with its open connections and wealth of natural
light, but the look of the kitchen is in keeping
with the home’s 1920s origins,” says Smith.
“Elements like the butler’s sink, brass pulls,
and subway tiles – not to mention the gleaming
retro Smeg fridge – are all suited to the period.”
And while slender countertops are again the
order of the day in modern kitchens, they also
fitted well with the retro feel of this design.
There’s a lot of texture in the kitchen – the
owners definitely did not want a minimal look –
hence the panelled doors on the cabinetry.
“We added a hearth with shelving at the
back of the space, which also suited the period.”
The kitchen’s low ceiling had to be retained,
constricted by other earlier reworkings upstairs.
Exposed beams were part of this and now have
feature pendant lights suspended from one of
them – signalling the most social area of the
kitchen, the island and pull-up stools.
“We extended the batten ceiling from the
dining area for continuity,” says Smith. “And
similarly, the existing floors were retained and
reworked for a seamless flow throughout.”
These provide an ideal contrast for a kitchen
design where everything is white or cream.
These pages: A modest extension
beyond the home’s envelope and
a reorienting of the tired, cramped
existing kitchen resulted in a roomy
feel in this period-look design by
Architecture Smith + Scully. Classic
elements like panel doors, brass
pulls, subway tiles and a retro Smeg
fridge all create a period feel – but
the layout and access to various
spaces suggest a more modern
sensibility.
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