Real reno: Blue kitchen block transforms townhouse

Located in the inner-Melbourne suburb of Balaclava, this compact 2001 townhouse was creatively redesigned recently, on time and to a tight budget, for a father and his two sons. “This was an exercise in tailoring a space to a client’s needs,” says the project’s architect Richard King of RK-D.

The architect maximised storage space and turned the former maze of rooms into a much more open plan environment with the striking blue kitchen undoubtedly the star. “My client loves the blue and how it juxtaposes with the timber floor and nearby white library,” says Richard.

“A simple, blue block of built-in-joinery defines the new kitchen/pantry and WC. I wanted to create a singular element that neatly collected everything together. I also wanted for it to add a pop of colour,” says Richard who designed it in such a way that the laundry and WC are efficiently tucked away at the back while the pantry, fridge and rangehood are at the front.

“The blue wall is a cluster of built-in joinery. It’s a simple element that neatly contains everything whilst hiding its useful contents from sight,” says Richard who came up with the concept after seeing a similar wall at a London art gallery.

The laundry is concealed behind the blue kitchen — This simple white laundry is concealed behind the blue kitchen

A clever joinery solution was also employed in the adjacent lounge area – the multitasking space functions as a library, place to watch television and study area. “My client wanted to add in more storage capacity, so I designed a bespoke library/storage wall. He also wanted a space to do out-of-hours work so I included a study nook into the library wall,” says Richard.

The multi-purpose wall unit has a space for a large television, hi-fi system, as well as shelves to display the owner’s beloved record collection too.

Lounge — Considered lounge room joinery allows things to be stowed neatly away

Nearby, a bathroom and WC were combined to create one larger, light-filled space. “We converted an enclosed WC into a walk-in shower room and relocated the WC to the other side of the bathroom, allowing for a large freestanding bath and new purpose-built vanity,” says Richard.

The bathroom’s light material palette and reflective surfaces also contribute to a greater feeling of space. And again, the room showcases a flash of blue – a gutsy tile choice that has really paid off.