A Hamptons-inspired kitchen on Sydney’s Northern Beaches

Owner Annabel describes her kitchen in Avalon, below, as “a dream”. Every morning she makes herself a cup of coffee and sits in the kitchen nook to look out the window. “I do that before everyone else in the house wakes up. It’s my little moment to myself before the day starts,” she says. The custom bench seat was made by Stritt Design & Construction, is made comfy with cushions from The Classic Outfitter, and is paired with chairs from Alfresco Emporium. The French antique dining table was sourced from Moonee Ponds Antiques in Melbourne.

The Shaker-style kitchen was custom built by The Kitchen Maker and finished in Porter’s Paints Dusty Mule. The pendants are from Emac & Lawton.

A ‘coastal grandma-style’ kitchen

Channelling the ‘coastal grandma‘ trend, this kitchen (below) was so inspired by the kitchen in the Nancy Meyers movie Something’s Gotta Give, it was actually designed by the American company that created the filmset. It features all the mod cons including a pot filler tap over the stove. The all-white colour scheme works as a counterbalance to the large scale of the cabinetry, appliances and accessories. 

A Montauk-worthy kitchen in Sydney with a splash of blue

Before Lynne and Glenn knocked down and rebuilt their home on the Northern Beaches, the kitchen, below, was in the middle of the house with no light or flow. “Now, as part of the open-plan design, it’s my favourite room,” says Lynne. The Hamptons-inspired kitchen features ‘Lakehouse’ lights from Custom Lighting and Nicolazzi nickel tapware from Bathroom Collective. The island bench is painted in Dulux Ship’s Officer, while the cabinets are in Dulux Snowy Mountains Quarter. The ‘Cape Town’ stools are from Wisteria Design.

One island bench is not enough in this modern country kitchen

The kitchen in Louise Keats’ Southern Highlands home (below) is often full of action, facilitated by two island benches and two sets of ovens. “We can have my mum, my sister, my husband and myself, all in the kitchen, all doing different things and no-one’s getting in anyone’s way,” says Louise. The central island is handmade in oak by Reid Brothers and the white kitchen island, topped with Super White Dolomite marble, has seating on both sides so it can be used for casual dining. 

A coastal kitchen with a modern, curved island bench 

The floodlit kitchen, below, in this NSW Central Coast home is on a roomy upper level and accommodates a butler’s pantry and powder room. Kit-kat tiles (or, ‘finger tiles’) from Tile Cloud are on both the overhead cabinetry and the island, and are one of owner Megan’s favourite features in the kitchen. “I always prioritise kitchens, floors and windows,” says serial renovator Megan. “If you get those right, your house will last.” 

Time in the Hamptons inspired the design of this white kitchen

Homeowner Almira knew that if she ever had the chance to build her dream house in Australia, it would encapsulate the Hamptons and Montauk aesthetic. She fell in love with the region when she was living in New York with her husband, Brad. Back in bayside Melbourne, Almira, with interior designer Aimee Tarulli, created a grey and white kitchen (below) featuring Shaker cabinetry, Carrara Bianco marble splashback tiles and ‘Goodman’ pendant lights from The Montauk Lighting Co. Dark ‘Saddle’ French oak flooring from Made By Storey adds gravity and warmth.  

It’s all about the design details in this country manor kitchen

The land surrounding this WA country home has been in the same family for five generations, but there’s nothing antiquated about the farmhouse kitchen, below. In true American east-coast style, grand proportions and carefully curated details have transformed it into an elegant space. The owners’ starting point for the kitchen design was a trio of bespoke timber-beaded chandeliers, followed by a blue island bench, herringbone marble splashback tiles and glass-fronted overhead cupboards displaying treasured wares.

A bland worker’s cottage gets a light, bright kitchen

When the owners of this Brisbane worker’s cottage, below, had their European travel plans cancelled due to the pandemic, they channelled their energy (and budget) into renovating. Their top priority was a Carrara marble slab for the island bench, “which was a logistical headache but worth the effort and expense,” recalls owner Monica.

Monica also wanted to bring colour and pattern into what she describes as a formerly very bland house. It looks white, but this kitchen is in fact blue. “I never would have dreamt of a powder-blue kitchen and (now) it’s one of my favourite features,” says Monica. Zellige splashback tiles from Elite Bathware & Tiles and bar stools in duck egg blue complement the joinery perfectly.

Family comes first in this Victorian-inspired white kitchen

This sprawling six-bedroom, three-level mansion, below, in Melbourne’s south-east has been renovated in a timeless style that may accommodate three generations of one big family in the coming years. The kitchen is now the perfect place for everyone to come together. “My previous kitchen was all-timber and quite dark,” says owner, Sue. “I wanted my new one to be white, bright and welcoming.” Shaker joinery in Dulux Natural White provides the backdrop for blue and white urns and ginger jars, from Cromwell, sitting atop a Caesarstone ‘Frosty Carrina’ island bench.

Modern meets heritage in the kitchen of this Mosman house

This 1890s heritage home on Sydney’s Lower North Shore has been given a chic and sympathetic update, with the kitchen, below, the jewel of the crown. The bespoke island bench has different details and hardware to the rest of the kitchen, so it feels like a custom piece of timber furniture, explain the designers from Smith + Levine. It’s topped with Carrara honed marble by CDK Stone with curved edges that give the kitchen a modern aesthetic. The stools are &Tradition ‘In Between SK7’ from Cult.

The post 10 white kitchens to inspire your renovation appeared first on Home Beautiful.

It worked, but times have changed and we’ve realised not everyone wants the same thing from their kitchen space. Just as some people love to entertain guests and others happily spend hours baking up a solitary storm, so too will their dream kitchens have quite different needs.

Enter the ‘zone’ method, a more versatile approach that allows a kitchen to be customised to suit the specific needs of each home chef. If you’re planning a kitchen layout, zoning is a practical way to go. Here are five different zones to consider, plus the top appliances and tricks to tailor them to your exact needs.

The cooking zone

One of the fundamentals of every great kitchen, the cooking zone usually comprises an oven, cooktop and microwave. You might stack them vertically with the oven sitting under the cooktop, or you may prefer to separate them so the oven can be mounted at a custom height. Either way, allow plenty of bench space around these appliances and keep frequently used cooking utensils stored within easy reach.

When planning your cooking zone, be realistic about the type of food you cook and how you like to prepare it. For example, if you enjoy chatting to other members of your household while you cook, consider positioning your cooking zone appliances in a kitchen island, instead of around the perimeter. The Westinghouse WHI955BD 90cm Induction Cooktop is ideal for this, as it heats up quickly but the safer induction surface doesn’t feel hot to the touch. Home chefs also love the cooktop’s cutting-edge BoilProtect feature, which detects rising bubbles in boiling water and automatically reduces to a low simmer to prevent boiling over (BoilProtect applies to stainless steel and enamelled pots filled with water only).

Alternatively, a freestanding cooker offers extra versatility and generally boasts a large cooking capacity that’s brilliant for bigger households. The Westinghouse WFEP9757DD 90cm Freestanding Electric Cooker combines a safe and efficient 5-zone induction cooktop with a spacious 125-litre oven complete with 10 innovative functions to take your cooking zone to the next level. These include an AirFry function to cook crispy, crunchy foods with less oil, and Roast +Steam for the juiciest roast dinner you’ll ever cook.

The baking zone

The right oven is also a centrepiece of this zone but if you take baking seriously, you’ll want to kit out the area with some specific features. Be sure to install additional powerpoints and extra bench space in your baking zone so you can use a mixer or food processor. Store other tools – such as measuring cups, whisks, rolling pins and baking pans – nearby so you can seamlessly transfer your mixture from bowl to pan to oven.

Speaking of the oven, Westinghouse is always happy to help bakers achieve their very best results. The new Westinghouse WVEP6918DD 60cm Pyrolytic Oven boasts 19 different cooking programs including a Bake +Steam function that gives bread, cakes, pastries and scones a crispier crust, fluffier centre and the perfect rise. 

The consumables zone

Having a well-organised space to store food keeps every kitchen running efficiently. Ideally, your fridge/freezer and pantry should be grouped together so you can easily move between the two when preparing food. Adding bench space nearby makes the consumables zone even more practical when you’re unpacking groceries.

The drinks zone

Ready to get creative? A drinks zone can be adapted to suit your beverage of choice. Ice on tap? No problem. The Westinghouse 564L French door fridge in matte charcoal black (WQE5650BA) has an automatic icemaker. If you’re a coffee devotee, set aside space to create your own barista-style hub, complete with espresso machine, bean grinder and an airtight container to keep your beans fresh. Position your favourite mug nearby so everything is exactly where it should be to brew the perfect cup.

If cocktails are more your speed, set up a dedicated cart or cabinet to house your preferred spirits plus a set of bar tools such as a shaker, strainer and muddler. Give this zone extra flair by adding your favourite decorative cocktail glasses.  

The cleaning zone

Just as important as your cooking areas, a well-planned cleaning zone allows you to scrape and stack dirty dishes with ease. Ideally it will be ordered from left to right, moving from garbage and food waste bins to the sink and then on to the dishwasher. Fast wash cycles make for entertaining or high-rotation use dishes is made easy with the Westinghouse Freestanding Dishwasher in Dark Stainless (WSF6608KXA).

One appliance you don’t need to worry about scrubbing clean is your oven, thanks to the pyrolytic self-cleaning function in Westinghouse’s new Kitchen range of electric ovens. Simply tap the button and leave the oven to heat to an incredibly high temperature, turning grease and splashes into ash that is easily wiped away.

The post 5 zones to consider when planning your dream kitchen appeared first on Home Beautiful.

Whether you’re renovating, buying or redecorating your home in Hamptons style, our limited edition special issue will help you plan your new kitchen to perfection.

Every detail you need to consider is on show here, beautifully executed by real people in real homes. Explore Shaker-style cabinetry in clean white and feature colours, statement metallic and glass pendant lights over generous island benches, tile and flooring options and much more.

Or find your own kitchen style along these lines – embrace the coastal vibe with natural light and explore decorating possibilities with pops of colour in Hamptons-style bar stools and accessories. Ideas from how to work subway tiles into your Hamptons kitchen renovation to incorporating high ceilings and wooden details not usually seen in this hemisphere, to colour palettes you might not have considered.

Collect design ideas to share with your architect or kitchen designer inspired by upstate New York, but happily home here in Australia – for the classic Hamptons kitchen of your dreams.

Crisp, breezy styling for the modern kitchen in finishing touches of paintwork, lighting and marble benchtops. Working in with upholstery in dining and living spaces, it’s open plan living at its very best.

Go here to buy online. Coastal living has never looked so good.

The post Home Beautiful’s Hamptons Kitchens collector’s edition is out now! appeared first on Home Beautiful.