Abstract painter Kirsten Painter and her husband were planning to overhaul their home in suburban Melbourne soon after they bought it in 2009. “Then life got in the way,” Kirsten says. The couple’s two children were starting high school, and she decided a large-scale renovation would prove too disruptive for them.
By the time the kids graduated, Kirsten was raring to go. She already knew designer Kristel Marshall and her company Studio Joy from Instagram and decided to give them free rein.
“It’s the biggest compliment when a client puts their trust in you, and Kirsten did that from the get-go,” Kristel says. “It was a bit of a dream.”
The home was designed in the 1990s by an architect who lived there himself. “It’s so liveable as a result,” Kirsten says. “It’s north-facing, with loads of light, and it just flows.” Aside from a new kitchen and bathrooms, Kirsten didn’t request any big changes, allowing Kristel to spend her time on the interior design.
“Kirsten didn’t want fuss and I’m a fan of clean lines, so we settled on the idea of light-filled, uncluttered spaces,” Kristel says. Kirsten also hoped to hang some of her own brightly painted works in the home.
“I pulled colours directly out of Kirsten’s work,” Kristel says. “They became the foundations for the palette.” She was careful not to choose shades that would overwhelm the paintings, instead choosing pastel-coloured materials such as a commanding slab of blue marble. “It’s not often that you get the OK to design a baby-blue kitchen,” adds the interior designer.
Gallery: 15 kitchen design styles to inspire (Real Living)
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Concrete in the kitchen? Don’t mind if we do! Concrete is a practical, durable alternative to laminate and granite because it resists scratches and chips and can be moulded into custom shapes. Here, a seamless concrete island doubles as a dining table, while the wall-mounted shelving unit above the sink makes good use of the available space, and keeps your cookbook collection right where you need it.
Photographer: Martina Gemmola
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Trends come and go, but monochrome minimalism is here to stay. The perennial white palette is clean, calming and bright, and when contrasted with the gold accents, it feels oh-so chic. A subtle brass kickboard paired with Porta Contours timber lining boards on the island bench make a style statement.
Photography: Brock Beazley & Jack Gibson
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Think of your kitchen splashback as the perfect place to experiment with colour and pattern. Take these coloured terrazzo tiles, which add depth while an influx of natural light enhances the colourful combination. A banana yellow benchtop also makes for a fun palette in the kitchen.
Photographer: Martina Gemmola
This soulful space features a mix of natural finishes like timber and recycled oak to create a durable kitchen with a Mediterranean twist.
Photographer: Lisa Cohen
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Cane pendants add a coastal touch to this modern kitchen. Lighting often plays best supporting act, but these pendants take a leading role. A simple way to turn pendant lights into a statement feature is to place them in a row over the space you want to illuminate and choose a patterned or woven design which will cast a beautiful, diffused glow.
Photographer: Sharyn Cairns
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A marble splashback and sparkling chrome tapware add a luxe touch to this warm and inviting space. Semi-sheer curtains diffuse the light and create a more cosy kitchen space. Their gentle, draped lines balance the sharp right angles of the island, cabinets and benches.
Photographer: Maree Homer
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If you love to cook and spend time in your kitchen, its worth investing in elements that will make entertaining a breeze. Often kept out of view or overlooked, the pantry has so much potential. By replacing solid doors with glass ones, this kitchen’s pantry not only opens up the space, it transforms the way meals can be prepared. Think of it as a food-lover’s walk-in wardrobe.
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For those with a penchant for French provincial design, this contemporary kitchen is a study in how to combine the best of both. Curved ornate fittings, such as the wall lamps and decorative brass sink mixer, add charm to the cabinets’ clean, minimalist lines. A pantry door becomes a clever calendar or grocery list with a coat of chalkboard paint.
Photographer: Chris Warnes
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You can’t go wrong with an all-white kitchen. Slim, awkward spaces are made functional with shutter-front kitchen cupboards. The woodgrain is repeated on the cabinet trims to cut through the white surfaces.
Photographer: Dave Wheeler
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There’s more to sky-high ceilings than just good looks! Suspended from the rafters, this ladder creates a lofty storage solution for boards, pots and pans. When you’re not entertaining, the spare dining space can be utilised to display indoor plants.
Photographer: Nick McDonald
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Sincere Japanese design meets Scandinavian minimalism in this timber kitchen. Made with seamless hidden doors, the wall cupboards and parallel shelving are beautifully austere, while the bronze pendants and warmth of the natural woodgrain restore balance.
Photographer: Nikole Ramsay
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The original Art-Deco features of this home shine through in the kitchen, from the exposed beams to the textural brick wall. Meanwhile, an arch window provides the perfect backdrop for days spent baking and an antique rug tucked under the timber island keeps it cosy.
Photographer: Derek Swalwell
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Short on space? Take your cues from this pint-sized kitchen, which is painted floor-to-ceiling white, making the room seem far more spacious. Using light colours will also boost the brightening effect of natural light. Here, clever joinery keeps appliances like a dishwasher behind closed doors, reducing visual clutter.
Photographer: Maree Homer
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This contemporary space mixes materials to great effect. A marble splashback adds elegance to the industrial grey concrete, and delicate porcelain finishes are grounded by the timber flooring. From the sink to the stools, the neutral colour palette proves sophistication need not be subtle.
Photographer: Tess Kelly
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This low-budget kitchen reno is packed with loads of character. The light plywood storage creates a laidback vibe and the no-fuss commercial stainless steel sink is a practical addition. With all that open shelving, painting your walls white will minimise visual clutter.
Contrast is central to Kristel’s work, and the combination of clean-lined minimalism and lively colour in this project for Kirsten exemplifies her approach. “I love to mix contemporary European furniture with strong Australian pieces, which I’ve done here by combining Ligne Roset, Sarah Ellison and others,” Kirsten says.
The end result, she adds, “is everything I hoped it would be. It’s playful, but at its heart it’s sophisticated”.
To make a room feel cosy, choose vivid or dark colours. To help it feel larger, pick out pastels or light colours.
Cool tones work best in rooms with plenty of natural light. In a darker room, consider neutrals and warm tones.
A rule of thumb is to use a varied palette in social rooms and a pared-back palette in private spaces.
Blue mosaic wall tiles from Artedomus and Marazzi Ghiara flooring by Design Precinct create a cool and airy atmosphere in the bathroom. A slab of Calacutta Nuvo marble from Ceasarstone tops the custom vanity.
Most of the furniture in the home is contemporary, which makes the antique French dining table – a family heirloom – seem extra-special. The comfy dining chairs are by Ligne Roset.
In the master bedroom, Natty + Polly wallpaper sums up Kristel’s playful-yet-sophisticated ethos. The bedhead is by Eva, the bedside table is from West Elm and the pendant light is by Nordic Tales. The room wouldn’t be complete without a vase, sourced from Makers Mrkt.
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