Volume + IIAugust + 016

TheKewHouse

Welcome to our first ever issue ofHaving been in the business of creating beautiful

bathrooms + kitchens for clients for over 14 years,

there is one key lesson I have learnt: craftsmanship

is crucial.

And in order for the craft to evolve it must follow

great design.

smar+ is a showcase of great design in the

bathroom + kitchen to ignite your inspiration.

Enjoy.

Andrew Crawshaw

Contents+ Intro from Andrew Crawshaw 3

+ Elwood home main bathroom 4–5

+ Kew home kitchen 6–7

+ How to maximise a small kitchen 8–9

+ Tips for: planning a reno 12–13

+ Focus on: selecting finishes 16–17

Elwood home main bathroom

Crafted as a result of a consistent

design aesthetic throughout

the home’s multiple wet areas,

this calm main bathroom uses

contrasting black tapware and

black window frames to punctuate

the cool, grey palette. Warm

touches of timber finish the space

in the shaving cabinet and rough-

sawn American oak vanity.

Location

Elwood

Who lives here

A couple with their cat, Felix

Solution

Kitchen, 3 bathrooms + laundry

Budget

$35,000 – $40,000

Construction duration

3 weeks

Kew home kitchen

This Italianate Victorian home was

completely transformed to create

a stunning contemporary space

with a seamless nod to the home’s

past. A curved wall of Carrara

marble penny rounds wraps the

splashback, tying together soft

neutral tones with timeless class.

This kitchen won the prestigious

award for HIA-CSR Victorian

Large Kitchen of the Year 2015.

Location

Kew

Who lives here

A couple with their 2 teenage

children + their cavoodle, Rupert

Solution

Kitchen, walk-in pantry + living

Budget

$120,000+

Construction duration

10 weeks

4. The addition of a mirrored

splashback and/or a mirrored

kicker will trick the eye into

thinking your kitchen is

bigger than it is, particularly

if its orientation enables the

reflection of the outdoors.

5. Clean colours, especially

white, make kitchens feel

brighter and more spacious.

If you have windows, try to

emphasise them; natural light is

the best (and least expensive!)

way to widen any space. The

incorporation of a skylight is

a magical way to brighten a

windowless kitchen.

6. Store items that you use

infrequently away from the

kitchen including big platters,

specialty utensils and crystal

glassware.

7. Magnetise or paint the

kitchen cupboards with

chalkboard paint to create a

As to not throw the home out

with the dishwater, so to speak,

there are several ways to

maximise a small kitchen, here

are 11 of them:

1. If you have the luxury of

renovation on your side,

consider opening up the walls

separating the kitchen from

other parts of the house. Open

plan kitchens are not only

functional, but they create a

feeling of spaciousness.

2. Think vertically as well as

horizontally by installing floor

to ceiling storage. Purchase a

ladder to access your stored

items; it’s practical and the

height creates the illusion

of space.

3. Store specially selected

regularly used utensils on

the bench. Decorative jars

add texture and depth to

your design.

quirky focal point, and keep

the kids occupied while you

cook dinner!

8. If drawing on cupboard doors

doesn’t take your fancy, remove

them. By either taking them off

entirely, or replacing them with

glass, windowed storage

is chic and creates the illusion

of space.

9. Adding long narrow

shelves to the walls creates a

streamlined look and makes the

eye travel further, lengthening

the room.

10. A rolling cart (also known

as a moveable island) is a small

kitchen’s best friend – wheel

it out when you need it, stow

it away in another part of the

house when you don’t.

11. Use every inch of your space

in your cabinets by installing

drawers rather than cupboards.

Drawers nearly double the

usable space. Difficult corner

spaces can be better utilised

“magic corner units” or “le Mans”

shelving. Find out more about

this and other smarterSPACE

ideas here.

How to maximise a small kitchen

It’s the inner city real

estate conundrum –

great apartment, but

the kitchen is lacking;

in fact, some modern

house designs omit the

kitchen completely!

Do you want to know more

ways to get the most out of

your small space?

Contact Smarter Kitchens on

(03) 8681 5603 to book a

Free In-Home Consultation

with one of our award-

winning designers.

Frederic Kielemoes

International designer

we love right now:

There’s just something about Belgian design

that we just love. It’s clean, to the point, elegant

and timeless. There’s a minimalistic simplicity

that gives it an edge. And Brugge-based Interior

Architect, Frederic Kielemoes’ stunning spaces –

often barn conversions – are no exception.

Design: Frederic Kielemoes | Interieur Architect

Photography: Thomas de Bruyne | CafeineTimeless, elegant materials lend a nod to the buildings’ architectural history

Luxe rustic charm

A harmonious union between the

old and the new

Kielemoes’ designs utilise cool colours yet exude warmth

Kielemoes’ designs utilise

cool colours yet exude warmth

Planning a renovation

Renovating is an exciting

and busy time.

Dramatically transforming your

home into what you want is an

exhilarating experience, and the

sense of achievement is brilliant.

We have all heard the horror

stories of home renovations

taking twice as long and costing

twice as much as planned, but

with a little forethought, a bit

of research, good planning, and

some help from us, you will be

well on your way to the home of

your dreams.

Ideas. It all begins with an idea.

You walk into your bathroom

and realise it was made in the

mid 70’s! You have started

entertaining friends a bit more

now, and that kitchen just

won’t be good enough… you

get the idea. Keep a file of all

your renovation ideas for easy

reference. It will be really helpful

when talking to a professional if

you can actually show them how

you want something to look.

Be sure to indulge yourself in

the fact that you are creating a

home for YOU. Take plenty of

time to sit and dream what you

want in your renovated home.

Get creative, and get inspired!

Budget. After you have

gathered all your ideas and

created a wish list, it’s time to

realistically assess how much

you can afford to pay. You may

have to slightly reign in some

ideas that you were considering

(that gold plated bathtub, for

example) so that you can get the

job done. Engaging a company

who can provide you with a

detailed, fixed project costing

at the outset will ensure

your project is completed on

budget.

Design. Engaging a qualified

professional at this point will

ensure you avoid mistakes and

maximize both the aesthetic

and functionality of the space.

One of the great things about

Smarterbathrooms+ is our

ability, based on our experience

and creativity, to stand back and

see the overall picture – and

understand what will really work

well within your space, your

property and your needs.

Should I Stay or Should I

Go? Jobs such as a kitchen

renovation, removing internal

walls and renovating the only

bathroom in your home require

careful thought as to how

liveable the house will be during

the renovation. Engaging a

company who can provide you

with a guaranteed completion

date will ensure your project is

finished on time. Further to this

the team at Smarterbathrooms+

even delivers you a fortnightly

works schedule giving

you detailed insights for

planning your life around

your renovation.

A standout feature of this stunning space connects the

entertaining patio with the kitchen: a piston-hinged

servery window. With a seamless stainless steel benchtop

finish from indoors to outdoors, the clients’ desire to

effortlessly connect the two spaces has been realised.

1. Choice. With the vast array of

options available, utilise resources

such as Pinterest, Houzz (and

smarterbathrooms+!) to

save and narrow down

your design preferences.

2. Form. Try sticking to a limited palette

of three or four materials as a base

to work from. Look for light- or

natural-coloured joinery to keep the

space open and bright, using other

materials in small doses for visual

depth and texture. Let contrast be

the key.

3. Function. Choose durable and easy-

to-clean surfaces. Large-format

tiles or slabs of stone will minimise

grout lines and create a smooth and

easy to live with space. Remember

to consider what your taps will be

used for and the type of basin or

bath the water will flow into. Do you

need a taller tap or a wall-mounted

version to fit over an above-counter

basin? Perhaps you need a longer

bath spout to extend across to

a freestanding bath? It pays to

consider these details.

4. Seek professional advice.

It’s difficult to change things once

installed so it’s important to get it

right the first time. Keep it simple:

use an experienced professional who

is knowledgeable in the bathroom +

kitchen space to guide you through

the process and avoid potentially

costly design disasters.

Selecting finishes

1.

2.

4.3.

Call now for your free

consultation: 1300 66 28 38

Or view our online gallery at:

smarterbathrooms.com.au

Showroom / Office

77 Salmon St

Port Melbourne VIC 3207

Showroom opening hours

9am-4pm Monday to Friday

10am-2pm on Saturdays

Click here to booka Free In-Home Consultation