Kitchen Renovation Mooroolbark

The Brief

Not every kitchen renovation starts with a blank slate — sometimes it starts with a kitchenette and a problem to solve. When our Mooroolbark client purchased their new home, the existing upstairs kitchenette needed to become a genuinely functional kitchen to suit their living arrangements. Limited services, a compact footprint, and the need to keep the space feeling like part of a living area rather than a tacked-on utility room made this a project that required creative thinking from the very beginning.

The Design

With fixed services ruling out a conventional hotplate installation, we specified a portable induction cooktop as the cooking solution — a decision that proved to be an asset rather than a compromise. Running on a standard 10-amp power supply, it requires no dedicated service connection, and when not in use it can be stored away entirely, freeing up the limited bench space for other tasks. It's exactly the kind of lateral thinking that turns a constraint into a feature.

The integrated fridge, positioned on a separate wall to the main kitchen run, was another considered call. Keeping it integrated maintains clean, uninterrupted lines throughout the space — important when the kitchen sits within a broader living area and visual coherence matters as much as functionality.

Despite the compact footprint, storage was never compromised. An under-sink twin bin, pull-out spice rack, ample drawers and inner drawers for food storage all work together to make the most of every available centimetre. Hafele Loox 5 LED strip lighting runs beneath both overhead cabinet runs, providing practical task lighting when cooking and a softer ambient glow in the evenings.

The material palette is fresh and bright. Polytec Polar White Matt cabinetry keeps the space feeling open and clean, while Polytec Greystone Matt laminate benchtops add a subtle contrast without darkening the room. The standout detail is the blue glass splashback — colour-matched to our client's own sample — which brings a confident, personal touch to the kitchen and gives the space a character entirely its own.

The Result

Small in footprint, big in personality. This Mooroolbark kitchen proves that thoughtful design has no minimum size requirement. Every centimetre is accounted for, every constraint turned to advantage, and the result is a space that functions beautifully and feels genuinely considered — right down to the splashback colour our client chose themselves.