A designer gets the most out of a kitchen by
including what’s achievable from an owner’s
wish list while avoiding what might not work
so well in the final out-come. The owners are the
winners, as this Damian Hannah kitchen reflects.
“The owners – parents of a growing family
– were renovating their 1900s Wellington villa
and wanted to replace the outdated kitchen and
linked office with a larger, more welcoming
kitchen and possibly a scullery,” says Hannah.
“The kitchen ideally needed to accommodate
more than one chef at a time and include an
island and casual seating. The couple love their
coffee and wanted a coffee nook, too, if possible.”
The kitchen designer looked at the overall
space and considered the scullery option.
“To position the scullery where the owners
requested – at the rear of the kitchen where the
existing office was – wouldn’t have worked as
this was the main access to the dining-living
area. Sitting the scullery in this through-space
would have separated the kitchen and living
zone and at the same time blocked light from
the run of windows on this side of the home.”
Instead, Hannah transformed the outdated
office into an ancillary kitchen area – complete
with second sink and dishwasher – avoiding the
need for an obstructive, walled-off scullery. This
opened the space up, retained connection to the
living areas and avoided reducing natural light
that would have resulted from a dedicated scul-
lery. It also allowed the designer to include a
long benchtop running right along the kitchen.
“I positioned one sink on the island and
the other under the home’s south windows, so
the owners could take in the views while prep-
ping. A coffee station is at the western end of the
bench and is separated from the longer kitchen
benchtop with a breakfast/coffee seating nook.”
The latter also offers a casual office space
that’s more central for keeping an eye on the kids.
Hannah designed shallow cabinetry for the
new rear kitchen space – maximising storage in
this area. He also introduced a handy electrical
track that allows small, on-bench appliances to
be permanently plugged in ready for use.
Soft matt lacquer Alno cabinetry with wood
veneer panelling behind the underlit shelving
brings depth and interest to the design
“The final touch was the Dekton benchtops.
We also ran this hard-wearing surface down the
back of the seating and across the nook footwell
for material continuity the length of the kitchen.”
Previous pages: A new light-toned
kitchen sits in a light-filled space, in
this design rethink, part of a wider
renovation of a 1900s cottage by
Damian Hannah of German Kitchens.
Left: Two sinks, myriad benchtops
and plenty of space means two chefs
can use the kitchen at the same time.
Above: The new coffee nook doubles
as a casual office. For continuity, the
benchtop surface to either side is
used as a floor surface in this area.
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