Luxurious kitchens are the new place of worship in apartments

Designer kitchens have emerged as the new battlefront among developers trying to lure ever more discerning buyers to splash their cash on their high-end apartment projects.

Those parting with seven figures for an apartment now get kitchen perks – top-brand European appliances integrated into the design, induction cooktops, twin ovens, double sinks, island benches with marble finishes, designer pendant lighting and tapware, built-in wine fridges and even butler’s pantries.

Another marketing tactic in the apartment kitchen wars is recruiting celebrity chefs to design the kitchens and communal dining spaces of apartment projects in the hope their culinary cachet will inspire kitchen-conscious buyers.

One of Melbourne’s most celebrated chefs, Shannon Bennett of restaurant Vue de Monde, has just completed his second collaboration with architect Fender Katsalidis​ designing kitchens for the Vanguard apartment project at Malvern after previously collaborating on the prestigious Parque development at St Kilda Road.

A few years ago, developer BPM picked up awards for its acclaimed Flora apartments at Brighton, which featured kitchens designed by chef Guy Grossi, famed for his Grossi Florentino restaurant.

Recent developments such as Kalex’s 166 Gertrude development at Fitzroy have chosen desirable brands, rather than chefs, to lift their kitchen design up a notch, offering imported Italian Valcucine​ kitchens, Gaggenau​ appliances and Great Dane lighting.

Then there’s the lavish Capitol Grand development at South Yarra, offering glamorous kitchens with parquetry or stone flooring, wine fridges, butler’s pantries and Gaggenau appliances.

The humble kitchen has certainly evolved from a hidden space used only for the necessity of meal preparation to an “entertaining space” where friends and family gather around for the recreation of cooking.

Apartment kitchens have transformed from the linear spaces and U-shaped kitchens of old to the modern style with island benches.

Open-plan living has inspired the merger of kitchen and living areas, which now converge at the island bench, the new place of worship and gathering in apartments, often artfully illuminated by strands of pendant lighting.

Bennett acknowledges the rise of the home cook and the resulting demand for more sophisticated home kitchens.

“Cooking a meal at home for friends and family is the new black,” he says. “Kitchens now serve several purposes. Now it has become a domain for passion, relaxation and enjoyment.”

Bennett says his approach to kitchen design is practically orientated and focused on functionality.

“Technology and tradition need to sit together seamlessly – my favourite example of this is an induction cooktop with a copper pot simmering away on top of it,” he says.

Marshall White Projects director Leonard Teplin, who is selling Vanguard, says using top chefs to design kitchens is not a gimmick.

“Shannon thinks about where the appliances should go, should it be above the waist or below your waist, what’s at eye-level and how do you use the space.

“I don’t think an architect or somebody who is not in his shoes can explain that and think about the functionality as clearly as he has.”

Fine dining at home with a view

The lavish residents’ dining area designed by chef Shannon Bennett at the Vanguard development helped seal the deal for downsizers Deb Kalb and her partner, Dino Qama, who bought a two-bedroom apartment off the plan in the Malvern East project.

“If you’ve got a big family and you’ve got them over for a dinner, you can actually book that dining area which opens up to an outdoor area with couches,” says Kalb. “It’s designed by Shannon Bennett and I think it’s brilliant.”

The Carnegie couple, who will be empty-nesters when the kids move out of their four-bedroom house this year, were equally impressed by the layout of the apartments and the kitchens.

“It’s got fantastic Miele appliances and I love the way it is set out with the island bench,” Kalb says.

With views of the bay and Caulfield racecourse from their new 14th-floor abode and the abundant communal facilities plus a 24-hour concierge service, the couple liken their future home to living at a resort.

“I was floored by it all and I walked away thinking, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe we just got that’,” Kalb says.

Cover property: Vanguard

2-4 John Street, Malvern East
$450,000-$1,588,000

The resort-style Vanguard development at Malvern East boasts the kitchen cred of leading chef Shannon Bennett of Vue de Monde who has designed the house-sized kitchens and communal dining spaces.

The 18-storey project with a six-level podium and 12-level tower has been designed by Fender Katsalidis Architects and will peer across Caulfield racecourse towards Port Phillip Bay and the city skyline from various angles.

There are 322 apartments on offer with internal sizes starting from 44-63 square metres for one-bedroom apartments up to the three-bedroom Sky Homes which have 77 to 122 square metres of space.

Apartment interiors feature floor-to-ceiling windows and Bennett’s signature kitchens with integrated Miele appliances, stone benchtops, detailed cabinetry as well as wine fridges in the penthouses.

Residents will have a concierge at their service 24 hours a day and a host of communal facilities including a gymnasium, executive lounge, media room, residents’ lounge, private dining space and a spa, sauna and sundeck.

Marshall White Projects, phone Ross Hams 0410 160 151

Or try these . . .

625 Chapel Street, South Yarra
$610,000-$20 million-plus
Capitol Grand offers lavish kitchens with timber parquetry or stone flooring, butler’s pantries and Gaggenau appliances.
LK 135 574 or Amity Property Group 0409 141 510

166 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy​
$525,000-$1.75 million
An uber-chic address with four apartments left boasting imported Italian Valcucine kitchens and Gaggenau appliances.
Melbourne Real Estate, Georgina Mellick 0423 909 266

382 Burnley Street, Richmond
$390,000-$1.75 million
The Isla project, surrounded by Richmond’s eat streets, offers elegant kitchens at affordable prices.
CBRE, Andrew Leoncelli 1300 888 770