Location: Sorrento
Project: Kitchen and Bathroom Renovations
Start Date: October 2025
Finish Date: December 2025

The Client & Brief

The family, a couple from the UK with three daughters and two large dogs, found Essence through a local Facebook group. Both parents work full-time while the daughters study and work from home, making for a very busy household. Having previously renovated in Sydney, they were prepared for the process while living on-site.

“Transform an eighties styled architect designed, two storey home, into a beach side, bright and breezy, attractive and high functioning modernised home. Timber tones, limestone and marble, sand tones and a touch of blue along with wood, texture and casual vibes.”

The Kitchen Transformation

The original kitchen was enclosed and cut off from the rest of the home. The existing internal kitchen space was carefully redesigned to create a much more accessible and open environment, significantly improving flow and functionality within the home.

The existing window was replaced to suit the new kitchen design, allowing for a full sink area and splashback on the rear wall, with upright cabinetry housing new appliances and pull-out storage along the adjacent wall.

The centrepiece is a 3.5m island bench featuring a curved design and fluted wood panels. This commands the room and offers a direct vista to the family pool and outdoor living area, facilitating a much better flow for entertaining.

Design & Finishes

We used a combination of textures to achieve the “beach side” feel. The splashback features earthy, irregular-shaped subway tiles laid in a herringbone pattern to mimic beach sandstone. This is complemented by a veined stone top and a mix of Polytec Marni Lini and Moss Grey Sheen finishes on the cabinetry.

Functional luxuries were integrated throughout, including a full pop-up power deck in the island bench, an automatic pantry light, and feature lighting by Tillys.

Bathrooms & Logistics

Managing renovations with the family and overseas guests staying on-site required careful planning. We prioritised the two lower-floor bathrooms first to ensure working facilities were always available, before moving to the upstairs ensuite, kitchen, and final bathroom.

The bathrooms follow a consistent theme with shower rooms and WCs. In the powder room, we achieved a fresh look efficiently by laying a playful, patterned blue tile directly over the original black gloss floor tiles.