Surrounded by beautifully handcrafted furniture and inherited antiques, our clients asked for a ‘pretty kitchen’ with all the French detailing of frills, scrolls, appliqué and classic crafted paneling for their 1914 transitional villa.
High-set display cabinets with mullion glazed doors provide scale and grandeur, whilst discreet storage throughout the kitchen optimises space. Crystal chandeliers, polished brass tap-ware and knobs honour the charming period.
The island embraces classical elegance with its scrolled corbels, fluted posts, bungalow skirtings, and thickly beveled door paneling - adopted from nearby architectural detailing. The solid oak benchtop is hand-tooled to a custom designed edge-moulding, then stained dark to complement mahogany furniture and fixtures in the room. A well-developed impregnated resin finish then ensures durability and protects the timber from typical everyday use.
We explored our clients’ love of Fleur-de-lis motifs, composing a vine-like design from eight individual moulding scrolls. This appliqué relief creates the ‘prettiness’ desired with a hand-crafted element. A jig-sawed shape was designed into the panel’s underside with a scalloped edge detail following its outline.
An integrated fridge was specified for authenticity and to avoid stainless.
Toni opened the space up by removing the dividing wall between the existing kitchen and dining room. Making a larger, more open and welcoming hub to host guests.
To reflect the period, visible trims and hardware had to be brass (or blackened) with no hint of stainless steel.
The ladies savour their ‘proper’ tea and cake! Anna’s collected and inherited antique chinaware is elegantly displayed behind a custom glazed buffet dresser. This view from the entry hall doors is the new ‘first impression’ upon entering the now open, welcoming kitchen room. Delight full!
Toni cleverly fits a generous Fisher & Paykel slide-in fridge into the design, which delivers the large capacity their family desired. The French door integrated model she recommended continues the authentic furniture-feel of this compact kitchen.
Something tells me this kitchen isn’t in a beautiful villa!! Anna was desperate to transform the cheap U-shaped kitchen which lacked personality, character, bench space, storage space and flow to the decking and pool beyond. After four whole-room proposals, she settled on the large island concept with a half-metre ‘steal’ from the main hall.