A Kitchen to Melt Kermit the Frog’s Heart
Despite what the song says, it’s actually easy being green, as this fresh and colorful kitchen proves
You may remember Kermit, famous frog and Muppet, singing, “Green can be big like a mountain, or important like a river, or tall like a tree.” Kitchen designer Space Craft Joinery proves that green can also be retro and fresh, as seen in this vibrant Adelaide, Australia, kitchen.
Carried out on a tight budget and satisfying the clients’ love of bright colors, the renovation transformed a formerly cramped kitchen into a generous space for cooking up family meals. Owners Simon and Ruth King say the highly functional kitchen is now “the hub of the home” for family and friends.
Carried out on a tight budget and satisfying the clients’ love of bright colors, the renovation transformed a formerly cramped kitchen into a generous space for cooking up family meals. Owners Simon and Ruth King say the highly functional kitchen is now “the hub of the home” for family and friends.
Wanting to retain the character of the kitchen, the designers amplified the original 1950s styling with a verdant green and white palette, and added curved detailing above the open shelves.
Cabinet paint: Zatar Leaf by Dulux
Cabinet paint: Zatar Leaf by Dulux
The new cabinetry replicates the old. A double ceramic sink, Pacini oven and Miele dishwasher, along with cleverly concealed pull-out recycling bins, make for an up-to-date and functional space despite the retro styling.
Oven: Pacini; refrigerator: Fisher & Paykel; dishwasher: Miele
Oven: Pacini; refrigerator: Fisher & Paykel; dishwasher: Miele
To stay within budget, the clients painted the medium-density fiberboard doors and framework themselves after the installation. Each cabinet is finished with a custom flower-shaped ceramic knob. “It takes a lot of care and attention to detail in order to blend the old with the new in this seamless fashion,” Ellen says.
Custom ceramic knobs: Stepneys
Custom ceramic knobs: Stepneys
“It is a very individual, eccentric and homey kitchen that really harks back to the origins of the bungalow, but with all the mod cons of a newer, more modern kitchen,” the designer adds.
A tiled backsplash with a horizontal band of glass tiles in white, lime green and apple green mediates the space between the upper and lower cabinets. Displayed in open storage above the counter, the couple’s collection of retro canisters and other useful yet decorative items is well suited to the look of the new kitchen.
Olive green marble counter: Adelaide Marble; Domsjo double-bowl kitchen sink: Ikea; backsplash: Beaumont Tiles; Polo sink faucet: Hansa
Olive green marble counter: Adelaide Marble; Domsjo double-bowl kitchen sink: Ikea; backsplash: Beaumont Tiles; Polo sink faucet: Hansa
The green marble counter gives Ruth the space she needs for baking and making what Ellen describes as “delights such as apricot jam, lemon butter and her legendary onion jam.”
It takes confidence to go green, but, like Kermit says and as this kitchen shows, “it’s beautiful, and I think it’s what I want to be.”
If you’re thinking about going green, keep these tips from Nathan in mind: “Pick your green carefully, as different shades will each produce a very different look and feel. Brighter, lighter greens are more vibrant and are associated with growth and vitality, while darker, richer greens are more grand and subdued and represent prestige, wealth and abundance.”
More
Cooking With Color: When to Use Green in the Kitchen
Roots of Style: Origins and Interpretations of the Bungalow
It takes confidence to go green, but, like Kermit says and as this kitchen shows, “it’s beautiful, and I think it’s what I want to be.”
If you’re thinking about going green, keep these tips from Nathan in mind: “Pick your green carefully, as different shades will each produce a very different look and feel. Brighter, lighter greens are more vibrant and are associated with growth and vitality, while darker, richer greens are more grand and subdued and represent prestige, wealth and abundance.”
More
Cooking With Color: When to Use Green in the Kitchen
Roots of Style: Origins and Interpretations of the Bungalow
Who lives here: Ruth and Simon King, their two children, a turtle and a cat
Location: Croydon Park, South Australia state, Australia
Size: 270 square feet (25 square meters)
Designers: Ellen and Nathan Wundersitz of Space Craft Joinery
Ruth and Simon King’s bright and bold California bungalow-style home had a cute but nevertheless tiny kitchen. Needing more space for their growing family, the couple worked with Ellen and Nathan Wundersitz at Space Craft Joinery to renovate and extend the back of the home. They knocked down a lean-to and built a rear addition to create a new open-plan kitchen, living and dining space.