With two young boys who love to help out in the kitchen, Massimo’s kitchen is not only stylish and a dream for home cooks, but is also practical for kids with child safe induction cooktops and wide walkways, whilst being perfect for home entertaining with an open plan and a stunning leafy outlook.
Massimo says, “For us, the kitchen and dining area is where we spend most of our time, and this area needed to be functional, comfortable and stylish. I need to credit my talented wife Kristy for so much of the build, she has a great eye for style and knows exactly what works for our family.”
“I am always happiest when I am in the kitchen and very happy to share the space with friends and family. I think being able to entertain, cook great food and be comfortable is the perfect recipe for success.”
Live in the space before renovating
My number one tip is to live at your property before you renovate, if you can. Living in a space can really help to inform your decisions, and you will get a sense of what will work functionally, where you can put storage and where the best light comes through. Also, keep making changes if you need to. It will only improve the space.
Consider an open plan space for entertaining
If you can, go open plan, you won’t regret it. The space will feel bright, spacious, and look fantastic. We entertain a lot and love having everyone around so having the kitchen and dining room open plan was important. It also makes life easier when feeding our kids as we can be close enough to supervise and keep an eye on the cook top. We’re also able to walk straight on to the deck from the kitchen, so in summer we can set up outside and cater to a bigger crowd.
Go extra on appliances
Our family is all about cooking, food and coming together in the kitchen, so it’s no surprise my dream kitchen has so many appliances. We have two ovens (Electrolux 90cm multifunction 13 pyrolytic wall oven EVEP916DSD and Electrolux 60cm dark multifunction steam & pyrolytic oven EVEP618DSD) and two induction cooktops (Electrolux 60cm 4 zone FlexZone induction cooktop EHI645BD and Electrolux 90cm Induction cooktop EHI955BD).
Having the second cooktop is perfect for my family who also love to cook, so when everyone comes for Christmas day my Nona and my mother-in-law can have their own section! We also have two fridges placed next to each other (Electrolux 529 Dark stainless bottom mount EBE5307BB) to create one large fridge, and it’s fantastic to have so much extra space to keep food fresh.
Choose a colour scheme that works for your home and surrounds
Living by the water, white was always going to feature in our colour scheme as it’s so practical and easier to keep clean which is great with two young boys. But we also wanted some warmer tones to complement the Tasmanian landscape, so we opted for a white, grey and domino colour scheme. Although darker kitchens are thought to be less practical, they look stunning, and our dark cabinetry looks sleek, modern and really makes a statement. The white Caesarstone benchtops are easy to keep clean and can be paired with grey concrete look tiles or limewash wood beautifully.
Create enough space between benchtops and walkways
We wanted ample space in our walkways (about 1600mm to be exact) so we could move around comfortably as there is usually two of us in the kitchen, plus the kids assisting. It’s especially helpful when the appliances are in use. I’d definitely recommend wide walkways if you have kids or have people over a lot.
You can never have too much storage
This is absolutely one of my biggest must-haves when it came to our reno. Deep drawers can be used to hide items that aren’t used every day – use heavy duty sliders on draws to add a practical touch. In the kitchen, we have a large 550mm drawer that is great for storing our small appliances like blenders. Overhead cupboards work well for wine glasses and more precious items. A tall cupboard next to your fridge is great to tuck away bulkier items like a broom, a vacuum and step ladder.
Appliances that make life easier
Induction cooktops are easy to clean, quick and look fantastic. I have an Electrolux 90cm Induction Cooktop (EHI955BD) on my island bench which creates a space where you can cook and entertain guests all at once.
If you can, invest in a plate warmer to keep dinner warm while your kids are running around. The Electrolux 14cm Built in Warming Drawer (EWD1402DSD) is the perfect size and can double as a gentle slow cooker for confit trout.
Internal windows as a feature
To us, it made sense to be able to look through the kitchen and at the front door so you can see when people arrive, so we added a large window above the kitchen sink. I really love the black frames around the window and the open shelving to the right.
Little luxuries
If you can, choose a few things that add a touch of luxury to you home, you live in it every day after all so why not. We have heated flooring which is fantastic for winter in Tasmania. We also opted for two integrated dishwashers (Electrolux RealLife XXL fully integrated dishwasher ESL8530RO). I hate washing up, so the dishwashers are my best friends and saving grace.
Consider which direction the kitchen should face
So many old homes have the kitchen at the back of the home with no view, tucked away with no natural light. Like so many others, I am in the kitchen more than any other room, so it needs to have the best aspect in the home.
Paid partnership with Massimo Mele
