Steal This Look: A Small and Neat Kitchen in Melbourne

Architect Sarah Trotter of Hearth Studio set out to redesign a 1970s kitchen on the garden level of a house in Melbourne, Australia. The compact kitchen is kitted with stealth storage—by way of custom cabinets—and plenty of genius ideas to steal. Get the look with our sources below, and for more, see our post Kitchen of the Week: A Seventies Overhaul by Hearth Studio.

Above: Between the garden and the kitchen stands a small dining area with mixed chairs. The kitchen island counters incorporate a marble pasty board. Photograph by Christo Crocker, courtesy of Hearth Studio.

Above: Making use of unused space, the architects installed a stainless steel rail from Ikea over the kitchen window (that opens out onto a brick wall anyway). Photograph by Christo Crocker, courtesy of Hearth Studio.

Above: Custom cabinets in oak veneer and birch plywood (stained with a natural black finish) frame the small kitchen. Photograph by Christo Crocker, courtesy of Hearth Studio.

Materials

Above: The tile backsplash in the Melbourne kitchen is the Diamond Tile from Academy Tiles. For something similar, Heath Ceramics makes a pattern, Mural Tile, shown here in Alabaster.

Above: The solid wood countertops are American oak, custom made by Alex Rains Furniture of Melbourne. The John Boos Blended Oak 25-Inch Deep Kitchen Countertop (shown) is $72 to $1,425, depending on size.

Lighting

Above: The gray pendant lights are vintage Louis Poulsen from Danish modern showroom Grandfathers Axe of Melbourne. For something similar, the Steber Avalon Chain Hung Pendant is $205 at Barn Light Electric.

Appliances

Above: The Smeg Classic Design 24-Inch Gas Cooktop is $699 at AJ Madison.

Above: The Smeg 24-Inch Speed Oven is $1,699 at AJ Madison.

Above: The Fagor 24-Inch Counter-Depth Bottom Freezer Refrigerator is $2,149 is at Plessers. It’s one of the 10 featured in 10 Easy Pieces: Best Skinny Refrigerators.

Above: The KitchenAid Artisan Imperial Grey Stand Mixer is $349.99 at Crate & Barrel. For more, see our post 10 Easy Pieces: Kitchen Stand Mixers.

Faucets & Fixtures

Above: The Grohe Concetto faucet, which is $176.97 on Amazon. The faucet was also featured in 10 Easy Pieces: Architects’ Go-To Modern Kitchen Faucets.

Above: For an apron-front version of the sink in the Melbourne kitchen, the Shaws Original Lancaster Apron-Front Sink is also a fireclay sink. It’s $1,109.99 at Wayfair Supply.

Furniture

Above: The Afton Chairs with Wood Seat, shown in cherry, is $349 at Room & Board.

Above: The Andover Table, shown in cherry, starts at $1,399 at Room & Board.

Above: The Kartell Crystal Louis Ghost Chair is $450 at ABC Carpet & Home.

Storage Solutions

Above: Ikea’s largest Grundtal Rail measures 31.5 inches and can be connected to another Grundtal rail of the same or different length for greater extension; $9.99.

Above: The Grundtal S-Hook Set fits with the rail; $3.99 for a set of five at Ikea.

Above: The Small Cubby Narrow Wall Shelf in wood veneer is $49 at Land of Nod. Another option is the Set of 3 Wood Display Boxes for 103.99 at Target.

Above: The Grundtal Magnetic Knife Rack is $8.99 at Ikea.

Above: Rejuvenation sells Shou Sugi Ban Shelving (a Japanese technique for charring wood) in eight- and 10-inch depths and two-, three-, and four-foot lengths. Prices start at $159.

Accessories

Above: The Staub Cast-Iron Essential Ovens, shown in graphite and matte black, are $149.95 at Williams-Sonoma.

Above: The Williams-Sonoma Ceramic Partitioned Utensil Holder is $39.95.

Above: The Handmade Porcelain, shown in copper red, is crafted in Spokane, Washington; $105 at Food52 Provisions.

Above: For music in the kitchen, the Model One Radio by Tivoli is $143.94 at Amazon.

Above: The architects, Hearth Studio, have an online shop with vintage lighting, hardware, and accessories they’ve sourced themselves. This Solid Timber Door Handle with Barrel, for example, is $25 AUD ($19 USD).

For similar-looking kitchens, see our posts:

• Steal This Look: Smart Storage in a Swedish Kitchen
• Steal This Look: An Urban Cabin in Brooklyn

• Steal This Look: Utilitarian Kitchen in Melbourne, Australia