With the ability to make a space feel larger, lighter and more open, it is only natural that mirror finds its way into the kitchen. We see how six different designers have used the material’s reflective potential to conceal functional or structural elements, while creating visual interest.
Cove House by Arent&Pyke
Gadigal Country / Sydney, Australia
Responding to the client’s request for a home that would be “handsome, not pretty,” Sydney-based design practice Arent&Pyke was engaged to complete the full scope of interiors, custom fabrication, and furnishings. Working alongside Long Blackledge Architects, the designers struck a unique balance between the home’s classic codes and contemporary additions, highlighting beauty while aiding functionality.
Inspired by the surrounding landscape’s blue waters and sandstone textures, aquatic themes echo throughout the house. A newly positioned galley-style kitchen features deep blue and mirrored cabinetry that reflects light and greenery, while evoking the nearby swirling sea.
Gable House by Studio Doherty
Warundjeri Woi-Warrung Country / Melbourne, Australia
Located in a heritage-sensitive area of inner-city Melbourne, the home designed by Studio Doherty and Folk Architects is a space for creativity. Situated on a corner site, the residence is distinguished by its varied roof forms, including a prominent tower, and by its diverse materials—such as exterior zinc cladding, salvaged bricks, and colourful accents—that blend artful design with its heritage context. While brightening the space, the reflective overhead kitchen cabinets appear like jewels, especially alongside the lipstick-pink wall joinery and the sculptural pale blue quartzite island.
Casa REdDUO
Milan, Italy
In Milan, designers Fabiola di Virgilio and Andrea Rosso have reimagined their 1930s apartment into Casa REdDUO. The pair behind REdDUO, known for their material-driven homewares and custom interiors, have transformed the once timeworn residence into a hybrid home and studio where heritage and intuition guide every decision.
The dark timber veneer custom kitchen features an island developed in collaboration with Very Simple: Kitchen. Set atop the original terrazzo floors, the mirror helps avoid cluttering the open-plan living space, allowing the kitchen to function more like furniture within it.
My Space | Sarah Vanwelden
Antwerp, Belgium
Gallerist Sarah Vanwelden’s Antwerp home, designed by Contekst, is centred around subtle infusions of colour. “Very early on, Contekst came up with the idea of using Rose Aurore marble,” Vanwelden says. “It has a lot of gravitas, it’s old-world, but it’s light and joyful.”
The Rose Aurore marble kitchen island’s organic shape responds to the clean lines of the existing stainless-steel joinery and mirrored rangehood. The mirror embraces filtered natural light through the sheers—one of several ways Contekst has drawn light further into the home.
Wonderland by Clément Lesnoff-Rocard
Paris, France
They sit alongside contrasting material elements, including architectural concrete, Carrara and Rosso Levanto marble, Jacques Frey curtains for softness, and a black diamond-tiled feature wall recalling playing cards from Alice in Wonderland.
Auberdeen by Madelynn Hudson Interiors
Missouri, North Amercia
New York-based design studio Madelynn Hudson Interiors has cultivated a glamorous, ’70s deco-inspired spirit within a mid-century framework. Designed for American comedian and actress Heidi Gardner, the transformation honours the residence’s architectural roots while introducing a theatrical sensibility that reflects Gardner’s personality.
In the kitchen, the studio layered custom wood millwork, expressive Calacatta marble benchtops and woven cabinet detailing. Taking centre stage, the disco ball-like mirrored rangehood becomes an unlikely focal point; amplifying light and tuning into the home’s playful theatricality.
