Photography: Pablo Veiga / Styling: Kerrie-Ann Jones
A generously-sized kitchen island was the secret to success in this renovation, completed by Alexandra Kidd Interior Design. This inner-city Sydney apartment was relatively new, so didn’t need to be modernised. Instead, the homeowners felt the utilitarian finishes could do with some softening. “The overall colour scheme of the apartment was industrial grey and white,” explains Alexandra, director and design principal at Alexandra Kidd Interior Design. “This scheme influenced our colour palette, so we didn’t have to start again.”
Designing the kitchen island
The couple and their two tween children were hoping for a flexible kitchen design that catered to cooking, congregating, homework and having loved ones over, so a new central island was a must. “We replaced the floors to allow for services to be run to the new island,” explains Alexandra. “The hero material is the stone for the island bench.”
The Dogal Dark Grey honed marble from Surface Gallery undulates around the island base and glides across the benchtops, with the same stone on the splashback and rangehood. “It was our ode to Sydney, with a stone that looks like it’s been weathered over hundreds of years but detailed to stand strong for the next hundred,” shares Alexandra.
“Our favourite detail is the kitchen island bench and stone selection. The Dogal dark grey is both bold and soft”
Alexandra Kidd
All that grey marble is offset with European oak engineered timber floorboards in White Oiled from Woodcut. Plenty of extra storage was added through Eveneer Prefinished joinery from Elton Group in Xilo White Touch (for the upper cabinetry) as well as Xilo Sand Touch (for lower cabinetry). Pops of cobalt complement the browns, like in the ‘Contessa’ vase in Iron Blue from Alexandra’s own collection, Alexandra Kidd Atelier.
The open plan layout
The kitchen island takes centre stage in the open plan layout. The interior was reconfigured to engage with the exterior, meaning there’s now more of a natural flow. “The kitchen opens to a large green terrace with seating and lush landscaping,” points out Alexandra. “The green of the garden is a beautiful contrast to the greys of the interior.” Existing full-height windows and bi-fold doors let in light and offer views of the cityscape and St Andrew’s Cathedral.
The kitchen palette
The grey marble of the kitchen island, splashback and rangehood could be overwhelming if not perfectly paired and balanced with other elements. The sink in the island is paired with a Brodware ‘City Stik’ pull-out kitchen mixer in an Aged Iron PVD finish. This finish has a smokey black tone that is gorgeous beside the lighter tone of the kitchen island. Elsewhere, green is introduced in the Simon James ‘Isabella’ armchair from District. This sits below a Ross Gardam double ‘Ceto’ wall light from Stylecraft. This green also appears in the garden on the terrace, which features balls of Elaeagnus and a Japanese maple. Glossy black zellige tiles catch the sunlight on the retaining wall. The ‘Blue Depth’ artwork by Chanel Durante from Sibu Gallery leans against the splashback for subtle colour.
You don’t need to physically expand a space for it to feel larger. “We increased the scale of the kitchen by engaging adjoining areas, increasing the floor space and storage, and adding in the island bench,” says Alexandra Kidd, who designed this kitchen.
Designer’s tip
Thrilled with the results of the renovation, the homeowners are spreading the word. “They’re so happy, they’re telling everyone!” shares Alexandra. “They love the result – they’ve offered to speak to any new residents about their experience.”
Interior design: Alexandra Kidd Interior Design, alexandrakidd.com.
Builder: Parkzip Constructions, parkzip.com.au.
Landscaping: Adam Robinson Design, adamrobinsondesign.com.
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