Set among the hustle and bustle of Fitzroy, 131 Smith Street, developed by Outline, is a multi-residential development that not only respects the surrounding culture and heritage but actively adds to it.
Freadman White brought its contextual design ethos to the architecture and interiors across the whole project, including a uniquely tailored apartment commissioned by the homeowners. And it’s this custom interior that was recently awarded the Gaggenau Kitchen of the Year 2025 award in the multi-residential category.
While the studio designed all kitchens and interiors across the multi-residential with texture and function front and centre, this particular kitchen stands apart. As a bespoke, one-off design, it pushes materiality, craft and colour to a new level. Briefed to be both a gathering space and a statement of bold intention, the kitchen needed to respond to the building’s lively Collingwood setting with equal parts confidence and functionality.
The success of this kitchen lies not in overt spectacle but in the accumulation of handcrafted details: rippling green stone across the backsplash and bench sits alongside moody, green-washed timber veneer joinery, and brass hand pulls that show the maker’s touch. These elements express the same artisanal mindset of the appliances. There is a shared sensibility that places Gaggenau as an intrinsic part of the architectural language.
Inside this apartment, the kitchen is the expressive centre point. For the clients, entertaining is a given, and the brief demanded a space that could hold people, cooking and conversation with ease.
Gaggenau’s long tradition of hand-making – from the iconic blue enamel oven interiors to the refinement of every hinge and junction – resonates deeply with the architectural ambitions of the project. Nothing here is decorative without purpose, everything is engineered for longevity, beauty and use. For the developer Outline, a Gaggenau kitchen is often the anchor of family life, the place for debates, announcements and celebration.
The collaboration between architect, developer and builder is elevated by this commitment to detail. In the case of this award-winning kitchen, the outcome feels both sculpted and effortless. The appliances integrate seamlessly within joinery and are beautifully minimal enough to be on display.
Gaggenau’s minimal, sleek design integrates beautifully, allowing the kitchen to be bold without noise. It’s a space that mirrors the project’s broader ethos – one of heritage reframed through contemporary craft.