Our family began eating most meals in our breakfast nook instead of the ‘formal’ dining room over the course of the last year. Of course, it’s possible that this has something to do with the fact that we haven’t exactly been entertaining, but the comfort and convenience of an eat-in kitchen has proven increasingly enticing. So, my concern is: is it feasible to have a dining room that is connected to the kitchen in a way that is both formal and comfortable for breakfast? So, my friends, I believe we’ve discovered it…

 

 

The makeover of this 19th century Victorian property in Sydney features many lovely elements, retained charm, and intelligent design, but my favorite room in the house is the kitchen – and adjoined eating area. The smooth transition between the two areas (note how the backsplash and counter form one continuous line that connects the two! ), with a touch of distinction in the doorway, is absolutely wonderful. Different ceiling treatments were also used in the two sections, and the separating wall allowed for this without seeming odd.

But it’s the custom curved island that truly puts the kitchen over the top for me. This is a trend I believe we’ll see more of in the future!

 

 

 

The classic ogee edge and usage of materials that are distinct from the rest of the kitchen (brass hardware and wood!) contribute to the furniture style of this piece, giving it the sense of a reused antique while allowing it to be customized to the space.

The cabinets, on the other hand, are painted Dulux ‘Heifer,’ and are a great complement to the wood, with a contemporary edge that reflects the rest of the kitchen’s clean lines. Every room in the house has a great combination of old and modern elements.

 

 

In the dining area, I like how the table and chairs, as well as the black leather seat, have a contrasting darker wood finish. It adds a touch of class to the space while also breaking up the sea of wood. The way the bench is incorporated into the wall with additional storage is also really impressive and practical.

 

 

 

The remainder of the home, on the other hand, has enough of beautiful architecture and features to savour.

 

 

 

 

I adore an old piece of furniture like this to establish the tone for a home, especially in the foyer. The large mirror completely dominates the wall, giving the impression of extra space in the foyer. It’s a little on the big side for me, but I like how it works. Also, if you look closely, you can see that the front door is painted in a gorgeous shade of green – we wish we could have seen more of that!

A additional entrance, which I assume is via the carport, may be found through the laundry room, where there is more useful storage. The seat top being made of stone is brilliant, since I can image wet jackets pouring upon it.

 

 

 

Unfortunately, the living room is my least favourite room. The furniture is rather contemporary, and the design is a little frigid for my taste, however it does appear to be comfortable. I wish it had a few more antique decorations or embellishments because it’s nestled into a more tight back area of the house.

 

 

 

The bathrooms in the house are likewise more contemporary, but the tiles are so beautiful that I don’t mind! To help balance everything out, there are more conventional hardware fixtures, and I love the curved backsplash feature on the marble below the sink!

 

 

 

 

In the master bedroom, the unique elements of the built-in bench and the paneling behind the headboard are great accents. However, I find myself wanting for a few more things to reflect the warmth of the kitchen and dining area once again. To be fair, it’s possible that some of this is due to the processing of these photographs, since the subtle creams in the linen bedding aren’t fully visible. I can understand how keeping the colors of these things consistent helps to create a coherent room, but it could equally be argued that it all mixes together. Which do you think is better?

 

 

 

 

In what appears to be the shoe storage portion of the closet, we finally get some more wood. With all that natural light, I’d take this complete closet arrangement!

Finally, there’s the main bathroom. Oh, my goodness, there are so many windows in this house!! When designers come up with ingenious solutions to float mirrors over windows, I usually take note since it may be a huge assist when it comes to resolving layout challenges in bathrooms. The scale of the mirror replicates a somewhat smaller version of the windows, which I believe is extremely well done.

 

 

I really like the combination of tile on the walls, with a more creamy tone added for warmth. Have I started to sound like a broken record yet?

Overall, I think the house upgrades were a great improvement! I think we can all agree that I prefer organic and traditional design to some of the rooms exhibited here, but that doesn’t stop me from admiring the work of the designers and owners. The original article on Home Beautiful has additional information about the home, the process, and the designers.