Retiring from work certainly doesn’t mean
retiring from a busy social and family life. In
fact, with more time spent on the home front,
the emphasis on stand-out look and ergonomic
design for your kitchen is actually all the greater.
Setting the scene for this project, the home-
owners had bought a large coastal property,
with a vision of transforming the mid 90’s-style
residence into a home that would be ideal for
their retired life, says designer Darren James.
“For the kitchen, they wanted a space that
would set the tone for the home aesthetically.”
At the same time, the kitchen needed to be
functional, hardwearing, large enough to bring
the family together and also make the most of
the panoramic views over the bay.
“In response, I came up with the concept for
a generous, heart-of-the-home cooking space
that opened up to both the living and outdoor
areas,” says James. “To achieve this, we reposi-
tioned multiple hallways into the kitchen and
ensured a clear view from all living spaces back
to the kitchen in the centre of the home.”
Replacing the existing constraining kitchen,
the layout of the new kitchen was opened up
to a galley style format, featuring a large island
Above: Looking a little like a perfectly
balanced abstract painting, this
kitchen by designer Darren James
features dark wood veneer matched
with dark-and light-toned porcelain
sheeting. Brass and walnut accents
complete the composition.
Following pages: Decluttering a
cluttered existing interior layout has
ensured the new kitchen – at the
heart of the home – has improved
connections to the living spaces,
deck and views.
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