Functional kitchen renovation in Morooka, Brisbane

The saying goes “Too many cooks spoil the broth”, but it’s a saying that doesn’t fit this household in Moorooka, QLD. For Guy Batten, his partner Rob and their good friend Alan, the kitchen is the hub of their home and they enjoy spending their time together brewing a morning coffee or rustling up a weekday dinner. Not an easy feat in a kitchen with limited space, storage and functionality.
After ten years of living with the limited space and resources, the time had come to create a kitchen with a practical layout and enough space for the three boys to move around in comfortably. Their days of falling over each other in the kitchen were numbered.
With a budget of A$20k and a clear understanding of the clients requirements, Home Renovation Consultant and Director, Rachel Whitford of Refresh Renovations, Brisbane set about the task of getting the project underway. With the building team on board, the next task was to line up the specialist trades and suppliers that would bring their expertise to the project.

We got everything we wanted

Developing a new kitchen design

The new design needed to include a larger pantry, plenty of storage, a more practical, spacious and functional work area as well as a study nook. The study nook would replace a desk that, due to limited space in the house, was currently in the hallway.  
“I engaged Keane from ScanMac kitchens in Brisbane to do the cabinetry and benchtops,” said Rachel. “With 25 plus years experience in building and installing kitchens, they were suitably qualified to meet our expectations and deliver a great result.”
To get the project underway, the kitchen was packed up and the old kitchen cabinetry and existing island bench were removed, providing a clean palate on which to start the build. The new design did not include an island bench, as this free space was needed for ease of movement around the kitchen.

Carrying out the kitchen renovation

At floor level, custom-designed ScanMac soft close 2 Pak cabinets, in bright white, were installed and finished with Caesar stone benchtops to compliment the clean modern lines of the new kitchen.
Overhead cupboards were installed with LED strip lighting underneath to provide light to the bench areas and showcase the deep red hues of the new glass splashbacks. A wall was built to house the pantry on one side and a study nook on the other. An automatic switch in the pantry ensured there was adequate light to easily find those elusive pantry items and an overhead light was installed in the study nook to enhance the natural light.

The existing oven and stovetop were retained and incorporated into the new layout and with a little bit of elbow grease, the stainless steel range hood looked like new again. An under-mount sink with a double bowl was fitted discreetly into the stone benchtop and finished with a stainless steel mixer tap.
Vinyl floor tiles from Choice Flooring, Brisbane, were laid and a fresh coat of white paint on the walls completed the kitchen transformation.
Being an older style solid brick home, the plumbing and electrics needed to run from under the house or through the roof space and as a result, there was a small increase in the original budget estimate for these trades. Minor changes to the design along the way also contributed to a further small increase from the original estimated cost of A$20k resulting in a final figure for the project of A$23,500. 

The benefits of working with a Refresh Renovations franchise

“Working with Rachel and the team was very easy. We were kept informed every step of the way, we were told who was coming and when, and everything was done on time,” said Guy. “We got everything we wanted.”
The project started in early February 2017, with an estimated duration of  4-5 weeks. Some unavoidable delays with the plastering, bench installation and flooring pushed that estimate out a little bit but the kitchen was fully operational and finished by the middle of March 2017.
“The end result is an amazing and vibrant kitchen. It is spacious, practical and functional with a better design balance and a much-improved look,” said Rachel. “Guy was a gem to work with and this made the process a whole lot easier and enjoyable for the whole team.” 

Take a look at this Bathroom makeover in Browns Plains, Queensland. 

The focus of Refresh Renovations is on delivering excellent customer service and value by incorporating design and using world class systems and processes. If you're thinking of renovating or looking for a builder, talk to Refresh at 1800 33 60 33 or enquire online.