Kitchen Tile

The bathroom's shower is wheelchair accessible, if needed.

The new upstairs bathroom, inspired by a 1992 Robin Williams movie, juxtaposes hexagonal and rectangular white tiles, as well as blue grout with four pops of yellow metal (matching the color of the original house's front door).

Wood panelling brings a warmth to the concrete-and-white space.

The children’s bathroom features a sink from Reece and Pittorica tiles from Classic Ceramics.

Natural light provides the kitchen with an ethereal quality.

Master bath with reflected skylight

The powder room is a retreat from the main living areas. The firm set off the Victorian ash storage and mirror unit by surrounding it with black hexagon tile. A "sky tunnel" in the ceiling floods the room with natural light.

The new kitchen features a full-sized refrigerator behind the paneling, a multi-functional oven and induction cooktop, and a stainless-steel sink with integrated cutting boards. “The induction stove top was carefully chosen because it's a durable glass top and it's very efficient,” says Jones. “It's also spatially efficient because you can put a cutting board on top of it, or prepare food on top of it.”

Reimagined by architect Lisa Breeze, this compact semidetached brick home in Melbourne was built by the client's granduncle in the 1940s and passed down through generations. While the kitchen was updated to fit a modern lifestyle, the pastel color, gentle curves, and preserved Bakelite handles are a nod to the original era.

Just outside the apartment is a circular courtyard area. Lekien moved the kitchen from the rear of the apartment to the front so that it runs along the curved wall and connects to the outdoors.

Brutalist materials like concrete and steel are balanced by the gentleness of the wooden carpentry. Ash wood is used for the cabinetry throughout, from kitchen cabinets to storage units.

The countertop is a custom Concrete Collaborative terrazzo, and the colored flecks nod to the wall tiles.

"The home is about 1,500 square feet, but I knew I wanted to devote a lot of that to a large kitchen and living space,

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.”