Kitchen Tour: A True-Blue Reno That Really Sings
A seemingly cramped Melbourne kitchen now shouts out its style with new fittings and a vibrant blue colour palette
This 5.9-square-metre kitchen in Melbourne might not be terribly small, but it certainly felt that way with a big swinging door and massive brick wall blocking off any open space. The couple who live here wanted to reveal the room’s potential, and hired Isaac Watt and Born Builders to create an open, functional and bright kitchen.
Watt and his team tore through a claustrophobic brick wall and peach-tiled floor and benchtops, creating a blank slate. Polished concrete floors and crisp subway tile now complement the bold blue cabinetry, and a new extended benchtop serves as an impromptu dinner table.
Kitchen at a Glance
Location: Richmond, Melbourne
Size: 5.9 square metres
Cost: $21,000, including appliances, new materials, electrical work, painting, hardware and general labour
Watt and his team tore through a claustrophobic brick wall and peach-tiled floor and benchtops, creating a blank slate. Polished concrete floors and crisp subway tile now complement the bold blue cabinetry, and a new extended benchtop serves as an impromptu dinner table.
Kitchen at a Glance
Location: Richmond, Melbourne
Size: 5.9 square metres
Cost: $21,000, including appliances, new materials, electrical work, painting, hardware and general labour
Brick walls had closed off this kitchen, and a swinging door opened into an adjacent living space; the door swing wasted space, and the walls made the kitchen feel cramped. Watt and his team took out the wall closing off the kitchen but left a glimpse of the rich red brick. "It made perfect sense to expose the bricks as part of the splashback," says Watt. You can get a peek at the uncovered brick here, to the right of the window.
The clients loved the idea of having cool blue cupboards to complement the grey concrete floor and the dark wood benchtops.
Watt and his team custom designed the MDF cupboard doors and the custom pendant light above the stained Tasmanian oak peninsula. They had the cupboards finished with a two-pack paint — a kind usually used on cars — for a shiny, extra-hard finish. The cupboards cost about $6400.
The peninsula, where a wall once stood, acts as a dinner table in the compact apartment. The Tasmanian oak installation cost about $3200.
Whirlpool appliances in petite sizes work well with the limited square meterage. A row of LED strip lights adds a glow, and light from the kitchen window reflects off the white range hood and subway tiles. The backsplash tiles cost about $1600.
The concrete floor finishing also cost about $1600. Watt and his team simply polished, stained and lacquered the concrete subfloor underneath the old kitchen’s peach-coloured floor tiles.
The concrete floor finishing also cost about $1600. Watt and his team simply polished, stained and lacquered the concrete subfloor underneath the old kitchen’s peach-coloured floor tiles.