This client fell in love with the lovely suburb of Mentone and purchased a new unit. With a lovely outdoor balcony, off street car parking and a short walk to the local shops it was perfect, except for modern living. Although the unit looked stylish for sale, it was totally lacking in open space and functionality, especially the tight kitchen area with little storage.
Before Kitchen Renovation
Opening up the kitchen and living space
The kitchen and living areas were divided by walls making tight spaces not suited to modern living and using valuable square metre space. Storage in the kitchen was less than ideal and bench space was almost non existent. Inviting family and friends over was challenging.
After consulting with several trades it was deemed the walls were not load bearing and could be removed. Thus the brief for Kitchen Shack Moorabbin Designer was to open up the unit to create a functional, open plan kitchen and living area that would actually work for how she wanted to live.
Designing for Function and Storage
By swapping the kitchen position adjacent to the door and designing a kitchen with flow opened up the space. The additional storage and standalone island bench that the Moorabbin Designer designed solved the everyday frustrations of tight spaces and ineffective cabinetry.
Key design features include:
- Platinum Inspire Kitchen cabinetry in the soft oyster grey provides the earthy tones to bring in the outdoors.
- A range of pot, cutlery and storage drawers keeps the benchtops clutter free.
- Using drawers at the back and the front of the island bench as well as a tall pantry next to the fridge has provided increased storage.
- Layout that has improved meal prep to serving and the flow through the kitchen into living room.
- Stone colour Jade Sky complements the cabinetry perfectly.
This is a perfect example with the right design, even a compact unit can feel open and spacious.
After Kitchen Renovation
Standalone Island Bench is a favourite
The standout feature for our client is the large island bench with stone around all sides. It is her favourite and perfect for preparing meals, a casual spot for guests to gather and a stunning hero piece.
In this smaller space the island has become the heart of the living space. It has turned her unit into a place where entertaining feels easy.
The result
As seen the end result is a lighter, open plan more practical for modern day living. What began as “need more room” has transformed into a larger open feel. Smart design can create beautiful spaces.
Kitchen Shack is proud of this project to show how achievable a unit renovation can create amazing open spaces even in the tightest of places.
If you’re interested in another unit kitchen renovation check out our Ardeer Kitchen Renovation which is stunning. If you’re thinking how you can open up your space or create a kitchen that will suit your lifestyle, our design team are ready for you to book a free design appointment.
