Pit Stop to Final Stop
Read here how Bronz DC turned a dated Perth house into a modern family retreat
Scope
Structural Kitchen & Laundry Renovation
Design Team
Bronz DC
Location
Kelmscott, WA
Construction Team
Homelux (project management)
Master Class Cabinets (cabinetry)
Before
The Story
Chrissie and William are following their children to Australia, leaving their New Zealand home back across the ditch. The Perth house needed to be both improved and personalised to suit our client’s lifestyle. William is the household’s chef and needed plenty of open space to “make his mess”. The home had no direct thoroughfare to the rear alfresco, except via a dated and pokey laundry. Which also included a tight toilet ablution off to the side and awkward storage cupboards. The existing kitchen could be mistaken for the pit area of a Formula 1 team with its bright red features and black stripes around the room! There were also some DIY architectural attempts in the kitchen that needed to be removed both for functional and aesthetic reasons.
An important consideration for Chrissie was how we delivered the design process in the absence of her not being in Perth.
The Outcome
The most important part Bronz DC played in this project was managing not only the design process, but all of the other moving parts around design, to ensure our client’s brief was met, within their evolving timelines and within their budget. To achieve this, we kept in constant communication with both our client and their chosen Builder. We were able to correspond via email when they were abroad and utilised time effectively when they were in Perth to get through works requiring face to face interactions such as supplier visits or product sampling.
In relation to the design, we were clever with how we modified some internal walls to minimise how much structural had to occur (for budget control) but providing the best layout to meet the client brief. The rear kitchen window was lengthened into a sliding door and the single doorway from the front living room was significantly widened to provide a direct thoroughfare from living to kitchen, to dine, to alfresco. This meant we were able to relocate the obsolete laundry door to better fit cabinetry in the space for improved function and maximum storage.
After
Another clever alteration was the relocation of the powder room door to the hallway, which meant it was more private for guests and residents. This change in internal and external doorways also paved way for direct access from the kitchen to the laundry, enhancing flow in the high traffic areas, and satisfying the client’s brief for utilising the laundry trough from time to time for overflow kitchen activity.
Now Chrissie and William can enjoy their retirement years in a home that caters for their growing family. There is plenty of space to circulate in the main living areas and the indoor/outdoor connection, which was previously non-existent, can contribute to the sense of space. We were able to meet timelines working remotely and deliver a wonderful project for our clients, working closely alongside our affiliate partners.
Silvertone Photography