Steal This Look: Utilitarian Kitchen in Melbourne, Australia

A while back we featured a house on the Mornington Peninsula in Melbourne, Australia, from architects O’Connor and Houle. The house was designed for the architects themselves and revolves around a central kitchen-living area. The kitchen, custom built of local tallowwood, is a winning combination of Scandi design and Japanese utility. Here, we’ve re-created the look with some of the kitchen’s key elements and a list of quirky, colorful accessories.

Above: Photograph of the kitchen via Dwell Magazine.

Above: Open shelving displays an eclectic mix of tableware. Photograph by Earl Carter for O’Connor and Houle. See the entire house in our post Slow House: A Serene Cabin in the Woods.

Above: Shelving on every surface: Collections of wooden novelties and a Japanese-style broom are set onto the wall’s narrow shelving. Photograph by Earl Carter for O’Connor and Houle.

Above: Wooden utensils, Scandi storage receptacles, and colorful vintage mugs decorate different parts of the kitchen. Photograph by Earl Carter for O’Connor and Houle.

Materials & Appliances

Above: Mimic the kitchen’s white tile with Daltile Semi-Gloss White Ceramic Wall Tile in 4 1/4-inch squares; $1.94 per square foot at the Home Depot.

Above: The Smeg Classic Design 24-Inch Gas Cooktop is $699 at AJ Madison.

Above: The Smeg 24-Inch Built-In Speed Oven is $1,699 at AJ Madison.

Above: The Airfusion Climate 52 DC Fan in White is $332.10 at Beacon Lighting.

Faucets & Fixtures

Above: The Vola KV8 Single-Handle Kitchen Faucet is available in white for $1,556.25 at Quality Bath. For more ideas, see our post 12 Favorites: Vola Faucet Color Splash, Kitchen and Bath Edition.

Above: The Kraus Professional 32-Inch Undermount Stainless Steel Sink is $299.95 at eFaucets.

Lighting

Above: Muuto’s E27 Pendant Light in white is $79 at Design Within Reach.

Above: Commune Design’s KCRW Light Socket in Safety Yellow is $60 directly from Commune.

Furniture

Above: An Era Round Armchair with Cane Seat in black is $329 at Design Within Reach.

Above: Alvar Aalto’s High Stool 64 in birch veneer is available with a white laminate or black linoleum seat by contacting Artek.

Accessories

Above: A Set of 5 Muuto Coatrack Dots in natural are $149 at Design Within Reach.

Above: From UK designers Hampson Woods, the Four-Peg Hanging Rack made from English oak is £95 ($134). The rack was featured in our post 10 Easy Pieces: Wooden Pegs and Hooks on Gardenista.

Above: The Sojirushi Kake Bushou Broom is $95 at Nalata Nalata.

Above: Quick kitchen storage found in a Swedish Wood Box; €56 ($62) at Neest in France.

Above: The iconic Räsymatto Teapot from Marimekko is printed in a Japanese-inspired design; $98 at Marimekko.

Above: A new twist on the standard picardie is Duralex’s Amber Picardie Tumblers; $23.95 for a set of six 8.75-ounce glasses at Sur la Table.

Above: The Blue on Blue Splatterware 9-Inch Pasta Bowl is $55 at March.

Above: The Blue on Blue Splatterware Plates range from $35 to $100 at March.

Above: Australian brand Murchison Hume’s Heirloom Dishwashing Liquid is $28 from Jenni Kayne.

Above: The Sill Kitchen Towel is designed by Marianne Nilsson for Almedahls. It’s currently on sale for $11 at Scandinavian Design Center.

Above: Cone-shaped candles from Ester and Erik: the Pink Candle (left) and the Dark Red Candle (right) are $14 each at Eclectic Cool.

Above: Massimo Vignelli’s Heller Rainbow Mugs are $60 for a set of six at Design Within Reach.

Above: My Teapot in yellow from Jansen & Co is $65 at A&R Store.

See more from the architects in our post Tailor-Made: A Victorian Remodel in Melbourne.