Styling 101
Kate's Kitchen Journey: Making My Space My Own
A home straight off the plan doesn't need to be ordinary. How to make it uniquely you.
My kitchen’s journey...
I'll start off by introducing myself, I am Kate, 28 from Central West NSW living with my hubby and our 4-year-old son in our first home. We were so lucky when we bought our first home that we could afford a brand new one! The only downfall? It was a home off the plan. So everything was basic with not an extra dollar spent on quality or design.
Since a young age, I have had a keen eye for design and interiors. I remember moving into our first home and being oh so inspired and motivated to decorate and make the small little unit we had purchased, feel trendy, warm and welcoming.
We now have beautiful big spaces in our family home, and I am making my way through, turning our humble little abode into our forever home.
This brings me to my latest design project: the kitchen!
Kitchens are the heart of the home - planning this beauty was beyond exciting, and I had been dreaming of this day forever! I had a clear vision, and I couldn't wait to bring it to life!
I would describe my style as modern, minimalistic and Scandinavian. I am drawn to clean white open, bright spaces. The first thing I did was remove the old laminate benchtops and replace them with a quality stone in Calacutta with stunning light grey veins. Then I paired it with a beautiful Herringbone Honed Calacutta Mosaic from Beaumonts as my splashback tile.
The splashback was one of the first choices that were locked in, as soon as I spotted the sample I immediately fell in love and went home to show my husband. There is something about Calacutta that is so luxurious and has a natural beauty. I saw this tile while scrolling Instagram and always found it so appealing.
The combination of the light grey marble tile mixed with the darker greys adds a beautiful striking texture, that remains timeless. I particularly liked the herringbone tile pattern, and I love marble, so the two together was ticking all the boxes for my dream kitchen!
My top three tips on planning and executing the perfect kitchen reno are:
- Identify your style.
- Pick out your favourite tiles and take photos of everything you love. You could also add these to a mood board to make sure everything is matching up the way you want it to.
- Make a spreadsheet with product and labour costs including GST and delivery charges. This will help you keep your budget in check.
With so many options it can get a little confusing when making final decisions. Make sure you have a clear vision on the end goal and stick to it (as long as it's within budget).
Another important thing for me was communicating with my tradies, getting their professional opinion on products and chatting back and forth on the details. I was lucky in managing to find a fantastic tiler and stonemason who made the process so much more comfortable and gave lots of great advice. I would have been lost without them.
I went with my heart and am so thrilled with the finished product. The Calacutta mosaic tile is absolutely everything I had dreamed of and had made my kitchen design feel like something really special.
Thanks for sharing my kitchen renovation journey with me! You can find me on Instagram where you can see all my adventures with interiors, home and family life! Thanks guys! Kate
