fitting, as social life in the Basque culture revolves around eating together.

Thanks to a 2000 renovation led by Hollingsworth's son, Russell, the home is twice the size of other Neoteric homes, offering 3,865 square feet of living space across two levels.

The new kitchen features green kit kat tiles, a terrazzo-effect rubber floor, white cabinetry, and cherry wood veneered cabinets. The client originally wanted teak cabinets, but 4 S Architecture recommended using cherry wood instead as it is more sustainable but has the same warm tones as teak. “We couldn’t get behind teak as a product so we used FSC certified European cherry that has less air miles than American cherry,” explains architect Julia Hamson. “The client was really pleased with the result.”

The kitchen cabinets have also been cleverly designed by 4 S Architecture to combine a luxury appearance with cost-effective construction. The carcasses were sourced from DIY Kitchens and delivered preassembled, which cut down on labor costs. While the white cabinet doors are also from DIY Kitchens, the cherry veneered doors are bespoke. “We worked with as many off-the-shelf products as we could to minimise cost and added a few bespoke items to elevate the scheme,” explains architect Julia Hamson.

The clients have a large collection of indoor plants, and 4 S Architecture designed a scheme with plenty of spots to display plants, from the deep windowsills to the semi-recessed extractor above the island that features an integrated shelf. “We had originally specified a fully flush extractor system, but they are very expensive,” says architect, Julia Hamson. “We went for one that is semi-recessed, so was cost effective but still has less visual impact than a dropped extractor.”

SVP of Strategy and Chief of Staff for the NBA, is a passionate home cook and attended culinary school in 2019 to refine her home cooking skills.

The kitchen, which friends helped put together, pairs affordable Ikea cabinetry with birch countertops and glazed brick tile.

The family loves to cook and opted for a statement piece as the kitchen island made of volcanic stone with burners that emerge directly from the surface.

"I really appreciate as a designer, things that make me stop and go, 'Oh, I never thought of that,'

The existing Macael marble counters were polished to restore its original appearance. The cabinets were refinished, and additional tiles installed to accommodate a new opening for the fridge. The sink was relocated, and the space left by the old sink was replaced with a built-in wooden cutting board. The floors are terrazzo.

The custom-made wooden dining table is surrounded by a set of Claudia chairs by Aristeu Pires.