Zephyr & Stone x Abey Home Project

Great design is style and function in perfect harmony. When your kitchen or laundry space is streamlined, everyday tasks like cooking, cleaning, and washing will be less of a chore. Interior design studio Zephyr & Stone have collaborated with Abey to help make the most out of your space. Transform your kitchen and laundry into well-designed areas you’ll enjoy spending time in.

We hope these expert tips will help you with your renovation, or inspire you to begin your next laundry or kitchen remodel.

Kitchen Design Tips

Taking into account the practical aspects of a kitchen design, on top of aesthetic considerations, can dramatically improve how you use your space. This creates a perfect flow to optimise the way you cook and clean.

Featuring the Armando Vicario Pull Out Kitchen Mixer Tap and Barazza Double Bowl Sink

Integrating appliances for seamless results

Achieve a seamless designer look with integrated kitchen appliances. An integrated fridge creates clean lines between your cabinetry and appliances, while maintaining a consistent colour palette and aesthetic. This also keeps your kitchen looking immaculate as dust will not collect in gaps on either side of your appliance and the fridge door will not encroach on your walkway.

Undermounting your kitchen sink

Installing an undermount sink gives you an uninterrupted and even benchtop surface. Cleaning is a breeze as there are no corners or small spaces where dirt can get trapped. This allows you to wipe from your benchtop to the sink with smooth, continuous motions.

Featuring the Armando Vicario Pull Out Kitchen Mixer Tap and Barazza R15 Double Bowl Sink

Pairing your sink with a pull-out tap

A pull-out tap is a great way to make washing up more efficient in the kitchen. Whether you’re rinsing fresh fruit, filling up a pot, or rinsing plates, a pull-out tap is an ultra-flexible solution to make any kitchen task easy.

Installing your sink in proximity to your bin and dishwasher

The best location for your sink is between your kitchen bin and dishwasher to ensure clean-up is efficient. This time-saving tip enables you to scrape leftovers straight to the bin, rinse plates on the sink, then load them in the dishwasher.

Improving circulation with a smart kitchen layout

Design your kitchen layout so walkways are no less than 1100mm wide. For large and busy kitchens, a 1500mm space is ideal. This allows you and another person to comfortably move around the kitchen, even when your appliance doors are open.

Featuring Gareth Ashton Lucia Goose Sidelever Mixer in brushed brass

Adding a second dishwasher

Maximise your kitchen space by considering your habits and how you use your space. Serious home cooks may opt for a second oven but most households would benefit from having a second dishwasher. This stops dirty dishes from piling up to ensure your benchtop and sink is always clear. You can load one dishwasher while the other one is running, making this a practical solution for families and frequent entertainers.

Laundry Design Tips

The laundry is one room in the house you probably want to spend less time in. But a thoughtfully designed laundry space, will make even the most tedious task a pleasure to complete.

Featuring Gareth Ashton Lucia Goose Sidelever Mixer in brushed brass and Abey Schock Soho Large Single Bowl Sink

Optimising your benchtop depth

A benchtop that is at least 650mm deep is ideal for laundry rooms. This ensures most laundry appliances sit flush with the front of the benchtop and creates a seamless walkway flow. This also gives you ample room to install a mixer tap behind the laundry sink.

Opting for a drop-in laundry sink

Opting for a drop-in sink rather than an undermount option can reduce installation costs on stone polishing for each sink cut out. A fabulous option is the Barazza R15 Single Sink Bowl from Abey. With a minimal flush lip, this sink creates a seamless designer look even when installed as a drop-in. This flexible bowl can also be installed undermounted, so you don’t necessarily need to decide which way you’ll be installing until you’re at the stone templating stage of your project.

Featuring the Armando Vicario Pull Out Kitchen Mixer Tap and Barazza R15 Single Sink Bowl

Adding a pull-out mixer tap

A pull-out mixer tap is perfect for the laundry room. This practical option allows you to fill buckets and hand-wash garments comfortably and efficiently. For households with pets, you can even bathe them with ease by using your flexible pull-out tap.

Maximising your laundry footprint

If you’re looking to maximise your laundry footprint, opt for a front loader washing machine, which allows you to utilise the space above with a benchtop. You can also incorporate storage space above, such as a cupboard or open shelving, without being restricted by the lid on a top loader washer.

Featuring the Armando Vicario Pull Out Kitchen Mixer Tap Incorporating a hanging rail or drying cabinet

A hanging rail allows clothes to dry using a hanger, preventing stubborn creases from setting. This can often eliminate the need to iron many items altogether. For a more advanced option, an innovative drying cabinet integrated in your laundry room offers drying convenience and additional functionality to further streamline your laundry chores.