behind the scenes - dynamic delight

"The room was mostly temporary benches and shelves, so a renovation was a matter of 'when', not 'if'." Although this apartment may not be their forever home, the couple still plan on living there for many years to come, so they made sure to choose a kitchen that fit their lifestyle and needs.

When it came to choosing colours and finishes, Alex and her partner were originally going for an all-white look, but after doing more research into the options available at kaboodle, they opted for something a little bolder, while still keeping the space neutral and timeless. They chose a mix of olive grove and nougat truffle doors and panels, and american oak benchtops, which they both love.

"Olive grove was the perfect balance of bold and muted and changes colour with the shifting light throughout the day. The american oak was a great addition to the colour palette and adds so much warmth with the kaboodle hard wax oil finish. The nougat truffle wall cabinets help the room feel open and airy and balance out the saturation of the brick wall,” says Alex. 

When designing the kitchen, the couple found it to be a bit of a challenge, as Alex explains,

"Designing for a small space was a challenge. We were pretty limited in the layouts that were possible for our room, given the size, window placement and existing gas and plumbing. We had originally wanted to include a full height pantry in the kitchen but found that not obstructing the window and extra bench space was ultimately more important." However, the process of using kaboodle was easy and enjoyable for Alex and her partner.

Alex says,

"Kaboodle have a lot of great resources for the kitchen planning process. I found the 3D kaboodle planner a great way to try out different colour combinations on our kitchen layout to get a real sense of what the room will look like. The colour swatches were also great to have in the room as we made our final colour choices; seeing the real cabinet colour and finish in the space made a huge difference."

The pair assembled some of the cabinets and accessories themselves and Alex found it to be a simple process, with helpful instructions and video guides for any extra questions they had. She explains,

"in general, assembling the kaboodle products was pretty simple. Some of the products like the pull-out bins and blind corner wireware were quite involved but were easy enough to install with the printed instructions and the video guides for any extra questions."

The final result is a kitchen that Alex and her partner absolutely love and would recommend to friends and family. Alex says,

"we've been very happy so far with our kaboodle kitchen. The build quality of the products is top-notch and everything feels very sturdy and durable."

The kitchen has had a huge impact on the way Alex and her partner use the space and has also changed the frequency at which they cook. They are now excited to get in the kitchen together to cook their favourite meals and entertain friends and family, which was a challenge in the previous space.

"The way we use the kitchen has changed immensely! Previously, the kitchen was a room I would avoid, and cooking was a chore. Now we have enough bench space for multiple people to cook at the same time. Even the simple change of moving the oven away from the sink slightly has meant one person can cook while the other washes up at the same time. Having so many cupboards means all the kitchen clutter can get stored away out of sight while our decorative items are in view. The difference is night and day, I couldn't be happier."

Alex and her partner's kitchen renovation in their St Kilda apartment was a huge success. They were able to create a beautiful kitchen design that not only suits their style, but their lifestyle needs. The final result was a kitchen they both absolutely love and would highly recommend to others. The renovation has had a significant impact on their daily life, making cooking and meal preparation a much more enjoyable experience – great result! 

We hope you’ve enjoyed hearing about Alex’s kaboodle transformation journey! You can view the dynamic delight gallery here. For more inspiration and ideas to create your kitchen, your way™, visit our design blog or follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.