August 25, 2016

A Danish Kitchen Renovation For An Inner West Terrace

Dan Stories

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Light colours paired with the warmth of timber are a fundamental element of Danish Kitchens.

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A mixture of textures, colours and materials work together to create an inviting home environment. 

The brief was to create a Danish kitchen adjacent to a small lounge filled with iconic Danish furniture. By removing the dividing wall and taking accents from the natural timber of the furniture, Dan Kitchens modernised the kitchen and connected two spaces with spectacular results.

Designer Arthur Baskin says the kitchen and lounge were part of an extension at the back of a Victorian terrace in Stanmore in Sydney’s inner west.

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Neutral grey concrete-look tiles add texture, with underfloor heating providing comfort in the cooler months. 

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Mirror splashback creates depth to the space, while the glass display shelves act as a passive divider of the two rooms. 

Keeping the Danish feel

“In terms of furniture, they had some collectors’ pieces in the lounge and they wanted to keep that Danish style in the kitchen,” Baskin says.

“The brief was to open up the space and merge the kitchen with the lounge area. The original concept was to put a two-way fireplace between the two, but we didn’t have the space and nowhere to flue it to either.”

The solution: remove the load-bearing wall and create glass shelving between the two rooms where the clients could display their collection of glass art.

“The space had already been subdivided and a beam put up there, so we had to modify that beam and put another beam underneath it – there’s a fair bit of tricky engineering in there!”

If clients don’t already have a builder in mind, Dan Kitchens is happy to make a recommendation, as was the case with this project.

“This particular builder is someone I’ve worked with for about 15 years and he’s got an amazing can-do attitude,” Baskin says. “We’ve taken buildings apart and rebuilt whole houses together. He’s very much in demand and clients love him.”

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Typical of the Danes, all veneer doors and panels are beautifully finished (Australian Iron Bark).

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Windows to the adjacent curved wall of the kitchen provide plenty of light (and a cosy spot for the family pets). 

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Timber plate drawers. 

Combining style and practicality

The brief included underfloor heating, so the original ceramic tiles were removed and replaced with concrete-look tiles.

“The plan originally was to have floorboards with underfloor heating,” Baskin says. “But floorboards and underfloor heating don’t work well together so the clients chose a concrete floor. But there wasn’t enough height to lay actual concrete, so we found concrete-looking tiles.”

Picking up the concrete accent were the benchtops (Caesarstone sleek concrete 4003), while the kitchen island was finished in Caesarstone pure white 1141.

Baskin says the advantages of Caesarstone are its consistency of colour, durability, stain-resistance and affordability.

“We’ve tried using actual concrete for benchtops on a couple of jobs, but it tarnishes and stains, gets air bubbles and cracks – cooking oils destroy it. So the concrete finish from Caesarstone buys you the look, but without the hazards. It’s been a very successful one for them.”

 

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Plain doors and minimal handles hide many of the functions of this kitchen.

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The pullout pantry is revealed.

Modern kitchen, modern appliances

Miele 6000 wall appliances in clean steel were used for the oven, steamer and deep warming drawer, with a Franke sink and professional Reach tap. An Asko induction/gas cooktop was used to give the most flexible cooking options.

In the end, the clients got a modernised kitchen that flows seamlessly from the lounge and remains true to its natural timber and orange palette. Even the tops of the cabinet doors were veneered to tie in with the Danish look.

Baskin says the clients were extremely pleased with the result. “The letter that came from them was heartfelt. They were blown over and very complementary. They were absolutely wonderful clients.”

Miele 6000 appliances

Miele 6000 built in wall appliances in Clean Steel finish.

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The dividing display shelves from the living room side.

The Dan Kitchens team are one of the few kitchen companies designing and manufacturing in the Danish style. For more information on how they can create a Danish kitchen for you, contact their Design Studio on 02 9624 2344. Alternatively visit the Dan Kitchens luxury showroom and inspect their workmanship in person.