Creative solutions

This sophisticated and stylish kitchen, with its emphasis on quality fittings and appliances, is perfect for entertaining; in bringing together architectural detail and streamlined design, Lee Hardcastle from Enigma Interiors, Queensland’s most awarded kitchen company, has created a multi-purpose space for his client.

Located on Sovereign Island off Paradise Point in Queensland, Australia, this glamorous private residence enjoys water views from most angles, making it ideal for bringing together friends and family. This inspiring room has recently earned designer Lee Hardcastle the title of 2013 KBDi ‘National Kitchen Designer of the Year’.

Multiple wine fridges sit behind a stunning marble block with an EcoSmart fire set into a front niche, creating a remarkable feature. “Flames are naturally intriguing and captivating, making the EcoSmart an admirable piece when entertaining or simply home alone,” Lee explains.

Although the fire is key to the space now, Lee says the kitchen design did not originally include an indoor fireplace; the space occupied by an EcoSmart XL900 burner was going to be filled with a television. “I wanted to create a more relaxing and inviting space, somewhere free of antisocial devices such as a television,” he explains.

The client absolutely loves their new kitchen, especially the fire – something Lee is very pleased about, since his theory that because fire is a primal element for cooking, this marries in ideally with a kitchen.

“I recommended EcoSmart for this project because of its quality and reliability; each part of this kitchen uses premium components, and therefore the fireplace had to be of equally high calibre to achieve satisfying results,” says Lee. “The longevity, compact dimensions and other specifications of the EcoSmart product also appealed to us.”

The statement ‘Grigio Carnico’ marble block which surrounds the EcoSmart Fire was introduced later in the design process, as the owners of the home originally requested an all-white kitchen. Determined to incorporate a touch of natural texture and colour, Lee suggested the use of this material to enhance the appearance.

Created in 2012, the kitchen has clean, architectural lines and is fresh and sophisticated in its design; an extremely complex kitchen to construct, appliances are skillfully integrated throughout. These include Swiss-made V-ZUG appliances and quality fittings, which are key to the overall look and operation of this new space. The unique ‘Staron’ bench top seamlessly coves into a splashback, contouring the fixed angle of the wall mounted exhaust.

“The entire process was full of challenges!” says Lee. “There is nothing overly unusual about the materials we have used, it’s simply the way we have used them that makes this kitchen something special. Pleasingly, the EcoSmart fire was actually the easiest part to install!”