Step by step yellow kitchen renovation

Interior stylist Tilly Roberts and her partner, Ray, knew the kitchen of their 1960s Canberra bungalow needed attention. “The kitchen was very outdated,” says Tilly. But she didn’t want to lose the feeling of warmth. The revamp also had to consider busy family life with their two small children and toy cavoodle Digby. The starting point was colour, and while the previous kitchen was short on charm, “It had a yellow tiled splashback – you could see how yellow suited the space. It feels very warm,” says Tilly.  The search for a Goldilocks shade – not too light, not too intense – led Tilly to Hay, a colour by UK paint company Farrow & Ball, which she had colour matched in Taubmans paint. (This can be done in store at the Bunnings paint desk with a swatch as small as a 20-cent piece.) Having installed a Kaboodle Kitchen at their previous home, the couple were familiar with the range and confident with their yellow kitchen planning. 

Tips to design and style a yellow kitchen

• Choose the shade of yellow paint for your kitchen. Popular tones include: bright yellow, pale yellow, butter yellow and mustard yellow.
• Use an online planner, such as the Kaboodle Kitchen 3D planner to map the layout of your new kitchen. Think about the different ‘zones’ for cooking, clean up, and set-down of groceries.
• Work on the design details you want, including the sink, cupboards, stove, storage and bench space.
• Research clever storage solutions for the space you have.
• Add touches that offset the brightness of the yellow such as chrome, nickel and steel for the sink, door handles and kitchen appliances.

Tip: Always wear the appropriate safety equipment (safety glasses, gloves, ear muffs and a mask, for example) and always follow the instructions for the product or equipment. 

How to design the kitchen space

With the colour and mood set, Tilly and Ray began designing their space, using the Kaboodle Kitchen 3D planner online. Here’s what they worked on:

1. The budget: The beauty of a flatpack kitchen is the freedom to decide how much D.I.Y. to undertake and where to save and splurge. With two little ones keeping them busy, the couple hired a builder to do the installation and sent their paintable pieces out to be professionally sprayed, which Tilly says has delivered an absolutely flawless finish.
2. The kitchen island and seating: They designed a kitchen island with banks of drawers backed by a sheet of MDF. A similar drawer hack was used to make built-in bench seating which, paired with a small table, forms a cosy breakfast nook and craft space for the kids. “We spend so much time in the kitchen, the kids can sit there and do their stuff while we can still see them and chat to them while cooking,” says Tilly.
3. The kitchen elements: They kept most of the main kitchen elements where they were, saving the cost of moving plumbing and electricals, with only a few tweaks – such as nudging the stove into the centre of its bank of cabinets for safety reasons.
4. The lighting: They worked with the original lighting, centring the island bench beneath existing downlights. 

Planning tips for designing a kitchen

Bunnings in-home consultant/kitchen designer Mike Smith shares planning tips.

1. The working triangle: “The traditional working triangle is the path between the sink, fridge and cooktop. In planning your kitchen, it’s important to consider this distance and any obstructions. I also like to consider the triangle’s ‘fourth side’ – your primary prep space, ideally a clear bench space a minimum of 900mm wide, close to the sink and/or cooktop.”
2. Create zones: “Plan to keep similar tasks close together. The sink, bin, dishwasher and cleaning products should be together in the cleaning zone; the cooktop, oven, utensils and oils and spices in the cooking zone; the fridge and pantry in the storage zone. Others may include the primary bench space, (with chopping boards, knives and utensils), and non-consumables (crockery, cookware, wraps and plasticware).”
3. The set-down space: “This one is really important for functionality – include a set-down space next to key appliances and work areas. For example, somewhere to put a hot pot when removing it from the cooktop, and somewhere to place groceries prior to putting them away.”

Think about how you like to work in the kitchen

The changing shape of their lives with two active children demanded particular inclusions, like soft-close drawers for safety around little fingers and a “giant sink” in stainless steel, chosen to be impervious to family life. It also meant a craving for clean lines and closed doors. “Last time we had a lot of open shelving and this time I wanted floor-to-ceiling cupboards and as much concealed as possible,” says Tilly. This aversion to clutter even extended to sacrificing some bench space to create more storage. “I find I only really stand in one or two spots, so don’t need so much bench space – and we’d just end up putting clutter on it,” she says. “I wanted everything hidden.”

Kaboodle Kitchen storage ideas

Behind the Kaboodle ‘Alpine’ profile doors is a world of organisational magic: 

1. Below the bench: Tilly chose to use drawers here for better visuals. “There’s so much more storage in drawers and you can see everything from above – it just makes more sense,” she says.
2. Optimised cupboard space: She decided to use soft-close pull-out wire racking, which she maintains is life-changing for the pantry. “You can pull them out and see everything, even at the back.”
3. A second pantry unit: This was cleverly converted into a beverage station for coffee lover Ray, complete with shelving as well as power points for the coffee machine and grinder.
4. Hidden space for appliances: The toaster and other appliances are similarly hidden. “I was very liberal with the electrical sockets inside cupboards because I hate having appliances visible,” says Tilly. 

How to style a yellow kitchen

With the practicalities attended to, Tilly was able to bring her vision for a country-style kitchen to life, which meant adding some contrasting touches to the yellow colour palette.

Pine boards: Step one was unveiling the home’s inherent charm by ripping up floor coverings to expose its original pine boards.

Panelled splashback: The linear lines of the boards are echoed in the splashback; instead of the standard choice of tiles, Tilly selected moisture-resistant VJ panelling, which beautifully captures the country warmth she wanted.

Laminate benchtop: Tilly chose a Kaboodle Kitchen marble-look laminate, Biancoccino benchtop, to bring contrasting movement and lightness to the yellow scheme. “The benchtop has this unusual silky finish. It’s super hardy, but it feels soft and the print is really natural.”

Textured blinds: Matchstick Roman blinds from Windoware introduce extra texture.

Contrasting chrome details: Throughout, the warm colours and surfaces are subtly offset by the coolness of chrome. “Once I knew I was going to do yellow, I knew I wanted chrome detailing,” says Tilly. She opted for a kitchen mixer in chrome, a stainless steel sink and classic Kaboodle Kitchen mushroom knobs in brushed nickel.

Keep in mind…

• Any plumbing or hardwired electrical work must be carried out by a licensed tradie.
• Paint colours may vary on application.

Keen for more makeover inspiration?

Check out our six ideas for kitchen makeovers on a budget.

 

Photo credit: Tess Godkin.