Setting the Space

Practical opulence may seem paradoxical until one considers the kitchens created by Mim Design. This kitchen, which won first place in the Contemporary category of the Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove Kitchen Design Contest, is a consummate example. “The clients are a very active family who entertain often and have an eye for detail,” says Miriam Fanning, founder of the Melbourne studio. “The kitchen needed to be elegant and enduring.”

Over the last 20-plus years, Fanning has cultivated a portfolio replete with high-end private and multi-residential interiors, hospitality projects, and more. Each showcases the firm’s finesse with balancing form and function, and merging luxury with durability. When it comes to the kitchen, the designer believes it is the heart of the home. As such, it must connect seamlessly to the surrounding spaces and help to define the home’s overall aesthetic.

Mim Design collaborated closely with Emma Tulloch Architects and the clients on this statement residence in a leafy suburb of Melbourne. “We learned how the clients spend their days and use the spaces,” Fanning says. As the hub of the open plan layout, it was essential that the kitchen’s scale complement the large house, and that its materials and detailing do the same. “We wanted each part of the house to have a strong personality,” Fanning says. That included the kitchen.

A monolithic marble island anchors the kitchen. “The island feels like it was extruded out of the floor,” Fanning says, noting both the island and the floor tiles are Elegant Gray marble with a honed finish. The marble’s smoky gray/brown color infuses the kitchen with a sultriness that belies its rock-hard foundation.

The working side of the hefty island has crisp, square edges to maximize storage, while the front corners boast luscious curves. The silhouette echoes moments in the home’s architecture and helps soften the rectilinear room. “The rounded edges in front, which are carved out of stone blocks, make the island feel soft, even though the material is strong,” notes Fanning.

Floor-to-ceiling cabinetry in walnut hues picks up the smoky undertones of the stone and lends warmth. The contemporary styling and dark color of the appliances, which were chosen at the start of the space planning process, helped to drive the choice of the chocolate brown timber. “The appliances meld nicely with this cabinetry; black would have felt too heavy,” Fanning says.

As for making those selections, Fanning and the clients spent an afternoon at the Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove showroom in Melbourne, where they learned about the products and enjoyed lunch. “It was paramount that they chose equipment that accommodates their entertaining needs,” says the designer.

The timber wall houses four integrated columns of Sub-Zero refrigeration, including a wine storage unit that offers a glimpse of the homeowners’ collection. (The balance is stored in a luxurious lower level wine cellar.) A 30-inch-wide stack of sleek, black glass Wolf ovens—convection steam oven, single oven, and warming drawer—stands to the left. “Australians prefer oven stacks for ergonomic ease,” Fanning says. “We’ve done few kitchens with under-bench ovens in the last five years.”.

Similarly, she adds, Australians are gravitating to induction cooktops. “These clients appreciate the functionality and seamless design.” Indeed, the black cooktop almost disappears within the white and pale gray Elba marble. “We introduced the lighter stone to the palette for freshness and to balance the room’s darker elements,” says Fanning. The subtle reflectivity of the polished plaster hood further brightens the scheme and ties to the plaster finishes elsewhere in the home.

Fanning reports that the kitchen performs flawlessly for everyday life, casual get-togethers, and catered events, while looking gorgeous at every turn. “Our clients take great pride in their kitchen,” she says.