New Kitchen – A Room of One’s Own

They say shopping local is great, but as it turns out for one Three Kings couple, it was Jag Kitchens in the east that yielded far and away the best results for their new kitchen.

The stainless steel bench was the final straw for Tom and Theresa Van der Wee. After deciding to renovate their home of four years, they were on the lookout for a new kitchen and someone to do the job.

“We thought we’d try the ones here because it was close and local,” says Theresa. However, Tom, an experienced boat builder and builder, had specific requirements. “They couldn’t think outside the box. They thought we knew nothing and didn’t like that Tom wanted things his way – they couldn’t work with that and Tom wouldn’t have a bar of it,” says Theresa.

Instead of subsiding, frustrations continued to mount. “The bench was going to cost us our entire kitchen budget! We were exasperated.”

Then, just at the right time, their renovations team recommended Jag Kitchens. “They said they’d done some work with Jag Kitchens and their work was top notch,” says Theresa.

Visiting Jag Kitchens in the Danske Mobler Home Centre in Botany, the couple instantly gelled with the Jag Kitchens design team. “They are just awesome. We had been told ‘no’ so much and all of a sudden it was ‘yes’ all the way – we were stoked. We even got the bench we wanted and stayed on budget!”

This was largely thanks to Jag Kitchens’ astute selection of suppliers. “We use RH King & Sons and they’re very reasonably priced – our clients are quite often surprised!”

Just as well the Van der Wees persevered with the stainless steel – the result is stunning. Steering away from conventional kitchens boasting flashy, polished elegance, the Van der Wees went instead for individuality and clean, aesthetic design.

“We wanted something fresh, something that feels like a bach in your house. I didn’t want a very packaged kitchen,” says Theresa.

Hovering from the high ceilings are one-of-a-kind pendant lights with exposed cables, designed and made by Tom. Beneath, the chunky, waterfall style bench and breakfast bar takes pride of place and is married with a light, honey-coloured cabinetry embellished with a subtle wood grain.

A plywood pillar, also made by Tom, extends from the ceiling to one end of the bench, creating height and dimension. Polished stainless steel retro handles and gleaming white butcher tiles further add to the kitchen’s character.

Unexpected orange colours burst from the lights, stools and accessories, adding a twist and paying homage to Tom’s Dutch heritage.

A big hit with family and friends, the kitchen is the centre of attention. “They all love it. They’re really envious of my kitchen! The bench gets rave reviews and everyone loves the details, the colours, the lights, and the sense of space.”

While aesthetics are a priority, the Jag Kitchens team made sure the kitchen worked as well as it looked and the suggestion of an on-bench pantry was a winner with Theresa. “That’s exactly what we wanted because I want to use my things regularly – like my mixer. If you put it down there, you’ll never get it out.”

The social factor is great too, adds the mother of two young children. “I love the openness of the kitchen and the breakfast bar. My kids actually do sit here and chat with me – it’s wonderful.”

Overall, the experience with Jag Kitchens has been amazing, says Theresa. “It felt good to be able to trust someone who knew what worked, and because it’s the first time we’ve renovated our own home, it helped to have that support. We’re very happy and it’s been well worth it. The kitchen is my favourite part of the whole house!”