A contemporary country-style kitchen

A tall timber-veneer upstand – Flexcorporation’s ‘Flexipanel’ in Warm Oak Sheen – conceals mess in and around the sink, ideal in a busy kitchen that’s open to the dining and living areas. A contrasting finish to the rest of the cabinetry, as here, can also make a great design feature, while running the panelling horizontally echoes the lines of the flooring, and creates a sense of flow.

Open shelves have a much lighter feel than closed cupboards in an overhead run of cabinetry; it’s a design trick that works particularly well in a narrow space. The secret to making them work visually? Don’t overcrowd the shelves with a disarray of objects – stick to a uniform display of items, colours or materials, such as a collection of elegant white servingware.

Oak laminate flooring is a warm counterpoint to the white cabinetry and walls painted in Taubmans White Pearl. It also picks up the tones of the overhead cabinetry and upstand. 

A 1200mm St George freestanding cooker is the centrepoint of an extensive run of drawer units. The cabinetry is topped in Caesarstone in Snow, a warm white with a forgiving, lightly flecked appearance. A single row of ‘Bellazza’ structural ceramic wall tiles from Bunnings creates an upstand at the back of the benchtop, with a window splashback composed of pool-fence glass, above, bringing in a torrent of natural light and pretty garden views. A pair of under-cupboard Westinghouse rangehoods, neatly concealed in the double cabinet above the cooker, were a wallet-friendly choice – the two 600mm rangehoods were cheaper than a single 1200mm unit.

The double bowl ceramic Domsjö sink and colander from Ikea deliver a hint of French country flavour, and are paired with a Ringskar kitchen mixer, also from Ikea.

Timber and white is a timeless look for a kitchen. This stylish space has a thoroughly modern feel, while this spacious room is defined by its eye-catching splashback. For a less is more timber look, check out these dining zones.