As soon as I found out we were going to get the chance to take a peek inside Pete Evans’ newly renovated Sydney home, I immediately wanted to check out his kitchen. As the owner of multiple restaurants and a judge on the hit TV show My Kitchen Rules, I had high hopes, and not surprisingly, I wasn’t disappointed!
“Our kitchen was always going to be the soul of our home, especially because home cooked, nourishing, mindful, paleo-inspired food is such a focus in both our business and our personal life,” explains Pete. “It’s the part of our home where we all enjoy so much memorable time together, which for us is an integral part of connecting with ourselves, each other and our food.”
Featuring an almost six-metre Corian island bench, it also doubles as their dining room table, a purposeful decision, to generate a feeling of closeness between the family and flow throughout the house. “There’s no separation between kitchen and dining and we also chose to have our kitchen and family room laid out in an open plan manner,” says Pete. “This allows us to always feel close to and communicate with the kids, which generates a nice sense of togetherness.”
The house is home to Pete, his fiancée Nicola Watson and his children Chilli and Indii. It has gone under quite a thorough renovation, including putting in a brand new kitchen, laundry and outdoor space. And while Pete says the original house had some great bones, he always knew he was going to have to renovate the kitchen.
“It was something that we needed to do regardless of which house we bought because we both definitely had an ideal kitchen in mind that suited our specific needs and our family,” says Pete. “In the beginning, the living area and kitchen were both quite dark and disjointed, whereas now it feels a lot more open, unified and filled with light. Everything flows from the kitchen to the family room to the outdoors and it has a pleasing brightness that greets you as soon as you walk in the front door.”
With a style that is not ultra modern but rather ultra functional, the home is full of clean lines, bright yet neutral tones and refreshing splashes of colour, a design aesthetic Pete always had in mind. “Both Nic and I were very hands on in the design because we knew exactly what we needed, from the colour, to the appliances, to the cupboards and drawers, and we were conscious of exactly what sort of space we required for everything to function harmoniously.”
With Nic being a talented artist and as an avid skull collector (her latest being a saber-toothed cat skull!) the home has no shortage of unique homewares and furniture, yet Pete’s favourite piece has to be his BoConcept couch: “It’s the ultimate place to snuggle up and watch a movie, which is something we all really like to do, especially in winter.”
While Pete undoubtably loves his home, especially that kitchen, it’s not actually a room that is Pete’s favourite part of the house. “I have to say the thing I love the most about our house isn’t anything that you can touch or see, it’s the sense of contentment and comfort that we all feel when we’re at home. That’s what wholeheartedly stands out to me and it’s a feeling that I don’t take for granted.”
Can’t argue with that, eh?
Do you like Pete’s home? Before you ask, much of the furniture shown is available from BoConcept and one of their interior designers helped him achieve the look.
Photography by Jacqui Turk.
