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Shaker For Shailer Park | Kitchen, Bathroom & Laundry Reno

ALIGN DESIGNER, ANDREW, WALKS US THROUGH HIS OWN HOME

A front on view of a luxurious modern kitchen remodel in Shailer Park.

We chat to Align Designer and Interior Renovations specialist, Andrew, about a recent kitchen, bathroom and laundry they designed in Shailer Park, Brisbane.

Can you share your background and experience as a kitchens and bathrooms designer?

I have spent 38 years in the trade, I have learnt all sides of the industry from learning my trade, learning design and colours, running my own cabinet making business and have been with Align for 7 years now.

What inspired you to pursue a career in designing kitchens and bathrooms?

I wanted to create beautiful kitchens after seeing my parents install a new kitchen when I was younger plus it seemed better than working outdoors or in an office…

How do you approach the design process when working on a kitchen or bathroom project?

Most importantly is to listen to my customers, it is their house, they have a good idea of what works for them and what doesn’t. I enjoy working with them to create beautiful and functional space in their homes and I love seeing the look on their faces when it comes together.

Remember that a kitchen or bathroom can be amazing to look at but if it doesn’t work well for you then it is a waste of your hard earned money so make sure you get it right.

What are some of the key factors you consider when designing a functional and aesthetically pleasing kitchen or bathroom?

Some very important things to consider when designing new cabinetry for a home; i.e. how many people live in the home? Are my customers selling or staying? What are their pet hates about the current space? What would make them smile when they look at the new work? Once we figure these things out we all work as a team to make it perfect. When I am with my customers and I can offer a solution to the things they don’t like in the room they are excited to know there is a way to fix their problem area.

Could you provide some examples of innovative and space-saving design solutions you’ve implemented in this design?

This Hamptons look kitchen, laundry and bathroom is in a rather small unit so the pressure was on to make beautiful looking spaces as well as having plenty of storage while giving that WOW factor that is so important. I made this kitchen a little bit bigger than the original plus with clever design and colours the kitchen looks much bigger and isn’t all boxed in.

A wide front view of a luxurious modern kitchen remodel in Shailer Park.

I hid the microwave behind cabinet doors as well as a rubbish bin and the dishwasher.

The use of mirrors in the top cabinets instead of glass meant that it didn’t matter what was in the cupboards as it wasn’t visible and it had the added benefit of making the room feel bigger.

I also moved the pantry out of the room and put it in the garage which is right beside the kitchen.

A view from an off angle of a luxurious modern kitchen remodel in Shailer Park.

In the laundry, I hid the washer/dryer behind bi-fold doors. The pantry and broom cabinets are also in this space which made more room in the kitchen plus I added a nice wall cabinet and hidden laundry hamper.

L.E.D lights make such an amazing difference to any cabinetry work in your home so I would strongly suggest using them wherever possible.

An front view of a luxurious modern bathroom remodel in Shailer Park.

A wide off angle view of a luxurious modern bathroom remodel in Shailer Park.

How do you ensure that your kitchen and bathroom designs are both timeless and adaptable to changing trends?

When a customer is renovating to sell their home they need to take the heart out of the decisions and use the head. Just because you like a bright green kitchen doesn’t mean the potential buyers will. Carefully using colour can make a huge change to the room and attract buyers.

This kitchen is blue as you can clearly see and it is a stunning colour. I didn’t use a sky blue or dark blue as these can date. Most of the home is fairly neutral in colour so it needed this splash of it and if there ever comes time for a change the blue can be repainted to suit a new style. Don’t be afraid of colour, so many customers say “oh I would love a coloured kitchen but I’m too scared of it so I will play it safe”, life is too short for that, go for it if it will make you happy. In saying that, sometimes a room is already busy looking and needs to have fairly bland cabinetry and bench tops but then you usually will put some colour into the splashbacks with either tiles, stone or smoke mirror. As a kitchen company with so many years of experience, we will work with you to create the perfect balance in your home..

Don’t be scared of change and have some fun especially if this is the home for your foreseeable future.

KITCHEN

Benchtop brand + finish	Glacier pearl stone tops.
Splashback style + finish	Glacier pearl splashbacks.
Cabinetry style + finish	Shaker style painted in a custom colour.
Handles style + color	Barchie Ashgrove in brushed dark pewter.
Sink + Tapware (brand)	Tropea sink and Millennium pull out tap in brushed dark pewter.
Appliances (brand)	Westinghouse oven and cooktop. Fisher & Paykel concealed rangehood.

BATHROOM

Benchtop brand + finish	Stone Ambassador Cimento.
Splashback style + finish	Marble look rectified tiles in gloss.
Cabinetry style + finish	Shaker style in Lexicon ¼ strength.
Handles style + color	Barchie Ashgrove in brushed dark pewter.
Sink + Tapware (brand)	Belgrave tapware from Geisha Tiles.
Appliances (brand)