Point Piper | Modern Kitchen

The clients follow Feng Shui which added a level of complexity to how the space could be arranged. The fire (oven and cooktop) had to be on the north wall. White was considered the best colour for the kitchen by the Feng Shui master. The building is 1930s Art Deco. Few Art Deco features remain on the interior of the Sydney Harbour apartment, so I wanted to reintroduce them through design elements such as the curved panels, doors and island. The existing kitchen had no view of the harbour due to its position at the rear of the apartment. The kitchen was part of a large renovation of the entire apartment. The clients are a busy working couple with adult children who do not live with them.

The existing kitchen was closed in with no connection to the rest of the apartment or access to the prime harbour view. After much discussion with the clients, their Feng Shui master and the builder, I suggested moving the kitchen to the existing master bedroom, creating a laundry in half of the old kitchen and walk in wardrobe in the other half, maximising the utility of the space. This meant that the kitchen would now connect to the dining and living rooms with magnificent views of Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Heads and Rose Bay. To the north, Taronga Zoo is showcased and the North-West provides uninterrupted views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. This is the place to be on New Year Eve!

Once the kitchen was moved, on any given day you can see sailing boats, large vessels and cruise ships. These are predominately white, with large white curved sails and curved white hulls, settled on the blue harbour. This connection inspired me to bring white curves, with clean lines, into the apartment. This theme also connected to the Art Deco style of the building and satisfied the brief from the Feng Shui master. Maximum storage was achieved by taking the cabinets to the ceiling with tall storage pantry and cabinets on both sides of the island. The client did not need a large kitchen as they eat out 3 – 4 nights a week. I designed the kitchen with an integrated fridge, however, the clients insisted on using the refrigerator they had already purchased.

The area for the kitchen is small so every item must be easily accessible and in logical order. All drawers in the under-bench cabinets, 3 garbage bins for recycling, corner carousel and oil storage tray help to make to this an easy kitchen to use. The client insisted on display cabinets to house their glassware. The marble look Caesarstone bench top and splash back were chosen to compliment the white cabinetry. The result is a kitchen that optimises the very special view, has open flow and connection with the living areas, with simple, sleek styling that complement the Art Deco building and Fung Shui directives.