Set within a 1930s Art Deco apartment building in Elizabeth Bay, this kitchen renovation was designed for empty nesters seeking a home close to the city without giving up the functionality of a full-sized kitchen.
Although the apartment had considerable character, the existing kitchen was tired and poorly planned. Previous owners had relocated it into this part of the home, but the arrangement made inefficient use of the available space. A servery wall divided an already compact room, limiting both the kitchen and the adjoining dining area, while a narrow doorway in the corner led to a small pantry.
A fully bespoke apartment kitchen combining European-inspired minimalism with casual dining and generous storage.
Designer Daniel Mazic reconsidered the room as a whole rather than treating it as a simple cabinetry replacement. The servery wall was removed, allowing the kitchen to extend into the room and creating a clearer connection with the surrounding living spaces. The former pantry doorway was closed, with the room repurposed as a laundry accessed from elsewhere in the apartment. This freed the kitchen layout from an awkward circulation point and allowed the cabinetry to make better use of the perimeter.
The homeowners were drawn to the restrained appearance of high-end European kitchens: minimalist cabinetry, handle-free detailing and refined finishes. However, the irregular geometry of the apartment meant that a modular kitchen would have left valuable space unused. Along the window side, the Art Deco façade creates a series of stepped wall junctions rather than a conventional square corner. The full-height cabinetry was individually designed to follow these changes in depth, maximising internal storage while presenting a calm, continuous exterior.
Despite the constrained footprint, the completed kitchen accommodates an extensive suite of appliances, including two V-ZUG combi steam ovens, an integrated Liebherr fridge-freezer, gas cooktop, concealed rangehood, DishDrawer and a dedicated EuroCave wine cabinet. Benchtop appliances can also be stored out of sight, preserving the clean appearance of the room.
The curved dining peninsula introduces warmth and softness while preserving a comfortable walkway through the kitchen.
An integrated Fisher & Paykel DishDrawer.
Full-height cabinetry accommodates an extensive appliance suite while following the stepped geometry of the Art Deco façade.
Handle-free drawers and carefully aligned cabinetry maintain the clean, restrained appearance requested by the homeowners.
A curved dining peninsula introduces casual seating without the bulk of a conventional island. Its rounded timber edge and softly curved support reference the apartment building’s Art Deco heritage, while also easing circulation through the kitchen. Daniel carefully balanced generous bench space and storage with comfortable walkways, ensuring the room never feels overfilled.
Four Seasons Quartzite wraps the benchtops and splashback, bringing movement and depth to the otherwise restrained palette. Its varied fragments and grey-toned matrix form a dramatic backdrop to the pale cabinetry, dark timber flooring and warm walnut detailing.
Custom joinery and precisely fitted stone resolve the kitchen’s irregular wall junctions without sacrificing valuable storage.
Fine shadow lines and integrated opening details give the lower cabinetry a crisp, furniture-like finish.
The discreet vertical handle from Joseph Giles Ashworth.
The EuroCave wine cabinet is incorporated beneath the dining peninsula, placing it conveniently beside the living area.
The quartzite’s varied fragments and blue/grey matrix form the expressive material centrepiece of the kitchen.
The result is a highly customised apartment kitchen that delivers the storage, appliances and working space expected of a much larger home. More importantly, it resolves the shortcomings of the previous layout, replacing a divided and awkward room with an ordered, welcoming space for cooking, dining and everyday living.
For over 40 years, the Dan Kitchens luxury kitchen showroom has brought Scandinavia’s best designs to life. Sydney’s most refined custom kitchens and sophisticated joinery are custom made in the adjoining production complex.
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