Cart 
When Corinne and Sam Titterton planned the build of their new home, they had a clear vision for the kitchen: warm, inviting, and somewhere between mid-century modern and farmhouse.
To bring it to life, they enlisted SpaceCraft Joinery senior designer Sarah Katsaros, who set out to create a space that reflected the warmth of the family themselves.
‘I really wanted the space to embody the warmth that the clients brought with them and create an inviting, textural space,’ Sarah says.
Her original design centred around American walnut timber veneer joinery and solid timber feature legs on the island. But when the budget couldn’t quite stretch to accommodate the materials, Sarah began exploring alternatives that could achieve a similar look.
The answer was Polytec’s Florentine Walnut — a melamine finish that captured the rich tones of American walnut while working more comfortably within the project’s budget.
Sarah did, however, keep the solid American walnut legs on the island. It was a gamble, given the natural timber could have differed significantly from the Florentine Walnut joinery, but thankfully the combination worked.
‘The risk paid off and the solid timber legs look fantastic against the background of the Florentine,’ Sarah says.
The island is also anchored by an emerald quartzite benchtop, introducing another layer of colour and texture to the earthy palette. The solid timber legs cut directly through the stone — a detail that shifts from honed quartzite to satin timber grain, and one Sarah considers a highlight of the project.
‘I’m proud of how this came together and proud of the work by our workshop/install team and stone fabricator to nail this detail.’
Corinne and Sam agree: the stone benchtop is their favourite element in the finished kitchen. ‘It literally took our breath away. And every visitor thereafter,’ Corinne says.
Elsewhere, Sarah made the most of the long wall connecting the kitchen and pantry, incorporating a coffee nook, fridge and additional bench space. A textured tiled splashback adds further depth to the warm, earthy scheme, while the walnut tones continue seamlessly into the adjoining pantry.
The result is a kitchen that balances practicality with personality — and proves a few clever material substitutions can sometimes lead you exactly where you wanted to go.
