LOVELY LAURA PROJECT / by megan norgate

megan norgate brave new eco sustainable interior design

Nestled in the back streets of Brunswick is this sweet single-fronted terrace. BNE were engaged to design a new kitchen for the home- with a brief to create a super-efficient kitchen-for-one - with a small dishwasher, no gas and a only a bar fridge supplemented with a cool store corner pantry.
At the centre of the home is a beautiful deep green music room that flows onto the galley-style kitchen. This music room is a serene, and classically elegant space, so the kitchen was designed to reflect the same refined and timeless quality in a lighter and softer way. 

megan norgate brave new eco

Induction cooking was used to remove the house entirely from gas reliance. This allowed the meter to be removed and the owner to convert the house to 100% renewable energy via a solar system and 100% green power.  A full-size fridge was donated to charity and replaced with a small under-bench fridge. The exterior ventilated corner pantry rack houses many perishables that only need to be kept cool, not cold, such as vegetables, fruit, bread and eggs.

megan norgate brave new eco sustainable interior design

The cabinets were hand painted in water based paint - an important feature as they can be repainted instead of being replaced if the owner ever tires of green (never!). Un-lacquered copper cabinet handles and tap-ware were used for their natural microbial qualities.
Australian hardwood shelving was sealed with Osmo oils, and two formats of Japanese tiles were used to create the splashback. 

megan norgate sustainable interior design

Photographs by Emma Byrnes.