Sarah & Andrew’s Story
Andrew and Sarah lived in a home that didn’t match their lifestyle. As their kids had grown up and moved out, they wanted a home fit for entertaining with an open kitchen. Their house was last renovated in 1991, with the layout having the typical, closed off small rooms of that era.
With Fisher Kitchens, they planned an open kitchen and dining area, perfect for cooking, eating and socialising.
Deliverables
Kitchen, butlers pantry, dining area
The challenges
Sarah and Andrew enjoyed cooking with the family. But their home wasn’t an enjoyable place to entertain. Their kitchen was poky and their dining room dark. Whenever family and friends came over, they preferred to move outside.
“It was horrible to be in, horrible to sit in. You couldn’t sit in the kitchen if anyone else was in there,” says Sarah.
The kitchen was separated. So when Sarah and Andrew were cooking for guests, they couldn’t socialise. The room felt like an obstacle. Even the dining room didn’t serve its purpose and started to accumulate stuff over the years. So when guests visited, it was easier to eat outside.
The solution
Sarah and Andrew planned a new open kitchen and dining area that suited their lifestyle. Walls were knocked down, combining the useless dining room with the small kitchen. So instead of poky rooms, they had an inviting area that encouraged cooking, eating, fine wine and conversation. They bought their entertaining indoors.
“I guess the kitchen is the heart of the home. We felt like we were missing opportunities with family by not having a functional kitchen, where we could actually be together whilst someone was cooking,” says Sarah.
Entertaining made easy
Fisher kitchens turned wasted areas into usable space. The kitchen encourages friends and family to sit and talk at the island bench, while Sarah and Andrew cook up a storm. The back of the bench has three barstools and a wine bar for easy entertaining.
“It was a feature that we wanted. We wanted to keep bottles of wine in a controlled environment. We collect it to drink, it doesn’t last long,” says Andrew.
“You can have some people sitting in front of the heater and others sitting in the corner of the kitchen. You can still communicate, and you’re still together,” says Sarah.
Maximise cabinetry space
Adding the island bench made more space for storage. They also added a butler’s pantry, creating more areas for drawers and cabinets. As the sink and dishwasher were moved to the island bench, the walls could also be used for storage.
The design of the area is more practical and functional. Instead of working around the constraints of the kitchen and dining room, Fisher Kitchens changed it to suit their life.
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Turn-around
“I feel they genuinely took a lot of pride in the work and wanted to build a really good product. The pride Braydn takes in what he does, it really comes through in the finished product.”
Andrew
Andrew and Sarah incorporated high end appliances into their modern kitchen. As they love cooking, they wanted functional, efficient appliances that also looked as good as the kitchen. The large stove and oven can cook enough food for guests and will last a long time.
Fisher kitchens created three areas in the kitchen area for people to mix. They also painted the cabinets a dark colour and added pendant lights to bring the area in. The cabinets went up to the ceiling, drawing the eye up while creating more cabinet space.
Fisher kitchens used push to open and finger pulls instead of handles on the high cabinets and handles on the lower cabinets. This seamless look highlighted the shaker cabinets and large windows.
