Anne and Richard Barker approached interior designer Suzanne Gorman of Studio Gorman in September of 2018 to redesign their kitchen and laundry. In an existing architectural home on the beachfront in Clareville, surrounded by ghost gums, taking on the project was a no-brainer. The only catch was, the Barkers were keen to have the new rooms finished in time for Christmas festivities! Unperturbed, Suzanne and her team set about creating a space that made the most of its idyllic position.
Designed by the previous architect owners, the home comprises a series of airy pavilions that open completely up to the garden, creating breezeway-style rooms that connect fluidly.
Bringing the angular details of the architectural ceiling into the kitchen design, Studio Gorman included vertical slabs of limestone, fashioned to create distinctive forms in the island bench and dining joinery. ‘We were determined to enhance and repeat architectural elements originally introduced, yet to create a warmth and “Sydney casual” vibe that is our distinctive style’, Suzanne explains. The sweeping views across Clareville beach to Lion Island, in particular, the vista through the ghost gums, set the tone for Studio Gorman’s colour palette of subtle gum leaf grey and sage, and other natural materials, such as sand-blasted oak and limestone, echo the tones of the spectacular surrounds.
Suzanne selected the new Fisher & Paykel Column refrigerator and freezer to reflect the way the Barker family shops and eats – plenty of fridge space, with a smaller freezer to best suit their needs. A CoolDrawerTM Multi-Temperature Drawer was also installed at the end of the kitchen, closer to the dining room, allowing easy access to drinks and nibbles, and the perfect place to store all the elements for a cheeseboard when entertaining. Priorities!
While the other appliances disappear seamlessly behind the paneled cabinetry when not in use, Suzanne treated the induction cooktop almost like a feature of its own – the contemporary black glass top adding a ‘striking design element’. Similarly, the built-in oven sits neatly below a microwave oven in the same sleek black tones, offering maximum kitchen functionality while taking up minimal space. The laundry design echoes the tones of the kitchen. Plenty of storage has been integrated behind the same panelled cabinetry, and a Fisher & Paykel washer and dryer sit side-by-side underneath a long stone countertop, with a handy open shelving unit perched above.
The end result is a simple, fresh solution that knits itself perfectly to the existing home and reflects the best of beachside living and entertaining – and just in time for Christmas!
Fisher & Paykel, New Zealand’s award-winning appliance brand, has become a global force not just in product design, but also in kitchen design. The company is committed to research, development and collaboration and works closely with architects and designers to seamlessly integrate their appliances into kitchens in innovative ways. Visit, www.fisherpaykel.com to find out more.
