1. The Brief - This client was building an Extension with a small builder, but she aked Essence Interiors to help design a family kitchen in the new extension, that was modern, slick and clean lines, with loads of storage and a step ladder to access it all ( hidden in the kickboard). They wanted to use a wood grain, but not too much of it- so we opted for a mix of white and wood grain with stainless steel here and there. The bench top was to be clean and seamless- so Corian was chosen for the job. A glass splashback with a slightly greenish tone was chosen to complete the look.

2. Developing the design - The owner requested a few elements, be included in the design. An Island Bench, housing the sink and dishwasher at one end, and an overhang with bar stools at the other. They also wanted an appliance cabinet, with roll down door, lots of large, deep drawers and pull out, bottle and sauce racks. A small wine rack was required, at the dining room end and an upstand in front of the sink to hide clutter was requested. Every inch of space was used for storage, thus the cabinets along the wall run to the ceiling, with click-open doors and these can be accessed by a fold out step ladder ,( by Haefle) housed inside the kickboard below. More storage was included on the island bench, facing the living room, to house the cd and dvd collection. Lastly, we were asked to include an open box - with a glass shelf insert and down light above- one at each end, where some ornamental items were to be displayed.

3. Challenges - some of the challenges were; choosing a wood grain colour for the doors, that would contrast well with the existing jarrah floor boards, which extended into the new area. Also a challenge, was deciding which cupboards would be white and which would be wood. Measurements were taken of all the appliances like rice cookers and slow cookers, bread makers and sandwich press- to ensure all of these would fit into the appliance cabinet, or other drawers- this was quite a feat since the owner had a lot of gadgets!

4. Unique Design - What makes the kitchen unique, is the blend of different materials used and the way they all work together to produce the sleek look and clean lines. It is unique in that, the storage goes all the way to the ceiling, but to counteract the problem of how to access them, we installed the rather clever Haefle fold out step ladder into the kick boards. The pantry is unique in that it is larger on one side, and there is an overflow cabinet to the side, if the pantry should become full.

5. What I like most about the design - The way the kitchen relates to the room and the textures and materials used, echo what is used in the room's construction. The use of white alongside woodgrain, is less overbearing and gives the kitchen a lightness and brightness. The island bench is a favourite for me- long enough so that family can sit at the overhang end, while mum can access the sink and dishwasher at the other. Messy dishes are cleverly screened from view, by the smart timber upstand which also incorporates even more needed storage space. Display boxes at either end, give the cabinets on the wall side less of a clinical look and more of a homely vibe.

6. The cost of the project for cabinetry alone (not including the Corian benchtop, glass splashback and appliances) was around $12-13,000 installed. The client sourced both the glass and the Corian Benchtop herself, with design guidance from Essence. The whole design and scale drawings were completed by Essence Interiors, and the project was supervised to completion by Essence. Design issues and layout of cabinetry, was made in consultation with cabinetmaker Gerd Wehland, from Eurotrend Kitchens.

MATERIALS USED

CABINET DOORS/DRAWERS - VINYL WRAP DOORS IN LAMINEX NEW ANTIQUE WHITE AND VINYL WRAP DOORS BY PROFORM IN NEW GOLDEN CHERRY.

KICKBOARDS - IN WILSONART SATIN STAINLESS

HANDLES - FROM GALVINS PLUMBING SUPPLIES PERTH

BENCHTOP - CORIAN, COLOUR: RICE PAPER

GLASS SPLASHBACK - FROM GLASSKOTE IN METALLICA

PULL OUT DRAWER BASKETS AND BIN UNIT BY PARBURY PERTH

FOLD OUT STEP LADDER BY HAEFLE

UNDERMOUNT SINK BY OLIVERI

TAPS AND WATER FILTER PLUS ALL APPLIANCES - CLIENT SUPPLIED

***** ALL CABINETRY IS MANUFACTURED AND INSTALLED BY EUROTREND KITCHENS**********