Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 05 i GDA Kitchens & Bathrooms

While kitchens and bathrooms have always been a large focus when building and renovating one’s home, right now interest is reaching the level of obsession. Designers, architects and contractors are being inundated with requests as homeowners nationwide take a renewed interest in their personal spaces — due in no small part to an unprecedented amount of time spent at home. They say the kitchen is the heart of the home. Never has that been more true than today. As our kitchens become the offices, schoolrooms, play rooms and 24/7 restaurants of our lives, more and more people are reimagining their spaces to better serve the evolving needs of their family. Open plan layouts, multifunctional surfaces and clever storage systems are all becoming de rigueur for today’s modern kitchens as we…

Bathrooms are generally smaller rooms within the home, so to optimise the space and prevent it from feeling cluttered, keep the spatial layout simple. Placing the basin, toilet and shower along one wall allows for circulation room on the opposite side, ensuring the area appears larger and more spacious. Don’t be afraid to use colour or darker tones in your bathroom design. This space doesn’t have to be all-white or monotone. Colour and texture can be the must-have ingredient that provides a bathroom space with personality and a more intimate or restorative feel. Include a shower ledge or recessed alcove, ideally extending across the full width of the shower to visually elongate the room and create a sense of generosity in the design. A substantial shower ledge or alcove also…

In today’s open floor plans, your kitchen and dining spaces are often set side by side, and open to your living areas. So why not keep the design factor high? No longer just a utilitarian area that needs harsh task lighting, our kitchens are so much more in the style stakes. Open and highly visible to the communal spaces around it, the kitchen is also often used as the eating centre. Whether you have a dining table in or next to the kitchen or your eating space is at the benchtop, you want your dining experience to be pleasurable and atmospheric. That’s where a good lighting option can help. Choose a combination of lighting types, from spotlights that make chopping and sautéing easy to soft mood lighting in the form…

Light-filled spaces are appealing for a reason, especially when it comes to kitchens. Who wants to spend time preparing, cooking and serving up meals in a dark and uninspiring room? That’s why the task for Austin Maynard Architects was to transform this inner-city property’s kitchen from dank and depressing to bright and beautiful. A family home nestled within a ‘90s shell, there was room for improvement inside — just not literally. While the original kitchen had a huge amount of wasted space, making it inefficient and difficult to access, there was no chance of increasing the floor plan in the renovation. The family of four needed to stick to a tight budget, so better, not bigger, had to be the focus. “The old kitchen was dark and badly laid out,”…

WE STARTED BY LOOKING AT JAPANESE MATERIALS THAT WERE SIMPLE AND ALSO SUBTLY IMPERFECT, WHICH WORKED WITH THE RUSTIC AUSTRALIAN INFLUENCE AS WELL—MARDI DOHERTY, DIRECTOR AT DOHERTY DESIGN STUDIO Located in country Victoria, this contemporary two-level, three-bedroom home was designed for a young Melbourne family who love to relax and entertain. As such, the house is treated as their weekend and holiday retreat. The solid granite of the building complements and contrasts with the beautiful valley views of the township below. Japanese architecture served as a major inspiration for Doherty Design Studio as the homeowners had previously spent extensive time abroad. The detailed craftsmanship, synonymous with Japanese design principles, is evident throughout every corner of the home. Firstly, the variation in the custom blue-tiled splashback directly references the Japanese wabi…

Choosing a neutral palette for your bathroom scheme is not a bad idea if you want to ensure longevity, but that doesn’t mean it has to remain neutral. Like all rooms in the home, you can soften up the hard edges of your bathroom design or liven it up with colour and texture through the addition of décor. Anything from towels to mirrors to wallpaper to counter accessories will bring in added life — not to mention functionality. Let bath time take on a practical bent with a tub caddy that will support your book or hold a candle that soothes. Hang a mirror that doubles the light or paste a wallpaper mural on the walls to brighten up your design — both of which can be changed out easily…

From shiny jewels on your basin to majestic tub fillers and handy shower mixers, your choice of tapware plays its part in your bathroom scheme. Go for a full complement of pieces in the same style and finish for a cohesive look or, if you prefer the eclectic, mix it up with different finishes. From brushed nickel and polished brass to matt black, satin bronze or antique copper, tapware comes in a range of enduring and aesthetically pleasing looks that go beyond the age-old chrome of yesteryear. Today’s technology also offers the added benefit of ergonomic function. No longer do you have to struggle to find the right temperature or fight against torsion to achieve the right pressure, a good tap system makes accessing water a breeze. One of the…

A new build in Highton, an affluent residential suburb of Geelong, needed a considered design and, as it turns out, lots of flexibility in the planning process. The primary design consideration from the client was to make the bathroom as aesthetically pleasing as possible without blowing the budget. As a result, the design focused on having large areas of tiled walls within the spacious bathroom to provide a polished and eye-catching result without the hefty price tag. With the help of Geelong Tiles & Bathware, the clients began looking for the ideal tiles for the bathroom. What you see displayed is actually not what they initially had in mind; in fact, the original tile selection was much different. But it turned out that the floor tiles that were first selected…

The owners of this home called on the team at Detail by Davinia Sutton to create the ensuite of their dreams. The brief for the master ensuite was to produce an integrated space that seamlessly added to the overall feel of the master wing of the house. “This private zone needed to be a place which our clients could call their sanctuary,” says Davinia. “It needed to be a space that invited one to linger and restore.” And there is ample space to linger. The clients requested a large shower zone and twin vanities that would provide plenty of room — no more jostling for space in the morning or before bed. Having the toilet discreetly hidden on entry was also a request, as was the need for the design…

Step inside this serene space and you’ll immediately feel a sense of calm wash over you. Detail by Davinia Sutton has designed this sensual bathroom, set in a classic pavilion home, to complete the master bedroom. With a focus on modern Hamptons luxury, the bathroom celebrates warm tones and natural textures. Every product and material has a valuable purpose, all while paying homage to the rural setting the home is located in. The freestanding mineral stone bath takes centre stage, with its deep charcoal shade creating a relaxed feel and enhancing the bathroom’s luxurious aesthetic. The shutter-clad windows also give the option of inviting in natural light or shutting out the world. The feature bath is complemented by the warmth radiating from the honed travertine tiles, subtly bringing the entire…

Why do kitchens and bathrooms evoke such emotion? The reason is not only because we spend a large part of our life in them, but they’re also probably essential for our survival. A more likely reason is that they’re so jam-packed with objects and finishes that reflect one’s aspirations in life. I would argue that some of the best service areas I’ve seen are not necessarily opulent, but more inventively designed. It is surprising that there is no one fixed design principle that controls how we design these spaces. The old layout of kitchen design, the triangle (fridge, sink, stove) has gone down the plug hole — next to the insinkerator! Today layout ideas such as galley, open plan, one-sided, farm style and island can all create wonderful results. Let…

Selecting the right kitchen stool can be trickier than you think. While it may just seem you simply choose a chair with long legs, it’s more than that. A good bar stool strikes that all-important balance between form and function. To make the most of your space, you’ll want a stool that meets the architectural style of your kitchen but isn’t so on-trend that it becomes outdated the minute you set it in place. You want timeless but hard wearing. You want it to make a statement yet not be the sole focus on your space. That’s a lot for a simple stool to take on. You’ll need to consider height, of course, which should be calculated in relation to the depth and height of your bench to ensure a…

When you are using a variety of different textures to build a kitchen, it’s easy to go overboard. But in this case, the team at Immaculate Kitchens have successfully married multiple elements with stunning results. When entering the kitchen, your eyes are drawn to the hand-routed timber island. The timber ridges create a bold and almost groovy feel, while the running curves along the Italian stone benchtop highlight the kitchen’s elegant aesthetic. It’s the perfect example of function and style, its generous space lending itself to being the go-to destination for food preparation, social gatherings or even intimate dinner parties with loved ones. The clients were after a minimalist style through the use of mid-century modern timber. The team at Immaculate Kitchens have cleverly incorporated this through a balanced colour…

After falling in love with Home Studio’s notable interior work for some of New York City’s most beloved bars and restaurants, the homeowners of this Bond Street apartment approached the studio to complete their interior renovation. Throughout the design, a repeating theme of copper and curves is reflected across the many spaces of this chic home, adding a touch of playfulness and whimsy along with a sense of movement. Wander into the guest bathroom and you’ll spot handmade mosaic tiles with copper trim framing the tub. Copper fixtures in the sink and shower contribute further to the warmth and glamour this house resonates. Snatches of timber in towel storage add additional richness, which spreads into the kitchen and showcases this same natural, sunny aesthetic — perpetuating a connection to nature…

Splinterworks is a British-based design company that strives to create ambitious designs which are experimental and theatrical, without compromising functionality. When the developer of this London townhouse approached the team with a brief to create a serene space where items could have their place, and where the interesting design and materials could be enjoyed, Splinterworks jumped at the opportunity. We daresay, they certainly delivered! The Arc + Aspen kitchen appears in a unique horseshoe shape and is a master class in artful storage. The full-height, curved cupboards in the centre contain a fridge, low-level freezer and cupboard, which are neatly arranged around a beautiful double-door pantry. To either side, matching curved units define the kitchen space, with corresponding gantry units above. One side contains the extractor and the other houses…

Impressive, bold and most definitely eye-catching are just a few of the adjectives that could be used to describe this dark delight in Hawthorn, Victoria. A family home completed by builder M Squared Developments, this multi-storey dwelling features a largescale main floor bathroom that’s worth writing home about. Terrazzo stone tiles spread across the floor and rise up the walls, creating a textural canvas in muted neutrals that wants to be touched. Treated to a matt finish, the tiles give the impression of a rough cut but are silky smooth to the touch. In opposition, dimensional Japanese-finger-style tiles, identified by their slender, linear shape, are stacked atop one another to form a feature wall that runs from floor to ceiling in a long, luxurious stretch. Creating a tactile element in…

In north-west Poland in a city called Szczecin, an old house sits in a sought-after locality. To keep up with its affluent neighbours, the 1923-built family home needed a dramatic transformation to take it from dilapidated and dated to daring chic. Having been abandoned for more than a decade, the home needed some love. Specifically, the roof needed replacing, the damp walls had to be dried and countless reconstructions and interventions were needed to make the home not just inviting, but liveable. It was a significant task undertaken by Loft Kolasiń ski, a nearby interior and furniture design company. They set about tearing down the walls to get rid of the dampness and also open up the space. The smaller rooms of this three-bedroom double-storey house were replaced with larger,…

It’s said that pink isn’t just a colour, it’s an attitude — and this certainly rings true for the bathroom nestled inside this Fitzroy North home. The client and designer were one and the same for this project — Mani Architecture, a female-run firm based in Melbourne’s inner north. As a result of the cohesive vision, the home exudes confidence, playfulness and spirit in bucketloads. “This is not your traditional type of home,” says Mani Architecture founder Sara Tonini. While the home’s location is a very affluent suburb filled with enviable and expensive properties, Mani’s team wanted to deliver a different type of luxe, one that was reliant on clever design rather than fancy fittings and finishings. The team were frustrated by what they saw as a typical approach to…

A South Yarra ‘90s-era townhouse was in need of a reset, realignment and reinvigoration, so the owners called on Winter Architecture to bring their vision to life. The clients wanted a minimalist home, specifically one where they would not see the daily operations of domestic family life. There was also the need for more space. “By moving certain walls and combining certain functions (hallway and study, kitchen and dining, and bathroom and laundry), we freed up space in other areas,” explain the Winter Architecture team. The design stripped out unnecessary kinks, bulkheads, cornices and ornamentation in order to free up and exaggerate the limited space. Custom joinery was lowered to enhance volumes, wall lighting was dimmed to evoke an urban ambience, and the spatial planning was kept simple to consolidate…

The kitchen is no longer just a place where you simply cook and clean. For most families, the kitchen is the heart of the home and as we are now spending more time at home, our kitchens are adapting to new needs. Kitchens have never worked harder. They have become multifunctional spaces that the whole family is often utilising at once. Due to the massive changes over the past 18 months in how people use their homes, Nobby Kitchens has seen a huge change in trends. Clients are increasingly looking for more open-plan, functional kitchen spaces. Now, more than ever before, purchasing a new kitchen is much more than a cosmetic change. It is an investment, not just while we are living and working from home, but to add value…

Noakowskiego was originally built in 1913. This fifth-floor apartment is located in the centre of Warsaw, with striking views of the Warsaw University of Technology visible from the tall windows flanked by gorgeous aqua drapes. Yet the space wasn’t always this beautiful. When Marta Chrapka, designer from Colombe Design Studio, first set eyes upon this apartment, she had to truly hunt for inspiration. “Apart from walls and spouts, there was nothing,” Chrapka says. “Usually, we renovate old interiors in which we fight for the preserved remains of the original elements — sometimes we find a frog or a lotus shape in the moulding, which inspires us to come up with the theme of the entire interior … Despite the fact that the tenement house is from the beginning of the…

Abathtub is a luxury that few can deny. Often the centrepiece of the bathroom, your tub can make a statement that beckons you to soak away your troubles. If you like to lounge, be sure to choose a bath that will let you stretch out — if you have the space. If your bathroom’s a little more compact, opt for something deep with a high backrest for additional support that guarantees comfort as you submerge. Differing in design, tubs give you the option of freestanding, clawfoot, wall-hung, even jetted — if bubbles are your thing. Give your personal preference free rein and you’re guaranteed to make use of your bath with regularity, and don’t forget the comfort factor. Once you’ve worked through your shape and material type, additional items can…

The expression “they don’t make them like they used to” springs to mind when entering this St Kilda East cul-de-sac and laying eyes on the home situated at the very end. Built in 1935, the freestanding double-storey solidbrick Art Deco house has pride of place on a 740sqm block of land. And despite its vintage, the home was in great condition but in need of some updates — because even the most resilient and well-designed properties could do with a fine-tune. The owners had lived in the property since the early 1990s, raising their children in the house. A much-loved family home, they didn’t want any major changes to be made, but there were some items on their wish list. Overall, they wanted to lighten up the home to improve…