Entertaining Revamp

My client’s family dynamic had changed due to her children being young adults. The way they socialised with the children, now ‘friends’, involved everybody wanting to be in the kitchen. To accommodate this shift, I introduced a big peninsula for social seating occupying half the lounge space.

The daily use of the tv diminished, but on ‘game night’ it was centre stage. The placement of the tv had to change from a long wall to a small nook area. This required the removal of pre-existing storage cabinetry which mirrored cabinetry on the opposite side of a big window.

They did not want to lose storage, wanting to retain the one unit. This left us with the challenge of merging the old and new seamlessly. I had to work with the existing unit’s 4 sections, tall doors and drawers below. To introduce an element of contrast, I incorporated oak wood, creating a juxtaposition with the peninsula’s material. The limitations of the nook’s depth compelled me to extend the base of the unit, accommodating substantial 450mm deep runners to optimize storage capacity.

I framed the drawers with a 25mm thick Oak Veneer, establishing a consistent colour palette. I echoed the 4 tall doors with 4 panels to mount the TV on, making use of an oak negative detail to set them apart.

Historically the clients had struggled with the overheating of their electronics. I used a flap down door that resembles a drawer. It can remain open when the electronics behind it are in use ensuring adequate ventilation. I have a 100mm void at the back of my panels from where the hot air in this unit can travel up and escape. Furthermore, I incorporated a 100mm void behind the panels, allowing hot air to rise and escape, effectively addressing the overheating concern.