Key Piece

I’ll start by saying it was an absolute pleasure to work with Jo-Anne and Emma at Key Piece and I’d highly recommend using them for any renovation you’re thinking of doing. Prior to my kitchen/hallway renovation I was mooching around on Houzz looking at local interior design studios and the majority didn’t appeal to my design aesthetic. I like dark and moody spaces, and most of the kitchen images online were more clean lines and reflective surfaces. Then I spied a great image posted by Key Piece and gave them a call. From the outset I felt like they ‘got’ the look I was after. They asked me to send images of kitchens I liked to give them more of an idea of the colours and finishes I was interested in using. We organised a first meeting and Jo-Anne and Emma spent a couple of hours at my flat talking to me about what exactly I wanted and how I intended to use the space i.e., do I cook a lot, entertain regularly etc. My two main requests were to have low cupboards and drawers – as I didn’t want to have to climb on a step ladder to reach the top cupboards – and to create as much storage space as possible. They’d also brought along samples of materials I might like to use, and this was incredibly helpful in solidifying my ideas. I have the usual combination of ‘expensive taste/limited budget,’ and it was invaluable having a professional explain cheaper options to achieve the same overall effect I wanted. All the kitchen/hallway measurements were taken during this initial consultation. On the next visit to my flat, Jo-Anne brought the design plans, and I was just so pleased. She’d conjured up so much space using clever ideas I’d never considered. And this is a big part of why I’d recommend Key Piece; Jo-Anne has been designing interiors since the 1990s and therefore draws on a lot of experience as well as problem-solves like a champ! I didn’t want one thing changed. Once the plans and materials were finalised, the Key Piece tradies jumped into action. The project manager looking after my job, Oliver, was terrific and terrifically organised. Everything that needed to be delivered to my flat arrived on time and with no hassle – despite my living in the middle of Melbourne CBD with no parking. The guys worked hard and ensured their tools were packed up neatly with floors swept and furniture replaced (where possible) at the end of every day. I had the kitchen completely gutted and rebuilt, a large bookcase installed, skirting boards fitted, and new floorboards laid in a little less than a month! I’m so happy with my renovation and feel lucky to have found such a talented team with which to work. I can’t recommend Key Piece enough.

We purchased an existing house that needed some renovations, including design and installation of a large library as well as artwork and furnishings. We had an initial meeting with Jo-Anne and Emma where we discussed the project. Emma photographed every room and took measurements. Keypiece then prepared detailed drawings for our approval. They sourced various fixtures and fittings, plus artwork and furniture. The tradespeople were organised by Keypiece and were all very professional and completed the work in an acceptable time frame. We would highly recommend Keypiece as good people to work with, having lots of good ideas which we feel has added value to our property and have made our house a home.

Both Jo-Anne & Emma from Key Piece Interior Design were excellent to deal with on my project in Elwood. They understood and listened to my brief to help bring my renovation to life. All the fixtures and fittings they chose were meticulous thought out, high-end finishes at reasonable price.

Key Piece were wonderful. I had the money to renovate my small apartment but no idea how to do it. They not only came up with a great practical design but recommended the tradies and provided an itemised list of the costs which the tradies stuck to. They also made sure the appliances were available so there were no holdups there.

Key Piece were recommended to us for the renovation of our apartment. Jo-Anne and Emma delivered an outcome that is unique and tailored to our needs. When we first met Jo-Anne, she asked and then listened to our ideas and views. From a couple of photos that we liked, she offered a 'look and feel' that we had not considered but have since embraced. Jo-Anne and Emma were very responsive. Their ideas and proposals were clear, constructive and workable. The choices we were offered were explained and discussed. The plans and specifications were detailed, clear and accurate. In the time of Covid-19 Jo-Anne made sure products and finishes offered were available and sensibly priced. Her recommended contractors delivered on their promises. The quality of their work met, or exceeded our expectations. We highly recommend Jo-Anne, Emma and the rest of the team.

Jo-Anne and her team are amazing! After scrolling through thousands of photos on Houzz and creating idea booking after idea book, I knew what I wanted but didn’t know how to go about achieving it. We were looking at a substantial renovation to a beautiful old period home which had been last renovated and extended 20-30 years ago. It badly need updating with some significant internal structural issues to overcome to achieve the layout and look we wanted. It was overwhelming and we needed help. I found Key Piece on Houzz. Read the reviews and looked at their past job photos and noticed that each project had a different look and feel - very unique to each client. It was clear that the designer listened. From the first phone call with Jo-Anne, which was funny, helpful and friendly, through the entire process of concept presentation, drawing up beautiful plans, putting us in touch with an amazing builder, Jo-Anne and Emma were a delight to work with. Their attention to detail and ability to understand what a family with 3 boys needs and deliver a beautiful, functional, high quality renovation was incredible. Thanks to Key Piece we have a beautiful home and we would recommend them in a heartbeat!

After purchasing a 20 year old townhouse on Beach Rd in Dec 2018 we didn’t hesitate to contact Jo-Anne straight away to draw up plans for a total renovation. We had used ‘Keypiece Design’ on 2 previous occasions and were extremely happy with the result – we felt confident that Jo-Anne knew us well enough to know our vision. Jo-Anne first viewed the place mid-December and asked us to make a photo book of anything we saw that we liked over the Xmas break. By mid Feb Jo-Anne had drawn up all the plans and spent a day (6 hours!!) with us going through every room sharing her ideas/thoughts with us. This was an amazing, thorough walk through of the whole house….. she came with 2 suitcases fill of tiles, paint cards, carpet, flooring, wallpaper, bench samples, photos of lighting and furniture options, you name it, she came with it!!! She had nailed it, had taken on board what we had in mind. The quality of Jo-Anne’s drawings and the amount of detail was outstanding. Keypiece Design stood by their design 100% and were very confident that they knew what was right for the space to utilise the stunning view from the main living room. The renovation started at the beginning of March 2019 – 3 weeks earlier than we anticipated which was greatly appreciated. We used all of Jo-Anne’s recommended tradesmen and Keypiece Design handled and organised the whole project. Everything flowed so easily with regards to getting prices and pulling the job together. From Chris, the builder/plumber, Rob the painter and Anthony the electrician we were extremely pleased with their work ethic, the quality of their work and attention to detail. They were all easy to work with and kept us informed with any variations or concerns throughout the 3 month renovation. Keypiece Design helped finish the job sourcing furniture, light fittings and décor and as I sit typing up this review relaxing on my most comfortable sofa and looking out to sea, I have to say thanks so much to Jo-Anne and the 2 Emmas for all their hard work and professionalism to ensure that our renovation was finished within the time frame and within budget. Our dream has come to life and we are so happy! We won’t be going far for a long time now…….

I hired Key Piece to help me renovate a Victorian terrace in Carlton. The brief was to make it as light and airy as possible while maintaining the period feel. There were just too many decisions to make and I was feeling overwhelmed. The advice and support they provided was invaluable and the results are even better than I imagined. Admittedly the period is a little more Art Deco than Victorian (but that's my preference) and it is all just gorgeous.

The team at Key Piece did a fantastic job on our 2 bedroom apartment renovation. The transformations have been nothing short of amazing! We are extremely happy with the final outcome. Jo-Anne and both Emma worked closely with us throughout the project, they even decorated our place and helped us in selecting the right artworks for our apartment. Their in-depth experience meant we were in safe hands. Their eye for detail & knowledge of where to spend money is spot on.We would highly recommend Key Piece.

I highly recommend Key Piece. Jo-Anne and Emma really understood the brief (and how time poor I was!) and were able to present plans that optimisied the space in our house. The interior design is sublime and timeless, and far exceeded my expectations. The team made the whole process so easy, they sourced absolutely everything, but still ensured I had the level of input I wanted. I can't thank the Key Piece team enough for making our dream house a reality.

We hired Key Piece Design in November to complete an extensive interior renovation in an 1890’s double brick house. We have renovated houses before, but never this smoothly. Having Key Piece on board made everything so much better and I’m incredibly grateful to have had them working on our project. We interviewed multiple companies from the Houzz website, but really felt a connection with Jo-Anne from Key Piece. Jo-Anne was incredibly easy to communicate with and was very fast to grasp what our style and taste was. This made everything so much easier to move forward with. The absolute bulk of our renovation (design, implementation, etc) was overseen by Key Piece due to the fact that we were overseas at the time. Jo-Anne and her team worked tirelessly to give us detailed plans, estimates and the information needed so we could proceed. Once we were overseas, we had regular calls and emails from Jo-Anne stating the progress and how everything was going. I cannot stress enough how much work and effort Jo-Anne and her team of contractors put into our house and how immensely pleased we are with the results. Once the budget and timeline was confirmed everything was as they said it would be (the budget stayed to what was estimated as did the timeline). The end results were nothing short of amazing. We would not hesitate to recommend Key Piece Design to anyone looking to have a renovation done.

Our home was an 18 year old townhouse that we guttered and transformed into a modern day classic. The "Key Piece" to what we have achieved was because of Jo-Anne and Emma. They are knowledgeable, creative and seasoned professionals. We had ideas of what and how we wanted our home to be and in the initial meeting they listened and asked a lot of questions. From there they took it to the next level of design. We have our dream home, it is beautiful but also functional and everything has it's place. We have referred Key Piece to our friends who have engaged their services, and would happily engage them again, but doubt we will because we are not ever going to move!

Keypiece did a fabulous job with our family room and kitchen area. We found all the tradies they used were considerate of the surroundings while they worked, and Jo-Anne did a perfect plan and design of the area to make it user friendly and aesthetically pleasing at the same time. All of the drawer and cupboard ideas work very well in the busy kitchen, and the additional matching cupboards in the family room makes it all flow into one great open plan area. We are happy to recommend Keypiece to anyone considering an update or renovation to their outdated kitchen, bathroom, family area or all of the above.

I couldn't recommend the team at Keypiece highly enough. They assisted and added value at many stages of my renovation. Initially I engaged them to review drawings but they were so good I continued to use them to design spaces, cabinetry and lighting, assist with decisions on finishes and source furniture and fittings. As I was a first time renovator who was taking on a large scale project, using Keypiece gave me a huge amount of confidence that the investment i was making in the build was supported by the classic style, practical liveability and quality finishes that I was seeking. Still very happy 7 years later.

Key Piece were great to deal with. the attention to detail in completing the design brief was amazing . They incorporated all of our requests. They were incredibly creative and came up with a wonderful design which was beyond what we hoped for. They were very helpful throughout all stages of the project and happy to help with late changes. We used Key Piece referred tradespeople who were all professional and easy to deal with. Their advice was fantastic and we have a wonderful, colourful, unique space. I suppose the best recommendation is that we are back again to use Key Piece for our kitchen renovation.

This is the third time I've worked with Jo-Anne, and the result was fantastic, as always. The project has turned out just as I hoped with no issues or disappointments. Jo-Anne helped me with the interior layout of a major extension, fitting things in a way I would not have thought possible. She lists everything required for the builder and tradesmen to do, and as result everything went extremely smoothly. I'm still receiving compliments on my choice of colours, inside and outside the house - which I take, but was really all Jo-Anne! She works out my taste in decorating and selects exactly what I like better than I could choose myself. I cannot recommend highly enough the assistance provided in making my dream renovation come true.

Absolutely the best thing we did was to get Jo-Anne and her team to help us with our renovations. No stress, so happy with the result. Have used the team for three separate renovations, would not hesitate to use them again.

Key Piece took on a fairly big ask when they agreed to work with us. We were on a 'beer' budget but have 'French champagne' taste. We are also very quirky and eccentric. We really don't like a lot of designs in current magazines. They were able to design an extension and renovate the part of the house that was staying, organise a builder and coordinate all of the ordering. We are busy with our own business so didn't have much time. They really listened to us and asked plenty of strange questions, then nailed the design the FIRST time with no changes. We couldn't believe it??? Then when they came back with all of the figures, we were ready for the worst but actually were a couple of hundred under our budget??? When the job went ahead, we really liked all of their tradesman. They were really happy and respectful. They cared about their work and all were very good tradesman. There were no scary extras outside the contract which was a relief. We love our house. It looks amazing and was so well done from start to finish. We could not be happier. We would highly recommend working with Key Piece!

Working with Key Piece again was an absolute joy. Professional and friendly, they were completely in-tune with what we were aiming to achieve with the renovation of our tired, but much loved, period home. Key Piece offers beautiful design ideas for practical living and an attention to detail that is unsurpassed. I look forward to my next project with Key Piece.

The kitchen and pantry in our new house had plenty of space, but an inefficient design, as well as colours and finishes that were not to our liking. Jo-Anne and Emma worked with the existing footprint to maximize the space and effectiveness of the kitchen and pantry. They worked patiently with us to understand our kitchen habits and likes and dislikes, knowledgably offering alternatives when we felt something was not quite right. The result is a stunning kitchen and pantry that is highly functional, is good quality, has plenty of efficient storage and is easy to clean. We love using it every day.

Keypiece designed a beautiful interior for my late 1950s apartment. Jo-Anne and Emma took time to understand my style preferences, how I wanted to live in the apartment, and what the focus and nature was of each of the rooms. Their designs confirmed that they really understood the sensibility I was looking for. These designs translated directly into a really beautiful living space. There's a great sense of serenity and lightness in the apartment as well as understated practicality. Having the designs meant that the builder was able to plan the project, cost the project and stick to this. I will never need to share in renovation stories about budget and time blowouts! Because of Keypiece's great work, these just did not happen. Jo-Anne was also a great reference point while the building project was being executed. She stood firm in her confidence with the designs, and gave me the confidence not to accept trade-suggested compromises. I am really happy that I found Keypiece and willingly would recommend them to all my friends and family.

Jo-Anne and her team were a pleasure to work with from start to finish. Somehow they got inside our heads sufficiently that they actually knew what we wanted and needed before we did. The attention to detail, professional and friendly manner and readiness to guide us in the right direction were critical. The trades people they recommended were reliable, detail oriented and straight forward to deal with. Our kitchen and storage is an unqualified aesthetic and ergonomic success which makes cooking and living with a family of 5 a pleasure and I know it will look just as good in 5-10 years time. We loved Key-piece so much we are already using them again on another home project!

We have used Key Piece twice for different projects and are about to embark on a third. For our most recent project they designed a bathroom, ensuite, walk-in-robe, kitchen, butler's pantry,laundry and entertainment unit for our home renovation. Jo-anne and Emma make a wonderful team . They deliver plans for a project that is aesthetically beautiful and incredibly functional. By using Key Piece it reduced the complexity of the project and reduced the cost...firstly through their incredible attention to detail and through their connections with tradesmen. This ultimately results in a project that can be delivered reliably, efficiently and without those costly mistakes. One interesting compliment of the many that we have received for our house, came from our cleaner. She commented that she cleans many houses bigger than ours but never has she come across a house with so much clever usage of space ...there is a space for everything!

Jo-Anne designed a kitchen, bathroom and laundry renovation for me some years ago and when it came time to renovate again I knew she was the person to turn to. After much consideration and house hunting I decided to renovate rather than move. I was daunted by the prospect but decided Key Pieces would give me the expertise I required both with design and project management. We have just completed the plans and Jo has been wonderful. She is full of ideas and was quick to understand my needs and create a vision that will better enhance our lifestyle. Not only has Jo developed an exciting design that matches the character of my 1920’s home but she has done so without sacrificing the practicalities such as storage and flow. I am looking forward to the designs becoming a reality.

Jo-anne, assisted me in remodelling my kitchen and bathroom over 10 years ago, the designs she provided still have not dated. She was great to work with, understood what I wanted very quickly and she delivered on time and within budget allocated

Retiring, downsizing, moving State and in need of a new kitchen. Stressed? Oh yes! Where to start? Well, out walking our Dalmatian Bella, happenstance brought us to Keypiece Design Studio. We walked in unannounced and the rest as they say is history! Jo-Anne took pity on us, placed us firmly under her colourful Bird of Paradise wing and guided us seamlessly through what would have been a minefield for us. Imagine this poor lady visiting our home for the first time to be met with only one painting on the wall, little furniture and even less object d'art on show. No clues there then as to our lifestyle, likes and dislikes! She listened, engaged and actively encouraged our input. Jo-Anne's vast design experience, calm determined demeanour, exciting and innovative ideas resonated with us and saw us eager and impatient to proceed. Her relationship with Emma, Contractors, builders and suppliers alike was conducted with respect on both sides which saw the project move along swiftly. On paper the kitchen plans were inspiring. In reality the finished kitchen is my dream of stylish contemporary design. Everything and more that I could have hoped for. Soaring to ceiling wall cabinets with the most elegant sexy handles. A double butlers sink, my husbands only plea for inclusion. Being such a messy cook the huge double recycle pullout storage bins brings a self satisfied smile to my face every day they are used. The innovative graphite colour powder coated tin backsplash - Jo-Anne assured it was easy clean - and she was so right, is a triumph drawing the colours of the wall cabinets and bench tops together and a great talking point for guests. The black and white mosaic island bench ties in the kitchen and adds a dramatic pop of colour and interest. The handsome spotted gum wooden flooring grounds (no pun intended) not only the kitchen but also the dining and sitting room creating a spacious open feel that flows.There were no nasty surprises or budget overruns with work dovetailing seamlessly. Sometimes in life one just gets lucky. Luck was certainly involved in finding Jo-Anne but there was no luck involved in the design and implementation of our kitchen - that was due to sheer professionalism. Thank you Jo-Anne.

Hi there Jo-Ann from Key Piece designed our kitchen, and I can honestly say it's changed our lives! We love it, Jo-Ann stuck to the brief and delivered beautifully in the design aspect.

Jo-anne Balchin at Keypiece has now designed 3 renovations for us over the past 8 years ( 2 in Melbourne and now Sydney). On purchasing a house on the North Shore we needed a new kitchen. Jo was able to develop a stylish renovation for us using a range of electronic means to gain an appreciation of the space, our lifestyle, character of the house and outdoor environment. The resulting kitchen is a dream; highly functional, spacious and classy. Mirror splashback adds real impact together with contrasting stone benchtops and quality appliances. Jo addressed every detail, right down to door handles, lighting and colour schemes at every level to create a stunning space. The detailed designs are of an exceptional quality and enable any builder to accurately price. We have used her team before and they are fantastic. Tyranny of distance meant this was not possible in Sydney, however given the quality of the package she and her team provided we were able to source locally. The time and level of detail she invests in understanding the client need is exceptional. The resulting design work and product is a testimony to her superior creative, technical and aesthetic skills. Thanks Jo - a brilliant outcome.

I have had the pleasure of working as a professional with the girls at Key Piece as well as being a client. I have been photographing their amazing work for the last few years and just recently finally got the opportunity to let Jo-Anne and Emma work their magic on our new town house. We are just beginning our build and can't wait to see their beautiful ideas and choices in the flesh. What I love most about them is their flexibility with ideas as well as showing you what you could never dream of imagining yourself. With all the beautiful work I have seen and the way thy interact with clients, I would gladly HIGHLY recommend Key Piece in helping anyone with their next project, large or small.

Jo-Anne has done two kitchens for me in the last fifteen years and I have been delighted with both. Jo-Anne filled the brief of making sure she created what suited our lifestyle and family - her colour selections are timeless and that it was I have loved the most as well as all the drawers.

Key Piece were fantastic to work with. Jo-Anne and Emma compliant each others skills. My husband and I were over-whelmed with the number of decisions we had to make when building our new home. On a recommendation we contacted Key Piece and were delighted with the results. Key Piece understood we had a budget, listened to our tastes and needs and made some great recommendations. As a result we have a few special features that just finish off a home and have used our space well. Jo-Anne gave us confidence in the decisions we made during our large project. Their service during pre-sales, through-out the project and after were second-to-none.

Jo - Anne Balchin from Key Piece designed our kitchen incorporating modifications to the laundry in order to include a butler's pantry in the new design. Jo - Anne's knowledge & expertise and attention to detail resulted in a stylish, modern and very functional kitchen. Her choice of materials and overall design matched the brief and streamlined the process which would have been overwhelming had I chosen to do this myself. Jo - Anne also coordinated the services of the builder, kitchen cabinetry and painter whose workmanship was excellent.

Design, select color schemes and equipment for new Kitchen and Laundry 10 years ago and still looks fantastic. Last year hired again to design ensuite, walk in robe, bedroom storage and new main bathroom including color schemes, equipment, management and co-ordination of the whole job. All tradesmen used were reliable and easy to get along with. Nearly a year down the track and absolutely love the major improvements that Jo-Anne made to our property. Would highly recommend Key Piece.

Jo-Anne Balchin and her team at Key Piece have worked on several renovation projects with us ranging from a kitchen to complete remodelling of whole units. All have been completed creatively, on time and within budget! Jo-Ann takes great care to ensure she understands her brief and welcomes input from clients. Her design ideas are imaginative yet practical and she has a knack for maximising smaller spaces so they seem much larger. She also has great colour sense and suggests ideas we may not have considered and they always work. Her team of builders, decorators, cabinet makers and other suppliers are friendly, reliable and their work is of the highest standard. We always enjoy working with Key Piece and look forward to more collaboration in the future. Highly recommended.

Remodelling of existing pantry so that it is much more user friendly by adding in extra shelving and drawers - in places i never would have thought possible, to create an extremely practical storage and work area. I love it and love what Key Piece have created for us.

We first met Jo-Anne in 2001 as a recommendation from the director at the company I worked for. With my new house plans complete and a kitchen designed by a builder/draftsman (it was horrendous). My first conversation with her was about budget. I didn't have his budget, heck, I had next to nothing to work with and she agreed to work with what we had to spend and the space provided in the plans. Jo-Anne managed to increase our overall bench space for prep, our storage and the overall workability of our kitchen. We loved the narrow cupboard next to the fridge to store the mugs/cups/wine glasses - it made the flow so much easier. An additional glass door cabinet was included external of the kitchen which made perfect sense for my inherited crystal & china. It was more than we could imagine and her chosen colour palette in 2001, still looks current and modern today. Move forward to 2008, we downsized after children to a smaller modest house and on a budget, we were going to renovate the kitchen. A call to Jo-Anne and she changed the U shaped design to an L shape with an island bench with storage on 3 sides and additional banquette seating which our family love!!! The kitchen is a dream to entertain in and feed a young family. Such smart advice on layout, appliances and palette again. Now its 2013, we are building again - a townhouse closer to the city. First port of call after the "new" builder designed our plans was Jo-Anne. She has done the unbelievable again. As an added bonus, she has redesigned my laundry as it sits behind the kitchen - storage queen and appliance brains trust are what comes to mind when I think of Jo-Anne. We hope to start the build in the new year, I can't wait to see her plans come to life. What I love about this new design is that we have a narrow townhouse 6.5 metres wide and Jo-Anne has managed to construct a hidden wall of storage in the kitchen including study, an enormous pantry suitable for my war cupboard supply of canned & staple goods... just in case... an appliance cupboard that will hide my husbands coffee/breakfast mess and smart storage throughout the kitchen & laundry - all of this is hidden and our townhouse still looks large and open - I just close the doors and don't have to look at the mess created minutes before. Love it. I would say that I am an easy client, I think she reads people well from your conversations, but I would probably say that I have a high list of what I want, but I don't have a budget to pay for what I want. Jo-Anne has smart ideas that save your budget, but don't cheapen the end product. Spend wisely on what works. All that and she is also a great cook - oh your muffins were amazing - I have never been offered freshly baked muffins by my builder when I go in for a planning discussion... I just wish Jo-Anne designed entire houses... well I have never asked - she may? Thank you for everything to do with my kitchens. Wendy