Our open and minimalist Terra Boho Kitchen!

411

Coastal Living
HDB (BTO)
~1,000 sqft
4 br
Couple Living with Kids

Hello everyone! Afiqah here. Welcome to my favourite part of my home, the kitchen! This is where I spend countless hours whipping up delicious dishes passed down from generations. As an Arab-Javanese married to an Indian-Pakistani, our kitchen is a melting pot of flavours. But, we still have a soft spot for a good bowl of miso! Building this kitchen was a fun and relaxing escape from my day job as a Special Educator. I worked closely with my contractors from DNI to bring my vision to life. Since we didn't have an interior designer, we were actively involved in the design process. Our goal was to create a kitchen with a terracotta-inspired palette, Mediterranean tiles, and bohemian accents, all while keeping it budget-friendly. We decided to maintain the original open-concept layout to enhance the space's airiness and minimalism. The kitchen's proximity to my boys' room allows us to keep an eye on them while preparing meals. I wanted to preserve the original layout to maintain a sense of openness that extends from the living room to the kitchen. This open-plan design provides a full peripheral view of our home, allowing us to keep an eye on everything. Lastly, I've included our colour/material scheme palette for easy reference.
This is where the transformation comes to life! As previously mentioned, we love the open-concept layout. It makes the kitchen feel spacious and airy, and it connects seamlessly to many parts of the house. The large windows bring in plenty of natural light and offer a beautiful view of a rooftop garden interconnected to our unit. My most favourite part is our cozy dining nook that we have created with two dining benches ( 130cm each, both with hidden storage). It's perfect for enjoying casual meals or just relaxing with a cup of coffee as it is conveniently located next to our island. We call it our " mini coffee bar''.
I'm not a fan of clutter, especially in my kitchen. I wanted to find a way to keep my dishes organized and out of sight. Instead of using a traditional dish rack on the countertop, I decided to have an overhead dish rack installed. The rack has a tinted black glass shelf with soft-close functionality, so it's easy to store our newly washed dishes without creating clutter. Since my kitchen is open-concept, it's important to me to keep things tidy. Having a designated space for dishes helps to maintain a clutter-free environment. If the space becomes overloaded, I can quickly wipe the dishes clean and make room for larger cookwares. Following through with this, we've been able to maintain a minimalist and organized kitchen. This not only makes the space more visually appealing but also helps me to stay efficient and productive. It seems like minimalism is the trend nowadays, and I'm happy to be a part of it!
I wanted our kitchen to have a warm and inviting feel, so we remain true with terracotta hues as the main colour palette. To add depth and contrast, we incorporated chocolate brown cabinetry and a white quartz countertop. We believe that maintaining a balanced colour scheme is essential for creating a visually appealing space, even when sticking to a specific theme. Essential to keep contrast in mind :).
I saw this rail at IKEA and was immediately inspired by their kitchen set-up. I knew I needed to have something similar in my own kitchen. These rails add a touch of farmhouse charm and create a cozy and inviting atmosphere. Whether you'd call it farmhouse, Scandinavian, or minimalist, these rails are the perfect addition to any cozy kitchen. One of my favourite features of my kitchen is the ability to display my cooking tools and utensils. It's a great way to add a touch of personality and create a cozy, countryside-inspired atmosphere :).
I chose these Spanish laminate tiles because they're easy to remove if I ever decide to change them. I might switch to Peranakan, French-century, or Moroccan tiles in the future. You never know what the future holds! These tiles remind me of the villa I grew up in Dubai, called Hacienda. The colours – sandy, deep green, and rusty brown-blue – evoke a sense of nostalgia. They add a touch of vibrancy to the space while still having a feeling of home.
These images display the entrance of our kitchen from each sides. The top photo shows the window laminate we chose for privacy. We wanted something that would allow natural light into the kitchen while still providing privacy-We chose the laminates in Peranakan retro-patterns. We also love the wooden rack we purchased to store bulky kitchen appliances like our Ninja Foodi and Midea microwave. The lowest rack is perfect for storing dry ingredients like ginger, garlic, and red onions.
One of our favourite features of our open-concept kitchen is our mini 6ftx4ft island table, which we've converted into a cozy coffee bar. It's the perfect spot to enjoy a cup of coffee or entertain guests. We have a Nespresso Innissia and Aeroccino milk frother for a quick and easy latte, cappuccino or flat whit. For a more classic experience, we use a French press for hot-brewed coffee. We also offer cold brew coffee in a filter bottle. Our mini coffee bar is perfect for making small shots like espresso and macchiato. However, our guests seem to love our flat whites with oat milk. We also have a handy pods holder accessory that can hold up to 40 capsules. It's small, portable, and doesn't take up much space. The top part is made of silicone, so it doesn't absorb liquid. If you are coffee lover, get that accessory!
As you enter the kitchen from the service yard door, you'll notice a handy rail we've installed. It's a great place to hang grocery bags, Oven mittens, kitchen towels, and silicone chopping boards in various sizes. We also have a small stool for our toddlers to use when they want to help with the washing or cooking. It's a wonderful way to involve them in the family activities. Our cozy kitchen encourages family togetherness. The open space, warm colours, and inviting features create a welcoming atmosphere where we can enjoy each other's company, create memories, and truly feel at home. With that, I'd like to reiterate again that the kitchen is the heart of our home, and it's where we come together to connect and celebrate togetherness in unison. Thank you for reading our post! Till then, xxx Afiqah & Farouq ( The Sheikhs)