Earlier this year we completed this beautiful kitchen makeover (+2 new bathrooms) in New Farm for our client Charlie*. The cost of the kitchen makeover was just under $23,000. Of course, there is no renovation without some problem solving.
The Brief:
Charlie had asked us to give her kitchen a more modern look, she already had a vision of the modifications and colours in mind. This included trimming down the hightop bench, and extending her peninsula.
We replaced the doors, panels and handles for a Scandinavian look and overlaid our engineered stone veneer to compliment and brighten up the space.
The Project:
Doors, drawers and panels were replaced with Thermolaminate Manchester style panels in Classic White Matt from Polytec and Oak White Capello knobs from Kethy.
We used a two toned effect with Palace Teak Woodmatt doors and panels from Polytec to elongate the space by drawing the eyes upwards to the wall cabinetry.
Charlie’s benchtop was resurfaced with our stone veneer in the colour Pumice which complemented the neutral pallet while still adding some dimension against the white cabinetry.
This beautiful stone veneer also replaced the warm beige (almost pink) tile splashbacks bringing the kitchen out of the 90’s and into the cool tones and simplicity that we enjoy in kitchens today.
A matching tambour door was installed which has kept Charlie’s appliances accessible while still being organised and tidy. The large stainless steel sink was replaced with a more streamlined and functional double sink (the Q200 basin and Malibu Q tap from Abey) with a removable drain tray which better optimised the bench space. We fitted this sink with the incredibly quiet Insinkerator Evolution 200 as well.
Charlie was specifically happy with this recommendation for the convenience that it offers to apartment living.
The oven, rangehood and cooktop were replaced with a stainless steel Westinghouse rangehood and oven as well as a glass cooktop from Omega.
There was a particularly interesting piece to Charlie’s original kitchen.
A bright chrome pole fixed from the ceiling to the benchtop served to protect all the electrical wiring from the bulk heads to the GPO’s built into the high top.
We were asked to remove this to open up the space therefore some electrical modifications were necessary for this job. This resulted in removing the bulkhead and replacing it with an electrical strip to keep the ceiling flush.
There were some other big changes to Charlie’s kitchen, the kitchen makeover took approximately 4 days to complete. As the splashback was tiled onto rendered brick, the removal process was significantly more labour intensive
Having exposed edges leading into the windowsill meant that it was not practical to overlay our stone veneer on top of the tiles as this would negate the seamless look the overlay provides with thick and unsightly exposed edges.
There were also some modifications to cabinetry needed to install the tambour cabinet and new pantry drawers which better optimised space and accessibility.
After the renovation, we were able to ask Charlie a few question about her kitchen makeover:
What prompted you to renovate?
The spaces were tired and I wanted my forever home to reflect my style and personality.
Was it difficult making decisions for your colour pallet, handles and finishes for the space?
I generally knew what I wanted but Align helped me tweak some of the finer details.
How did you feel throughout the entire renovation process?
I felt excited most of the time. There were moments of frustration when things weren’t going to plan but I never expected the renovation to proceed without a couple of little hiccups.
What has become a feature from your renovation?
I love the Tambour cupboard, the rollout shelves in the pantry and the feeling of light and space in the kitchen. I love the warmth of the bathrooms and the soft colour palette throughout.
Do you have any advice for others looking to give their kitchen a facelift?
Don’t make the big decisions in a hurry, you will have to live with them for a long time. Be flexible to others’ ideas but, ultimately, it’s your decision.
One of the most common questions we get asked is “How much is a Kitchen Makeover?”
Unfortunately, it’s extremely difficult to answer that question as the cost of a kitchen makeover varies significantly depending on the scope of works to get done:
- Replace the benchtop
- Replace the cabinet fronts
- Cabinetry modifications
- New appliances/hardware/handles
Of course the specifics of each in colour or model and type also make a difference.
While we can’t provide a ballpark figure, we hope that these renovation reveals give you a bit more insight into the process of these types of renovations.
Aside from manufacturing and installing kitchens, our other roles include designing and project management.
It’s part of our job to provide you with the information you need to make informed decisions and help manage the renovation process so that it’s less intimidating and stays exciting and fun.
Kitchen makeovers are so exciting and we cannot wait to tell you about our other projects soon.
*Client Name changed for privacy
