Designed by: Rachel Freeman, Pepper Design
Photography by: Johnny Angel
Our homeowners, a fun-loving retired couple, transitioned from their long-time family home to an expansive penthouse with breathtaking 180° views of Melbourne’s skyline.
Seeking to transform their 1990s-built apartment, they envisioned a complete overhaul – moving beyond its dated, basic white gloss cabinetry to a space that exudes sophistication, functionality, and aesthetic appeal.
At the heart of this three-bedroom, three-bathroom apartment lies the kitchen, the central hub of their home and the starting point of our design.
Passionate about cooking and entertaining, the couple wanted a space that seamlessly blends high-end performance with an elegant atmosphere.
They were drawn to the craftsmanship of Poggenpohl & Team7 joinery and the quality of Gaggenau appliances – both of which became defining elements of the design.
To create a timeless yet inviting aesthetic, we selected Poggenpohl joinery in a rich, dark timber finish, complemented by deep neutral soft whites throughout the home for a balanced and sophisticated palette.
The choice of Taj Mahal natural stone from Cosentino’s Sensa range adds a luxurious yet practical element, offering tonal variations while ensuring durability with its pre-treated, stain-resistant surface.
The kitchen embraces a handleless concept, featuring recessed finger rails around the island and touch-open technology throughout, including Gaggenau’s touch-open appliances.
A standout feature is Poggenpohl’s +Stage cabinet, designed with touch-open and tuck-away doors, revealing a well appointed coffee and drinks station.
A bronze matte glass splashback seamlessly integrates concealed power points, lighting, and hidden storage details, while an adjacent pantry ensures easy access to daily essentials.
Every detail has been closely considered to enhance both function and form.
Poggenpohl’s walnut-crafted cutlery inserts provide both organisation and a sense of refined luxury, while the integrated Team7 solid walnut display cabinet with smoked glass doors and internal LED lighting offers a striking visual connection to the adjacent Team7 walnut extension dining suite, creating a harmonious flow throughout the space.
Technically, the design posed several challenges, particularly in integrating Gaggenau’s full suite of appliances without compromising storage or aesthetics.
Custom-designed drawer storage accommodates the Gaggenau glass pop-up downdraft with invisible recirculation, ensuring both function and seamless integration.
Ceiling sprinkler systems were strategically relocated to prevent door collisions while maintaining proportional balance, allowing the entire design to sit well at the heart of the home.
Additional design elements, such as gently textured floor tiles and linen curtains, introduce softness and warmth, elevating the entire living experience.
This transformation delivers a space that is not only functional but also sophisticated – ideally tailored to our homeowners’ passion for design, entertaining, and refined living.
Find more design ideas and inspiration at trendsideas.com
Credit List
DesignerRachel Freeman, Pepper Design | CabinetryPoggenpohl (Germany) Ash Graphite textured timber laminate; Team7 (Austria) solid walnut natural oil finish & smoked glass display cabinet |
Cabinetry hardwareCabinetry hardware Poggenpohl / Hettich | BenchtopsCosentino Taj Mahal Sensa natural stone |
SplashbackPoggenpohl Bronze matt glass | Kitchen sinkAbey Schock Quadro Onyx |
TapsTaps Abey Tink B with pull out spray | Oven, cooktopGaggenau 400 series |
VentilationGaggenau downdraft | Refrigeration, dishwasher, wine fridgeGaggenau |
FlooringEco Outdoors Rivet textured floor tiles | LightingBeacon Luton 2 adjustable double downlights |
AwardsTrends International Design Awards (TIDA) Kitchens – Winner |
Our homeowners, a fun-loving retired couple, transitioned from their long-time family home to an expansive penthouse with breathtaking 180° views of Melbourne’s skyline.
Seeking to transform their 1990s-built apartment, they envisioned a complete overhaul – moving beyond its dated, basic white gloss cabinetry to a space that exudes sophistication, functionality, and aesthetic appeal.
At the heart of this three-bedroom, three-bathroom apartment lies the kitchen, the central hub of their home and the starting point of our design.
Passionate about cooking and entertaining, the couple wanted a space that seamlessly blends high-end performance with an elegant atmosphere.
They were drawn to the craftsmanship of Poggenpohl & Team7 joinery and the quality of Gaggenau appliances – both of which became defining elements of the design.
To create a timeless yet inviting aesthetic, we selected Poggenpohl joinery in a rich, dark timber finish, complemented by deep neutral soft whites throughout the home for a balanced and sophisticated palette.
The choice of Taj Mahal natural stone from Cosentino’s Sensa range adds a luxurious yet practical element, offering tonal variations while ensuring durability with its pre-treated, stain-resistant surface.
The kitchen embraces a handleless concept, featuring recessed finger rails around the island and touch-open technology throughout, including Gaggenau’s touch-open appliances.
A standout feature is Poggenpohl’s +Stage cabinet, designed with touch-open and tuck-away doors, revealing a well appointed coffee and drinks station.
A bronze matte glass splashback seamlessly integrates concealed power points, lighting, and hidden storage details, while an adjacent pantry ensures easy access to daily essentials.
Every detail has been closely considered to enhance both function and form.
Poggenpohl’s walnut-crafted cutlery inserts provide both organisation and a sense of refined luxury, while the integrated Team7 solid walnut display cabinet with smoked glass doors and internal LED lighting offers a striking visual connection to the adjacent Team7 walnut extension dining suite, creating a harmonious flow throughout the space.
Technically, the design posed several challenges, particularly in integrating Gaggenau’s full suite of appliances without compromising storage or aesthetics.
Custom-designed drawer storage accommodates the Gaggenau glass pop-up downdraft with invisible recirculation, ensuring both function and seamless integration.
Ceiling sprinkler systems were strategically relocated to prevent door collisions while maintaining proportional balance, allowing the entire design to sit well at the heart of the home.
Additional design elements, such as gently textured floor tiles and linen curtains, introduce softness and warmth, elevating the entire living experience.
This transformation delivers a space that is not only functional but also sophisticated – ideally tailored to our homeowners’ passion for design, entertaining, and refined living.
Find more design ideas and inspiration at trendsideas.com
[clean_tags]
Credit List
DesignerRachel Freeman, Pepper Design | CabinetryPoggenpohl (Germany) Ash Graphite textured timber laminate; Team7 (Austria) solid walnut natural oil finish & smoked glass display cabinet |
Cabinetry hardwareCabinetry hardware Poggenpohl / Hettich | BenchtopsCosentino Taj Mahal Sensa natural stone |
SplashbackPoggenpohl Bronze matt glass | Kitchen sinkAbey Schock Quadro Onyx |
TapsTaps Abey Tink B with pull out spray | Oven, cooktopGaggenau 400 series |
VentilationGaggenau downdraft | Refrigeration, dishwasher, wine fridgeGaggenau |
FlooringEco Outdoors Rivet textured floor tiles | LightingBeacon Luton 2 adjustable double downlights |
AwardsTrends International Design Awards (TIDA) Kitchens – Winner |
Related Articles
Desert romance
Sandy tones, soft curves and repeated interior design elements add to the character of this contemporary, centrally set family kitchen
Reflected beauty
Thoughtful finishes, subtle lighting and a bronze mirror-fronted wall cabinet come together to create a balanced family kitchen that also reflects on the wider living space
Hamptons charm
This Hamptons style kitchen is fresh and airy with a coastal vibe appropriate to its location – classic features such as panelled doors, crisscross glass cabinets and post details echo joinery seen through the home
Portfolios
View Industry Specialists
Portfolios
View Industry Specialists
Askö
Furniture designed for life. Ethically made dining and living furniture and accessories by international and New Zealand designers where refined elegance meets sleek, contemporary form. Explore our extensive range of designer furniture via our Christchurch showroom or browse online.
Plumbing World
Plumbing World is New Zealand’s most prominent 100% Kiwi-owned national plumbing merchant, operating over 50 branches from Kerikeri to Invercargill. Plumbing World offers a wide range of bathroom, kitchen, laundry, heating, and hot water products, catering to trade professionals and homeowners.
Landmark Homes
Founding directors Paul and Debbie Clarke established Landmark Homes in 1977. Their vision was to offer “something more exciting” than the average home: a home that made creative use of space but was also beautiful to live in.
Poggenpohl
Poggenpohl is a premium German kitchen brand known for its innovation, timeless design, and precision craftsmanship, offering bespoke kitchen solutions that blend luxury with functionality.
Mastercraft Kitchens
Founded in 1985, we are the largest group of independently owned and operated kitchen businesses in New Zealand, operating under a national banner. Our licensees have been carefully selected and are experts in their craft. We share an absolute passion for the design, manufacture and installation of high quality, well designed kitchens and other household cabinetry provided with personalised, friendly local service. Think national - be local.
Kitchen Studio
At Kitchen Studio we are very proud of the fact that we are been voted the most trusted kitchen brand in New Zealand for the ninth year running, and there are good reasons why more Kiwis trust us to transform their kitchen than anyone else.
Box™
Box isn’t like other New Zealand architecture firms; we’re a building design company responsible for every part of the process, from design to construction. If you’re looking for a team of designers or builders in Auckland, we can help.
The best architects know what it means to design both beautifully and practically, ensuring the best builders can, in turn, build more efficiently and collaboratively with you and the designer or architect.
Our consistent and attentive involvement of each team throughout the entire design-build process includes our in-house cost estimation team, who value-engineer projects to ensure the highest quality and value, while respecting your vision as our client.
Frontier Pools
We specialise in bespoke concrete swimming pool design and construction.
From infinity-edge showpieces to compact plunge pools in tight city spaces, we create concrete pools in any shape, size, or finish. The possibilities are endless and the quality is uncompromising.
With an expert in-house team, we manage every step, from concept to completion, delivering high-quality pools tailored to your space, style, and lifestyle.
Altus Window Systems
Altus is a leading New Zealand manufacturer and exporter of innovative designs in aluminium extrusions and extrusion-based building systems.
Altus is an award winning leader of the Aluminium extrusion and rolled product market. We specialise in design, manufacture, import and export of extrusion and rolled product, and distribute to both local and International markets.
We’re experts in creating solutions to integrate and partner with our customers across a wide range of sectors; marine, transport, architectural systems, window and door fabrication, mechanical engineering and agricultural industries.
Luxaflex®
Luxaflex® has been adding style and sophistication to New Zealand windows since the 1950s. Our design heritage is founded on innovation for today and tomorrow while taking care to celebrate the beauty in the details. To us, form and function are synonymous. Consistently pushing the boundaries, we are proud to be the market-leaders in daylight regulation and solar heat control solutions.
We combine unique design and practical features to create outstanding products – the essential ingredients for creating any discerning home.
Plantation Bamboo
Building or renovating your space? It’s not just about finding materials that match your values of sustainability and durability; you want them to look fantastic too. But with so many options out there, the search can be daunting.
That’s where Plantation Bamboo comes in.
We understand the challenges you face in navigating through countless choices. That’s why we specialise exclusively in bamboo. Our focus is to simplify your search for the perfect building material that not only meets your sustainability and durability criteria but also adds a touch of natural elegance to your space.
Mastercraft Kitchens
Founded in 1985, we are the largest group of independently owned and operated kitchen businesses in New Zealand, operating under a national banner. Our licensees have been carefully selected and are experts in their craft. We share an absolute passion for the design, manufacture and installation of high quality, well designed kitchens and other household cabinetry provided with personalised, friendly local service. Think national - be local.
Kitchen Studio
At Kitchen Studio we are very proud of the fact that we are been voted the most trusted kitchen brand in New Zealand for the ninth year running, and there are good reasons why more Kiwis trust us to transform their kitchen than anyone else.
Box™
Box isn’t like other New Zealand architecture firms; we’re a building design company responsible for every part of the process, from design to construction. If you’re looking for a team of designers or builders in Auckland, we can help.
The best architects know what it means to design both beautifully and practically, ensuring the best builders can, in turn, build more efficiently and collaboratively with you and the designer or architect.
Our consistent and attentive involvement of each team throughout the entire design-build process includes our in-house cost estimation team, who value-engineer projects to ensure the highest quality and value, while respecting your vision as our client.