Dale and Sophie Vine had lived in their house for six years when they decided to modernise the kitchen. The former contestants on The Block had renovated other areas of the house and their kitchen now looked outdated and didn’t provide enough space or functionality for their growing family. They wanted a fresh look to reflect their earthy style and used nature-inspired finishes, including Silestone® Eternal Marfil benchtops, to create a calming space that would withstand wear and tear. “We wanted a neutral palette, so that it would be more timeless and not date as quickly as other bold kitchens,” says Dale.
To meet their budget and timeframe, Dale worked with a Kinsman designer to create a Kinsman Xpress Kitchen to suit their space and changing needs. Retaining the existing footprint, they incorporated more bench space, added a breakfast servery and made room for a larger refrigerator and second pantry. The Vines selected a timber-grain finish for the cabinetry to create the natural, timeless look they desired, and appreciated the standard soft-close doors and drawers – particularly with three young children around. Once designed, the ready-to-assemble flat-pack kitchen was delivered to the Vines’ door for Dale to install.
In keeping with the natural look, Dale and Sophie selected Silestone® in Eternal Marfil for the benchtops with a mitred waterfall edge. Inspired by natural stone, Eternal Marfil has a light, warm tone with subtle soft-orange veining through a cream background. It has through-body colouring and brings a sense of serenity to a space. Made from up to 90 per cent natural stone, it is also extremely hard and resilient making it highly resistant to scratches, stains and heat damage. Added N-Boost technology enhances shine and prevents the absorption of liquids, making cleaning and maintenance easy. “It looks just like natural stone, but it is much more durable, which our family needs,” says Dale.
The Silestone® benchtops are along both sides of the galley-style kitchen. The rear benchtop is surrounded by cabinetry and appliances, while the front benchtop has a double sink. It faces the living room for easy supervision of the kids and extends at one end for the sought-after breakfast bar. Tiled splashbacks above both Silestone® benchtops have a textured hand-made look to complement Eternal Marfil and are all slightly different sizes. “It gives them the imperfect look we wanted,” Dale says.
Dale and Sophie now have a fresh and calming, timeless kitchen that fits beautifully with the style of their house and provides the needed bench and storage space for their growing family.
Learn more about Silestone® here.
