I first met Rod and Belinda late one Friday night in the showroom, and we hit it off straight away. They were both so warm and down to earth and I just knew their home was going to be something special merely ten minutes into the conversation. Upon learning Ken and Ryan Wheeler were their builders, I knew right off the bat this was going to be a beautiful and quality built home. As Belinda and I chatted away, I couldn't wait to start planning and sinking my teeth into the design process. Belinda had a clear vision of what she was trying to achieve and we realised pretty early that her style was what I call "Rustic Hamptons" which I personally (and many others) LOVE!
I learned a lot from Belinda in regards to what showrooms are worth visiting in Melbourne, which is where Rod and Belinda moved from and I am now booking in my own visits to some of them after getting the low down from her. So without further ado lets break down the project....
Kitchen
The kitchen has rustic timber beams on the soaring ceilings which we knew would warm up the white and blue colour palette whilst the beautiful stone tops complimented the texture of the timber. A special detail of this room was the timber beams being salvaged from the original home that was demolished, and re-used on the ceiling.
All the cabinetry was hand painted in two-pack paint and the blue island colour was inspired by the Home Beautiful April 2019 edition. We contacted Home Beautiful to find out where we could buy the paint and found out it was from an international paint supplier and not available in Australia. Belinda was eventually able to track down a paint shop that matched the colour as close as they could. The result speaks for itself. The stools in the photo are the exact stools from the cover of the Home Beautiful edition.
The stone was changed after Belinda visited the Quantum Quartz showroom and viewed the actual full stone slabs, although the original marble pattern she choose was certainly beautiful the final choice was definitely the right pattern for the space and paired lovely with the splash back tiles.
The butler's pantry was a continuation of the kitchen with white painted doors and drawers and the stunning stone tops. This beautiful kitchen is a great example of a timeless yet modern style built from quality materials. It is such a great example of how all the little details really do add up and make a big impression on the overall design.
Laundry/Mudroom
It was extremely important to Rod that the Laundry also doubled as a mudroom, due to living on acreage just out of Maffra. The laundry needed to function as a space where all the family could kick off their muddy boots and be a bit messy. Jim built a custom bench seat made from Vic Ash timber. To keep the natural colour of the timber, a clear lacquer was used. This is a visually attractive piece, but also practical as a great spot to sit down and take off your shoes, which can be stored underneath.
The cabinetry was painted in the same colour as the laundry in our showroom, bluegrass. The laminated tops are made out of a textured laminate that mimics timber, and suits the cabinetry colour perfectly. The biggest hurdle was making sure the laminated tops didn't clash against the natural timber, as the pictures attest they didn't, especially as they are on opposing sides of the room. This laundry is such a stylish and beautiful space, who wouldn't want to do the washing with a laundry like this!
Bathroom, ensuite and powder room
Belinda fell in love with a beautiful feature tile that we were originally going to use as the laundry splash back. They matched great with the bluegrass colour, however we really wanted the colour of the cabinets and the timber to be the "star" of the room and felt that the tiles and the cabinets would be competing too much if put together. This lead to the decision to use them in the powder room as a floor tile which achieved the desired result. The vanity is a white shaker style, allowing the tiles to really take centre stage.
The main bathroom and the ensuite vanities were made out of Vic Ash timber featuring the stunning stone, continuing the rustic Hamptons theme throughout the home.
In summary I feel so privileged to of been part of assisting Rod and Belinda to achieve their vision for this magnificent build. I always learn something new with each project and documenting this is such a special way for me to share and re-visit the journey. I want to close in acknowledging the hours Jim spent pouring over and changing the plans (especially when I presented a difficult idea as usual) and the talented cabinet makers who built and installed all the cabinetry, they have done an absolute quality job and I couldn't be prouder!
To view all the complete photographs of this project visit our gallery at www.designercabinetry.com.au