Room of the Week: An Accessible and Stylish Kitchen-Diner
An uplifting colour palette, robust finishes and oodles of space to move around cater to the needs of this busy family
In a Q&A format, we talk to the designers – and examine the creative thinking – behind some of Houzz’s most loveable rooms.
Brief
To create a kitchen-dining-living area that was fully accessible but didn’t look like it was built for a person with disabilities. We also wanted the area to be filled with natural light, have wide circulation spaces for Hugo’s wheelchair, and a light palette that included lots of natural materials. The new extension also included a mudroom area, laundry, bathroom and a multi-purpose room, which we used as a second living room (it could also be used as a bedroom).
To create a kitchen-dining-living area that was fully accessible but didn’t look like it was built for a person with disabilities. We also wanted the area to be filled with natural light, have wide circulation spaces for Hugo’s wheelchair, and a light palette that included lots of natural materials. The new extension also included a mudroom area, laundry, bathroom and a multi-purpose room, which we used as a second living room (it could also be used as a bedroom).
Starting point
We had renovated the original part of the house a few years before adding on the extension. I had used lots of v-groove panelling in the earlier renovation and decided to bring it into the back extension as well. We also knew that we wanted a polished- concrete floor (with underfloor heating) plus some oak elements to soften the white and concrete.
We had renovated the original part of the house a few years before adding on the extension. I had used lots of v-groove panelling in the earlier renovation and decided to bring it into the back extension as well. We also knew that we wanted a polished- concrete floor (with underfloor heating) plus some oak elements to soften the white and concrete.
Colour palette
We used Dulux paints throughout – the walls, ceilings and cabinetry were painted in ‘Lexicon Half’, and a feature wall in the second living room was painted in ‘Klavier’.
We used Dulux paints throughout – the walls, ceilings and cabinetry were painted in ‘Lexicon Half’, and a feature wall in the second living room was painted in ‘Klavier’.
Key design aspects
Materials palette: Polished concrete flooring; benchtops in Caeserstone Fresh Concrete; Polytec Satra Wood Ravine timber-look laminate in the study nook and mudroom area; George Fethers veneer in ‘Nero’ on the range hood.
Key pieces of furniture/fittings: Joinery handles were from Made Measure and we’ve used Muuto The Dots coat hooks in the mudroom area. We installed a Schock sink from Abey with a sink mixer from Astra Walker. We chose an integrated fridge from Fisher & Paykel (located in the cabinet next to the study nook).
The tiles on the splashback are from Di Lorenzo. The dining table is Ethnicraft with custom-made pendant lights overhead from Mud Australia. The surfing artwork is from Aquabumps. The wall clock is from Ikea.
Materials palette: Polished concrete flooring; benchtops in Caeserstone Fresh Concrete; Polytec Satra Wood Ravine timber-look laminate in the study nook and mudroom area; George Fethers veneer in ‘Nero’ on the range hood.
Key pieces of furniture/fittings: Joinery handles were from Made Measure and we’ve used Muuto The Dots coat hooks in the mudroom area. We installed a Schock sink from Abey with a sink mixer from Astra Walker. We chose an integrated fridge from Fisher & Paykel (located in the cabinet next to the study nook).
The tiles on the splashback are from Di Lorenzo. The dining table is Ethnicraft with custom-made pendant lights overhead from Mud Australia. The surfing artwork is from Aquabumps. The wall clock is from Ikea.
The built-in bench seat and hooks were part of the mudroom area. Next to the bench seat is a cupboard that stores school bags, shoes and has power for charging a handheld vacuum and iPads. The v-groove panelling on the wall ties in with the detailing in the rest of the house.
Thinking behind the arrangement of furniture
The mudroom area was the jumping-off point for the layout of the entire back area. It’s right next to the back of the house and beside the laundry, so it’s perfect for messy boys coming in from school or sport to kick off their rugby boots, toss their dirty clothes in the laundry, and hide things such as school bags away.
This area also leads straight into the kitchen so that shopping bags and groceries can be unloaded easily. The circulation areas throughout are at least 1100 millimetres wide to allow ease of access for our son in his wheelchair. The large circulation spaces have given the kitchen a wonderful sense of openness and grandeur.
Challenges you worked around
A steel bench seat looking out to the pool (not shown) was a last-minute onsite change between me and my builder when we realised the original window specified by the architect wasn’t compliant with pool safety regulations. In the end it turned out to be one of my favourite features.
The mudroom area was the jumping-off point for the layout of the entire back area. It’s right next to the back of the house and beside the laundry, so it’s perfect for messy boys coming in from school or sport to kick off their rugby boots, toss their dirty clothes in the laundry, and hide things such as school bags away.
This area also leads straight into the kitchen so that shopping bags and groceries can be unloaded easily. The circulation areas throughout are at least 1100 millimetres wide to allow ease of access for our son in his wheelchair. The large circulation spaces have given the kitchen a wonderful sense of openness and grandeur.
Challenges you worked around
A steel bench seat looking out to the pool (not shown) was a last-minute onsite change between me and my builder when we realised the original window specified by the architect wasn’t compliant with pool safety regulations. In the end it turned out to be one of my favourite features.
Why do you think this room works?
The kitchen has a great balance of integrated and open storage, which looks good but is also really functional and practical. There’s room for all the ugly appliances to be hidden away, plus somewhere accessible to store everyday family essentials, such as homework, school bags, a handheld vacuum and charging stations for mobile devices.
The study nook is a great place for kids to sit and do homework, and the concealed drawer in the desk is ideal for popping papers and bills. This means the kitchen can be kept looking neat and tidy, while still catering to all the functional needs of a large, busy family.
The kitchen has a great balance of integrated and open storage, which looks good but is also really functional and practical. There’s room for all the ugly appliances to be hidden away, plus somewhere accessible to store everyday family essentials, such as homework, school bags, a handheld vacuum and charging stations for mobile devices.
The study nook is a great place for kids to sit and do homework, and the concealed drawer in the desk is ideal for popping papers and bills. This means the kitchen can be kept looking neat and tidy, while still catering to all the functional needs of a large, busy family.
Tell us
What do you love about this room? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, save the story, and join in the conversation.
More
Read more Room of the Week stories
What do you love about this room? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, save the story, and join in the conversation.
More
Read more Room of the Week stories
Answers by Clare Le Roy, director at The Little Design Corner
Styling by Clare Le Roy
Who lives here: Clare and Paul Le Roy and their sons Caleb, 9, Hugo, 7, and Archie, 5
Location: Roseville, NSW
Room size: Approximately 34 square metres
Scenario: A new rear extension was added to the original house to accommodate the needs of our whole family, but in particular our middle son, Hugo, who is profoundly disabled and lives in a wheelchair. We have since sold this house and another young family of five has moved in.