Houses: Kitchens + Bathrooms Issue 9

Nowadays, home owners have access to a much broader range of research tools to plan renovations of their kitchens and bathrooms. In particular, digital magazines, applications and image-based social media platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest are changing the way we engage with design. This sharing of information has greatly influenced home decoration style in terms of material and colour palettes and what objects are chosen for display. Open shelves in the kitchen, such as those in Owen and Vokes and Peters’ project (see page 38), reveal something about the owner, but can also be curated to create a desired effect. Restaurant design is now influencing residential kitchens and with more cooking appliances being used, more storage cupboards are needed. Full-height kitchen joinery is being used as a partition device,…

Nowadays, home owners have access to a much broader range of research tools to plan renovations of their kitchens and bathrooms. In particular, digital magazines, applications and image-based social media platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest are changing the way we engage with design. This sharing of information has greatly influenced home decoration style in terms of material and colour palettes and what objects are chosen for display. Open shelves in the kitchen, such as those in Owen and Vokes and Peters’ project (see page 38), reveal something about the owner, but can also be curated to create a desired effect. Restaurant design is now influencing residential kitchens and with more cooking appliances being used, more storage cupboards are needed. Full-height kitchen joinery is being used as a partition device, for…

01 Miele Mink series Warm, sensual and earthy, “Mink” is one of four new colour choices that Miele is offering in 2014. Miele developed this luscious, chocolate colour in response to the growing trend in soft furnishings toward warm and inviting natural tones. www.miele.com.au 02 Cobar rangehood Qasair has designed its Cobar rangehood with commercial-style cookers in mind. Deeper than the standard concealed rangehood, it has the greater coverage required for the heat, smoke, odours and steam generated by these powerful cookers, while the triple-motor rangehood moves up to 2430 cubic metres of air per hour. qasair.com.au 03 Libera kitchen mixer The sophisticated Libera kitchen mixer from Italian manufacturer Newform is a single-lever sink mixer with swivel and adjustable spring. It includes a stylish, versatile hand spray with colour options…

01 Miele Mink series Warm, sensual and earthy, “Mink” is one of four new colour choices that Miele is offering in 2014. Miele developed this luscious, chocolate colour in response to the growing trend in soft furnishings toward warm and inviting natural tones. www.miele.com.au 02 Cobar rangehood Qasair has designed its Cobar rangehood with commercial-style cookers in mind. Deeper than the standard concealed rangehood, it has the greater coverage required for the heat, smoke, odours and steam generated by these powerful cookers, while the triple-motor rangehood moves up to 2430 cubic metres of air per hour. qasair.com.au 03 Libera kitchen mixer The sophisticated Libera kitchen mixer from Italian manufacturer Newform is a single-lever sink mixer with swivel and adjustable spring. It includes a stylish, versatile hand spray with colour options available for both the hose and tap. parisi.com.au 04…

01 Ribbon drain Aquabocci’s Ribbon drain doesn’t sacrifice function for aesthetics, managing to look good while draining a massive flow of seventy litres per minute. The use of EPDM rubber seals eliminates the need for glue and reduces the risk of leaking. It is available in a choice of 200 colours. aquabocci.com 02 Heated towel rails Little C and Big C are heated towel rails that can be installed in a number of geometric patterns. Made of stainless steel, the rails are low voltage and can be installed in almost any area of a bathroom, regardless of proximity to water. Little C measures 280 mm × 650 mm × 80 mm, while Big C measures 280 mm × 850 mm × 80 mm. dcshort.com 03 Amélie bath This contemporary interpretation…

Photo-sharing sites such as Pinterest and Instagram are changing the shape of kitchens to come. Visual reference points are flooding online platforms and if designers are to capture their clients’ over-stimulated imaginations, they must deliver exuberant personality, high levels of sophistication and fresh configurations. “For us, this is exciting as we can discuss design at a higher level,” architect Shaun Carter says. “It also means clients come to us with a more educated idea of what our architecture is, which makes it easier to discuss design.” Architect Stuart Vokes says clients, too, are drawing inspiration from a wider field. “Our clients are now coming to us with images of top restaurants and cafes, instead of just other people’s suburban kitchens.” To this end, the conversation has changed from what’s “on…