Nunawading Kitchen Renovation

Melbourne Kitchen Renovation: Nunawading

Project: Kitchen Renovation plus Laundry
Location: Nunawading
Designer: Chris Wing Shing
Photographer: DVP

The Brief

The brief for this Nunawading renovation was straightforward in its ambition but challenging in its execution: maximise the kitchen space and renovate the laundry. The existing layout, however, had other ideas. What followed was a design process that required genuine creative thinking — and arrived at a solution better than the one the client originally had in mind.

The Design

The client's initial instinct was to absorb the laundry into the kitchen entirely, creating one larger open space with a European laundry integrated within. It was a logical idea on paper, but the existing structure made it impractical. Bricking in the laundry's door and window openings and removing the dividing wall would have delivered a larger floor area at the cost of significant storage — a trade-off that would have left the space feeling spacious but underperforming in daily use.

After extensive design sessions, a more considered solution emerged. Rather than removing the wall entirely, a small section of non-structural wall was taken out — just enough to allow the kitchen cabinetry to be extended meaningfully into the space. This extension now houses the integrated fridge and freezer, keeping the kitchen's lines clean and uninterrupted, while the other side of the removed section delivers valuable additional storage. Two functional, well-proportioned rooms instead of one large compromised one.

The material palette across both spaces is cohesive and contemporary. The kitchen features three complementary door finishes: Laminex Oyster Grey Absolute Matte, Evenex Pewter Oak from the Elston Group, and gloss polyurethane — a combination of matte, timber-look, and gloss that creates depth and visual interest without feeling busy. Stone Italiana Greige Grain benchtops in 20mm run through both the kitchen and laundry, providing a warm, unified surface across the renovation, and a custom glass splashback selected by the client adds a personal finishing touch to the kitchen.

The laundry is finished in Laminex Oyster Grey Flint — a tone that steps slightly from the kitchen palette while maintaining a clear family resemblance, and Stone Italiana Greige Grain benchtops continue the material thread established next door.

The Result

Two rooms, both transformed. The Nunawading kitchen and laundry renovation is a testament to the value of working through a brief carefully rather than rushing to an obvious solution. The result is functional, practical, and modern — and far more successful than the original concept would have been. Sometimes the best design decisions are the ones that push back.