Older homes in Perth’s inner and eastern suburbs have a character all of their own. The original cornices, skirtings and architraves. The proportions of a house that has settled into itself over decades. When it comes time to renovate the kitchen, the challenge is creating something new that feels like it belongs in a space like that, and our design team work with these kinds of briefs every day.
The most common issue we see is a mismatch between the kitchen and the rest of the house, especially in a unique character home. Think handleless, flat-front cabinetry in a home with ornate cornices and original skirting boards. Or a stark, cool-white finish sitting above warm jarrah floors. On their own, those choices look great in the right setting. In an older home, they just feel like the kitchen belongs somewhere else. The same goes for oversized waterfall-edge islands in rooms that were never designed around that kind of footprint. Scale matters as much as style, and older homes tend to have their own opinions about both.
What People in Character Homes Are Choosing
Shaker cabinetry is consistently the most popular choice for character homes across Perth, and it makes sense. The profile sits naturally alongside period joinery without trying too hard. Paired with farm-style hardware in aged brass or matte black, warm stone benchtops and timber accents, it reads as considered rather than retrofitted. Colour wise, warm whites, taupe and walnut tones are leading the way. They work with the bones of an older home rather than against them.
What Actually Keeps the Character
The details do the heavy lifting here. A Shaker door profile next to an original skirting board. Hardware with some weight to it. Stone with movement and warmth rather than a stark, flat finish. These are the choices that make a renovated kitchen feel like it grew out of the house rather than being dropped into it. Getting the proportions right matters too. High ceilings and generous room sizes are common in homes across Subiaco, Mount Lawley, Bayswater and up into the hills around Kalamunda and Mundaring, and a kitchen needs to be designed with that scale in mind.
Browse our project gallery to see how we’ve approached homes like yours, then book a free design consultation at one of our five Perth showrooms.