Recycled hardwood, locally sourced products and hand-blown glass pendant lights take centre stage in this ergonomically designed, high-tech kitchen.
Created by New Leaf Design Studios, the kitchen sits inside a charming 1920s dairy farm and replaces a cooking space that was dark and enclosed, and offered little pantry storage and inadequate benchspace.
As stipulated by the brief, the new kitchen incorporates elements of the farm, surrounding countryside, family history and natural materials. “I was asked to apply a fresh perspective and create a unique modern/industrial look, rather than a traditional country aesthetic, that embraced sustainability, using recycled or upcycled items where possible,” says Sandra Dara, principal designer at New Leaf Design Studios. “The challenge was to correctly balance a blend of modern technology in a timeless, rustic/industrial setting, improve functionality and add a level of comfort to the home while honouring family traditions. I sought to create a design that focussed on ambience, ergonomics and spatial organisation that would be relevant not just today, but well into the future.”
The new kitchen makes all its owners’ dreams a reality and boasts a butler’s pantry spoilt with storage, as well as a hidden laundry. The main kitchen area is swathed in almost-black cabinetry and black metal shelving, which sits comfortably alongside the recycled hardwood. A textured white splashback and new engineered hardwood timber flooring complete the scene, with the flooring specifically chosen to anchor the space and provide visual continuity throughout.
Despite the predominantly dark palette, the kitchen is surprisingly light and bright thanks to the abundance of natural light that flows through the home, imparting an inviting warmth wherever it shines. “I’m incredibly proud of what I was able to create for this family,” concludes Dara, “not just for this generation, but for all the generations to come.”
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