LEVEL — BENCH · KITCHEN ISLAND AND OPEN SHELVING
Kitchen design sets the room at waist height: where you prepare, cook and clean, how cabinetry stores the everyday, and which surfaces take the wear. We plan the layout, work zones, joinery, benchtop and splashback materials, appliance integration and lighting as one drawing, so decisions agree before trades start.
WHO IT IS FOR
— Sydney homeowners replacing a kitchen as part of a renovation
— New homes where the kitchen is still on plan, see New Build Interior Design
— Apartments where a compact kitchen has to do more
— Open-plan houses where the kitchen faces living and dining
BRING TO THE FIRST MEETING
— Floor plans or rough measurements of the room
— Photos of the existing sink, cooktop and windows
— Appliances you want to keep
— Where things are stored now, and what never fits
LEVEL — BENCH / LAYOUT
Galley, L-shape or island
A
Galley
Two parallel runs, short steps between sink, cooktop and fridge. Suits narrow terraces and apartments. The trade-off is a single path, so the aisle width decides whether two people can cook together.
B
L-shape and U-shape
Benches wrap a corner or three walls, keeping traffic out of the work zone. More bench run, but corners need planned storage, or the deepest cupboards become the least used.
C
Island
A freestanding bench that joins kitchen to living space, with seating, prep or a sink. It needs clearance on every side, and plumbing or power in the floor if it does more than serve.
LEVEL — BENCH / FIXED
What stays, what moves
A kitchen is a focused scope, but its decisions tie to fixed plumbing and cabinetry. Keeping the sink and dishwasher near existing services limits building work. Moving them, or adding an island sink, can open the layout and usually brings in Space Planning and Design Documentation so trades build what was drawn.
LEVEL — BENCH / SURFACES
Design options, layer by layer
Read more in the journal: Planning a Kitchen That Works.
Cabinetry and storage
Drawers over doors in base cabinets, tall pantry units, integrated panels and pull-outs sized to what you own. Handle-less or framed profiles set the character. See Custom Joinery Design.
Benchtops and splashbacks
Stone, engineered surfaces, timber, tile or glass, chosen for heat, staining and upkeep as much as looks, and matched to cabinetry and flooring. See Colour & Material Selection.
Appliances and lighting
Integrated or freestanding appliances, rangehood extraction and ovens set into joinery. Task lighting under wall cabinets, pendants over the island and ambient layers for evenings. See Lighting & Finishes.
LEVEL — BENCH / SEQUENCE
How a kitchen is designed
STAGE 01
Services check
Where water, waste, power and extraction run now, and how much of the existing kitchen the new layout can keep before anything is drawn.
STAGE 02
Work-zone layout
Prep, cooking, washing up and storage placed along the bench, compared as layout options and reviewed with 3D Interior Visualisation.
STAGE 03
Joinery elevations
Each cabinetry run drawn face-on: drawers, doors, panels, shelving and handles, issued to the cabinetmaker as part of Design Documentation.
STAGE 04
Appliance schedule
Every appliance listed against its cabinet opening, power and ventilation, so cabinetmaker, electrician and plumber work from one list. More on the Design Process page.
LEVEL — QUESTIONS
Kitchen questions
RELATED SERVICES
Can you design the kitchen without the rest of the house?
Yes. Kitchen Design works as a standalone scope, with finishes chosen to sit comfortably beside the floors and rooms you are keeping.
Do I need to move the plumbing?
Not always. Many layouts improve with services left in place. Where relocating them makes the room work, we show the option alongside one that keeps them.
Will I see the kitchen before it is built?
3D Interior Visualisation shows layout, cabinetry and materials together, so changes happen on screen rather than on site.
What affects the cost of a kitchen?
Layout changes, joinery complexity, benchtop material and appliance choices all shape the budget. The journal covers what affects interior design costs in Sydney.
LEVEL — NEXT
Book a Consultation
Bring floor plans or rough measurements, photos of the existing kitchen and the appliances you want to keep. The consultation sets which layout, cabinetry and surface decisions come first.