A modern coastal kitchen with a neutral palette and soaring ceilings

Perfect pitch: A neutral palette reaches stylish new heights in this coastal kitchen

Classic colours, pitched ceilings and stunning sea views elevate a timeless, beachy kitchen design.

Photography: Maree Homer/ Styling: Nicholas Bryan-Brown.

Beside a casual dining nook in one corner of this spacious kitchen is a window that offers stunning coastal views. As such, when it came time to renovate this clifftop home in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, the owners opted to complement, rather than compete with, the beauty outside.

The couple, who live here with their teenage daughter, called on designer Kate Nixon and her team for help, including project lead and senior designer Jarrod Potak. Together, they created a space that showcases colours, materials and art that reflect that wide blue yonder.

Bright kitchen with white island, vase of green branches, two black chairs, and a framed wall art. — Interior designers Kate Nixon and Jarrod Potaka relied on a neutral palette with plentiful storage. *(Photography: Maree Homer. Styling: Nicholas Bryan-Brown.)*

“The materials achieve a calm, cohesive palette, which sits quietly within the existing architecture, allowing the coastal views to take centrestage,” says Kate.

“The joinery finishes are in Polished Opal from Dulux with ‘Arbon’ limestone flooring from Eco Outdoor. Kitchen benchtops and splashbacks in Atlantic granite contrast the central island bench clad in Sky White quartzite.” Both are from Granite & Marble Works, with waterfall ends.

Modern kitchen with white cabinets, grey stone benchtops. black lamp, timber chopping boards, herbs, and framed abstract art on the wall. — On the wall hangs ‘Dunes’, a framed artwork by Nicholas Bryan-Brown, which speaks to the home’s seaside setting. Near it is a small canvas, ‘Blue Jug’, by Andrea Wilson. *(Photography: Maree Homer. Styling: Nicholas Bryan-Brown.)*

Kitchen storage essentials

A wet bar was also created in the adjacent living room with many of the same materials, serving as a bar to the expansive balcony and formal dining room. Practicality is present throughout. “The kitchen trinity of sink, stove and fridge is reflected in the new layout, allowing effortless flow and functionality,” says Kate.

Modern kitchen coffee station with glasses, copper pots, wicker basket, coffee maker, and flowers on marble benchtop. — V-groove panelling behind the coffee nook in the kitchen evokes a subtle coastal style. *(Photography: Maree Homer. Styling: Nicholas Bryan-Brown.)*

“Containing small appliances in custom cabinetry reduces clutter,” says Kate. “A coffee station was tucked between the fridge and pantry with pocket doors.” Two ovens and an induction cooktop, both Miele, plus a Qasair rangehood and Franke ‘Eos Neo’ gooseneck tap make hosting a breeze.

Bright modern kitchen with white cabinetry, a large island, two black stools, and a vase of green branches under a skylight in a pitched ceiling. — “Use texture on walls and ceilings through panelling and beams to add character within a neutral palette,” suggests Kate, who used these techniques in this kitchen. The pitched ceiling was clad with decorative beams, while Intrim V-groove cladding and a fine Shaker panel profile were incorporated into the bespoke cabinetry. *(Credit: Photography: Maree Homer. Styling: Nicholas Bryan-Brown.)*

Coastal white with black accents

Accents of dark tones break up the bright vision, including two ‘Vela’ stools from Cosh Living and cabinet pulls in Ore and White Bronze from Keeler Hardware.

Now, the kitchen is as serene as the views and the owners are thrilled with the result. Kate and Jarrod are also enamoured. “We love the simplicity of the design,” says Kate. “It is quiet, calm, warm and welcoming. The layout feels generous yet cosy and the aesthetic truly reflects the family and their home.”

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Interior design: Kate Nixon, katenixon.com.
Builder: Kendall Co Constructions, kendallco.com.au.

Writer Kate Barber Senior Copy Editor

Kate has known she wanted to be a writer ever since she was a kid, producing reams of stories and finding joy in perfecting her spelling. What she didn’t know then was that it would lead to meeting all sorts of interesting people and a lifetime of learning. She studied communications at Western Sydney University and has been a sub-editor and writer for more than 20 years, working on various magazine titles, including Vogue Living, Gardening Australia and Marie Claire. She currently writes for Home Beautiful. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her at the markets picking up her latest ceramic piece for her home.