In this kitchen design, Oakwood Kitchens used recycled solid timber benchtops supplied by the owner to provide a flow-through surface from the kitchen to the dining area. A ‘New Age Veneer’ in ebony straight quarter cut was used horizontally for the vertical surfaces, cupboard doors and drawer fronts. The pleasing combination of recycled timber
and environmentally-friendly veneer was accented with the use of the Tambortech roller shutter in gloss red which, when closed, separates the kitchen and dining areas but, when opened, allows conversation to flow between the cook, family and guests.

Keen cooks, the clients wanted all the efficiency of a commercial kitchen while retaining a family feel. A stainless steel oven, sink and rangehood were supplied and Oakwood Kitchens built the cabinets to incorporate these commercial features. Base cabinets include stainless steel open shelving as well as laminate. Not only does the open shelving facilitate easy access, but both surfaces are easy to maintain. Stainless steel kick faces help tie the look together.

Polished chrome handles, while large enough to contribute to overall ease of use in the kitchen, are subtle enough not to become a feature. The internal drawer systems used are Blum Tandem and the hinges are Hettich Sensys softclose, which shut gently once pushed to 30 degrees of closing.

All work surfaces are made available in this kitchen – as well as the recycled timber, there is stainless steel and an area of marble benchtop for pastry making. Oakwood Kitchens worked closely with the stainless steel fabricator and the stonemason to achieve fluent lines throughout the kitchen.

One of the features of this very effective kitchen is the walk-in pantry, which provides easily accessible storage space in the form of full-height open shelving and polished chrome storage baskets. Drawers and wine racks provide special storage while the extra bench space makes this pantry very useful indeed.