What’s the easiest way to give your kitchen an update without having to do a full-blown renovation?

If the kitchen cabinets are in good condition and you like the layout, have the cabinets resprayed and replace the handles. Also replace the bench tops and treat a splashback like you do cushions for a sofa. If you replace the splashback it can give a completely different feel to the kitchen with little need to invest hundreds.

What do you look for when designing a kitchen?

The kitchen is the heart of the house and although it is not always possible with all floor plans I try to make the kitchen feel as connected to the living areas as possible. Cooks always tell me that they want to feel connected to their families or guests. They hate that feel like their behind the scenes or that they’re simply left out. It’s also important to work out with the client what the entire design scheme of the house will be, as it should work with the rest of the house and feel like a single entity. When designing a kitchen,  I love really organic-feeling products and like choosing everything down to the tableware. Heath Ceramics is my favourite place in LA and Planet Furniture in Surry Hills also has amazing ceramic plates and bowls back home in Australia.

Any tips for those who are undertaking their own remodeling?

I like to ask clients whether you are designing a kitchen for yourself or whether it is purely something you’re doing to help the resale value of your house. If it is for yourself then I think it should reflect you and relate to the rest of the feel of the house and furniture. If its for resale purposes you should make safe choices that won’t eliminate any possible buyers in the future. If it’s a small kitchen, integrating the fridge and dishwasher behind cabinets can make the kitchen feel larger than it really is. I also try not to buy in to fad-themed tiles. Due to the internet and explosion of renovation shows I feel everyone seems to go for the same tiles and before you know it everyone has them and they’re no longer unique or special. Try to go for something that has longevity. It’s amazing how many kitchens I have seen where the owners haven’t taken into consideration the placement of the dishwashers and fridges. Sometimes they open out and actually hit island benches or other cabinets. If there isn’t too much room, choose a fridge freezer with twin side by side doors rather than than a large single door or a dishwasher with drawers.

Is there anything you’ve learnt from working with celebrity clients?

I’ve learnt quite a lot from my celebrity clients over the years. One of the celebs I worked with is quite the scientist when it comes to the body and nutrition. Instead of having a stand-up fridge freezer, she has fridge-freezer drawers because it is gives easier access to items that would normally be at the back of the fridge-freezer.  She also insisted on brass bench tops because apparently (like stainless steel) they are the best when it comes to hygiene. They also age beautifully and add a lot of warmth to kitchen.  Though funnily enough the celebrities I have worked with have actually been less challenging because they are very sure of what they want and I don’t have to do so much work trying to come to conclusive choices as I do with other clients. The only real challenge is working around their crazy work schedules but really most people that need designers do have crazy work schedules so it’s all part and parcel of the job.

You’ve recently just finished working on the house of Bianca Monley, owner and founder of Eat, Fit Food, in Berrima, NSW. What you did in her kitchen?

Bianca is an amazing cook and loves to entertain and cook for her guests. She loved the layout of the existing kitchen but I felt it needed a major update to go with my vision for the house. Instead of a doing a whole new kitchen we removed the old curved mouldings off the front of the old white cabinet doors and replaced them with shaker-style panels and new brass handles from Mother of Pearl.  We painted the cabinets with a charcoal Porter’s Paint because i wanted them to have a hand-painted feel.  The existing kitchen had an island but no seating so we extended the cabinetry and replaced the marble bench top with a larger concrete coloured Silestone benchtop housing new bar stools. It’s a huge island and Silestone (at the time) had the biggest pieces in that colour tone.  I am not a huge fan of seeing fridges, freezers and dishwashers so we had a carpenter integrate new appliances with new cabinet fronts in the butler’s pantry. I also stayed at the farm with Bianca when I was coming up the with the design and we needed a huge fridge for the rosé we would drink every night coming up with inspiration.  We also updated the splashback with a beautiful diamond-shaped hand-made moroccan tile from Onsite Tiles and replaced the stove, cooktop, sink and tapware from Winning Appliances.  It wasn’t a major kitchen renovation but it looks like a totally new kitchen and we saved so much money not having to replace the cabinets. That gave me more of a budget to spend on the furniture and artwork for the rest of the house.

Do you have any favorite surfaces you like to work with on kitchen benches?  Marble, Caesarstone, stainless steel?

It’s always such a big decision when designing a kitchen. I change my mind all the time with this and I think that’s because every home is so different. I think brass can look amazing and is fantastic for its hygienic qualities but I don’t think it suits every kitchen. A lot people are weary of marble but they shouldn’t. People think that it stains easily but most stains can be sandpapered out.  I think a simple Caesarstone bench can really work when you want to have more fun with a splashback. In my LA house I have Spanish tiles on my countertop and splashback and it looks fun but I don’t love when food gets stuck in the grout on the counter top.

See below for Jason’s 10 kitchen accessories every kitchen needs.