A restored Paddington terrace is given a modern update with a hard-working kitchen that hits all the right style notes.

Sydney’s inner-city suburb of Paddington is no stranger to historic homes. It’s a neighbourhood famed for its colourful Victorian terraces with wrought iron balconies that are carefully restored, looked after and given a new lease of life by modern tenants.

A family of four recently reconstructed one such home. During renovation, it was revealed that the original construction had been a mediocre one, with defects on every level – meaning the entire interior had to be gutted. This was no mean feat and the project ended up being a lot more than the clients had bargained for – but it also presented an opportunity to start afresh, experiment with the floor plan and create something completely new.

As part of the renovation, the clients enlisted local interior architecture studio Minosa Design to create a statement kitchen. As the clients love to cook and entertain, the kitchen had to be functional and have plenty of storage, have space to entertain and fit in a long dining table, as well as have a connection to the outdoor area.

Being a long and narrow building, the designers had to work around an odd layout, as well as existing concrete slab. Through clever design details of ample floor-to-ceiling cupboards that line both side walls and a built-in bench in the dining area, the designers were able to fulfil the clients’ requirements without overwhelming the space.

Touches of dusky pink in the seating and rangehood, as well as gold edging on the cupboards, give this kitchen the wow factor the clients desired, offset by classic black and white to prevent this kitchen from dating quickly. This sense of luxury is matched by the appliances specified. Take the stove, for example, which is sleek and minimal, ensuring it doesn’t take up much space on the bench top.

Then there’s the Zip HydroTap Arc in Matte Black, that takes pride of place in the square sink. This particular tap was a request of the client, who wanted the convenience of instant chilled, sparkling and boiling water on tap. Not only did this fit in with her affinity for entertaining and wanting to provide guests with a variety of filtered water options at the touch of a button, it also worked with the limited space, eliminating the need for kettles or bottles of water on the counter tops.

Efficient, stylish and full of personality, this kitchen shows that sometimes the best things really do come in small packages.