A look inside Shaynna Blaze's kitchen
“This is my studio and place of work,” says Shaynna of this 1880s building in Melbourne’s inner east. “It was an old-style shopfront at the bottom and a residence at the top, with beautiful Victorian details such as Baltic floorboards, cornices, skirting and sash windows, but the kitchen was dated with a tiny central bench.” Shaynna and her husband Steve needed a kitchen for themselves, but also a commercial-grade space where private functions could be held.
Working with Granite Transformations, with whom Shaynna has had a long association via Selling Houses Australia, she chose Taubmans Crisp White for the walls and island bench; it's a sharp neutral that contrasts beautifully with the warm tones of the original Baltic pine floorboards and grey cabinetry. A chrome Teknobili ‘Likid’ tap, combined with plush navy button-back bar stools, adds to the kitchen’s timeless sophistication. The ‘Hayes’ tufted bar stool from Pottery Barn is similar.
Key to the transformation were materials with the look of luxe, from the glamorous Trend Mosaics ‘Custom Subway 965’ tiled splashback to the Polytec 2-pac cabinetry in Taubmans Adolescence, all from Granite Transformations. “The colour is a warm grey with a bit of blue in it,” explains Shaynna.
Shaynna’s stylish kitchenalia is displayed in cabinetry above the benchtops, in Trend Surfaces ‘Bianco Real’ from Granite Transformations. This serious cook’s kitchen is kitted out with Asko appliances and a Samsung 680L French-door fridge. The rangehood is elegantly concealed above the cooktop, which boasts a wok burner and an induction plate. A steam oven, plus pyrolytic and microwave ovens, add to the entertainers' dream space.
As the layout remained the same, the plumbing didn’t need to be moved, a smart cost-saver. “I love Victorian features and wanted to respect the building,” explains Shaynna. “The idea was to keep the kitchen quite spare and modern, a blend between old and new.” With soaring 3.2-metre ceilings to play with, she took the cabinetry as high as possible for maximum storage, and opted for transparent doors to create a space that feels light and airy, rather than top heavy.
