SummitBridge01Classic
Tiled splashback
Endlessly variable and DIY-friendly. Subway tile is the safe classic; grout colour changes the whole feel.
The hardest-working room
Kitchens that earn their keep
The kitchen is where an Australian home lives. Get the layout, storage and light right and even a modest budget transforms it. From galley to island, splashback to stone, here’s how to make yours work harder.
Where to begin
Function first, finishes second
A beautiful kitchen that fights you every morning is a failed kitchen. Start with how you move, cook and store — then choose the surfaces that suit your home and climate.
Plan the renovation3Points in the work triangle
60cmStandard bench depth
90cmComfortable walkway width
5Zones worth planning for
02
Layouts
Pick the shape that fits your space
Most Australian kitchens are a variation on three layouts. The right one depends on your footprint and how the room connects to living and outdoor areas.
Galley
Two parallel runs of bench — efficient, affordable and brilliant for narrow terraces and cottages. Keep at least 900mm between runs so two people can pass, and put the sink and cooktop on the same side where you can.
- Best value per metre of bench
- Tight, fast work triangle
L-shape
Two runs meeting in a corner — the most flexible layout for open-plan living. It opens the room to a dining or outdoor zone and leaves space for a small table. Use a corner carousel or drawer system so the corner doesn’t become dead space.
- Suits open-plan family homes
- Easy to add a table or island later
Island
The Australian favourite — a freestanding bench for prep, casual meals and gathering. It needs room: allow at least 900mm to 1m of clearance all around. An island can house the sink, a cooktop or just storage and seating.
- Social hub for open living
- Needs generous floor space
U-shape
Three connected runs wrapping the cook in bench and storage. It delivers the most workspace of any layout and a very contained work triangle, but wants a generous room and careful planning of two corners.
- Maximum bench and storage
- Best for larger rooms
03
Storage
Find a home for everything
Plan storage in zones around how you use the kitchen, not just where the cabinets fall. Deep drawers beat low cupboards almost every time.
Drawers
Deep drawers, not low cupboards
Pantry
A pull-out or walk-in pantry
Corners
Carousels for dead corners
Inserts
Dividers & bin pull-outs
Overhead
Take cabinets to the ceiling
Zone by task
Group prep, cooking, washing and dry storage so the things you reach for live where you use them.
Soft-close everything
Soft-close runners and hinges are an affordable retrofit that makes a kitchen feel instantly more considered.
Mind the bin
An integrated pull-out bin with recycling separation keeps benches clear and the kitchen tidy.
04
Cabinet refresh
Update the cabinets you already have
If the carcasses are sound, you don’t need a new kitchen. Drag the slider to see what fresh doors, paint and handles do to a tired cabinet run.
BeforeAfter
High return, low cost
Three ways to refresh a cabinet run
- Repaint the doors. A purpose-made cabinet enamel over properly cleaned, lightly sanded and primed surfaces gives a hard, washable finish.
- Replace doors and fronts. Keep the carcasses, order new doors to size, and you’ve effectively got a new kitchen for far less.
- Swap handles and hinges. New hardware and soft-close hinges are a two-hour job with a drill and a steady template.
Leave any work near the cooktop, oven or powerpoints to a licensed electrician.
05
Splashbacks
The wall that takes the heat
02Seamless
Stone or porcelain slab
A single slab that matches the benchtop — no grout lines, very easy to wipe. Best measured and fitted by a fabricator.
03Sleek
Glass or stainless
Toughened glass and stainless steel suit modern kitchens and clean up in a wipe. Behind cooktops, mind the standards for clearances.
04Budget
Sealed & painted wall
Away from heat, a well-sealed and painted wall is the cheapest splashback of all — just keep it clear of the cooktop.
A safety note on cooktops
Splashback materials behind and beside cooktops must meet the required clearances and fire ratings under the Building Code and Australian Standards. Combustible materials need safe separation, and any associated electrical or gas work is licensed-trade only. When in doubt, ask your installer.
06
Lighting
Layer the light, don’t flood it
One ceiling light leaves you working in your own shadow. Good kitchen lighting works in three layers — plan it yourself, but leave the wiring to a licensed electrician.
Layer 01
Ambient
General light for the whole room — ceiling lights or a central fitting that lifts the overall level evenly.
Layer 02
Task
Light exactly where you work. Under-cabinet strips kill bench shadows; pendants light an island for prep and homework.
Layer 03
Accent
Light inside glass cabinets, along a plinth or above the joinery to add warmth and depth once the sun’s gone.
Get the basics right
- Choose a warm-to-neutral colour temperature (around 3000–4000K) so food and finishes look right.
- Put layers on separate switches or dimmers so the room flexes from prep to dinner.
- Position downlights to light the bench front, not the back of your head, so you’re not working in shadow.
- Plan enough powerpoints along the bench while the walls are open — you’ll never regret too many.
07
Worktops
Compare benchtop materials
The benchtop sets the budget and the feel of the kitchen. Tap through the main options and weigh durability, cost and upkeep.
TimberStonePorcelainStainless
LaminateLaminate
The most affordable benchtop and the easiest to install. Modern laminates mimic stone and timber convincingly and resist everyday wear well. The trade-offs are visible seams and edges, and a surface that won’t take a hot pan or a knife.
AffordabilityHigh
DurabilityModerate
Timber
Warm, characterful and repairable — scratches sand out. Solid timber and butcher’s block suit Hamptons and country kitchens, but need regular oiling and don’t love standing water around the sink. A beautiful, hands-on material for those happy to maintain it.
WarmthHigh
Upkeep neededHigh
Natural stone
Granite and marble bring a premium, one-of-a-kind look. Granite is hard and forgiving; marble is softer and stains and etches, so it suits cooks who’ll embrace a little patina. Natural stone is heavy and should be templated, fabricated and installed by professionals.
Premium feelHigh
AffordabilityLow
Porcelain
A newer favourite — large-format porcelain slabs are extremely hard, heat-resistant, UV-stable and non-porous, which makes them superb indoors and for outdoor kitchens. Thin and tough, but brittle at edges, so fabrication and installation are specialist work.
DurabilityVery high
Heat resistanceVery high
Stainless steel
The choice of commercial kitchens — hygienic, heat-proof and seamless when fabricated as one piece with an integrated sink. It marks and fingerprints, developing a worn patina over time, and reads industrial rather than warm. Made to measure by a metal fabricator.
HygieneVery high
Scratch resistanceLow
A note on engineered stone
Engineered stone benchtops containing high levels of crystalline silica are being phased out under Australian workplace health and safety rules because of the serious risk of silicosis to workers who cut them. If you’re considering an engineered product, confirm current compliance, and never dry-cut or grind stone yourself — fabrication and installation must be done by qualified professionals with proper controls.
08
Kitchen questions
Before you start
Often yes. If the carcasses are sound, you can repaint or replace doors and drawer fronts, fit new handles and add soft-close hinges for a fraction of a full replacement. It’s one of the highest-return cosmetic updates in the home.
It’s the path between the sink, cooktop and fridge. Keeping the three within an easy, unobstructed reach of each other makes a kitchen comfortable to work in, whatever the layout.
There’s no single best. Laminate is the most affordable, timber is warm but needs oiling, natural stone is premium and porcelain is extremely durable. Note that engineered stone with high crystalline silica is being phased out under Australian rules, so confirm current product compliance and have stone fabricated and installed by qualified professionals.
Yes. Any fixed or hard-wired lighting, new circuits and powerpoints must be installed by a licensed electrician. You can plan the lighting layout yourself, but the wiring is licensed-trade work.
A cosmetic refresh can be a weekend or two; a full renovation that keeps the existing layout often runs three to six weeks once trades and materials are coordinated. Moving plumbing or walls extends both the timeline and the budget.