Nunawading homes are an important part of Melbourne’s architectural story. Built during that optimistic post-1945 boom when everyone wanted something simple, functional, and honestly quite beautiful in its no-nonsense way.

If it’s time to renovate, you’re faced with a tricky challenge: how do you bring your kitchen into the 21st century without killing off everything that makes your home special?

Your old kitchen isn’t cutting it anymore

The original kitchens were designed for a different era with smaller families, simpler appliances, and a completely different approach to cooking and entertaining. What made perfect sense in 1955 just doesn’t stack up against how we live today.

You’ve probably got minimal bench space because kitchens were just for cooking, not being the social hub of the house. The storage has become more frustrating than functional, and a layout that forces you to zigzag around the room just to make a cup of tea.

In these situations, you can’t just rip it all out and slap in something from the big box stores. Modular kitchen systems are made for standard, modern dimensions. Your place has its own quirks, which will see better results from something custom that actually fits your house rather than fighting against it.

Modern function with a period feel

The secret to a successful renovation in these MCM homes is understanding what made them great in the first place. Those Post-War architects believed in simplicity, warm materials (especially wood), and spaces that worked hard for their owners. Your new kitchen needs to honour that philosophy while delivering the performance you need today.

This is where working with specialists, like the team at H&H Cabinets, who’ve seen every configuration of cream brick kitchens you can imagine, brings the approach that everyone uses their kitchen differently, and that what works brilliantly for your neighbour might be completely wrong for you.

Starting with the design process

The best renovations don’t start with Pinterest boards (though they have their place). They start with honest conversations about how you actually live. Are you the type who cooks elaborate weekend feasts? Do you entertain regularly? Do you need your kitchen to function as homework central while dinner’s on the go?

This is where a proper design consultation earns its keep. The team needs to understand not just what you want your kitchen to look like, but how it needs to perform. They’ll ask about your appliances, your cooking style, accessibility needs, the whole works. It might feel like a lot of questions, but this information is gold when it comes to creating something that actually works for you.

For character homes, especially, this functional assessment is crucial. If you love the open, social feel of your MCM house and want to keep that vibe, your designer needs to know about your household size and how often you have people over. Maybe that means a kitchen island becomes central to the plan, creating a natural gathering spot. Maybe it means opening up a wall or rethinking the circulation so people can move through the space without bumping into the cook.

Making every centimetre count

Limited space is probably your biggest headache right now. Custom cabinetry can work absolute miracles with even the most challenging layouts.

First up: go vertical. Those old kitchens typically have cabinets that stop well short of the ceiling, leaving a wasteland of unused space up top (probably covered in dust and mystery items you haven’t seen in years). Custom cabinets that extend all the way up give you loads of storage for things you don’t use every day, and they make the whole room feel more finished.

Then there’s what happens inside those cabinets. This is where bespoke design really shines. Instead of standard shelves that force you to stack things awkwardly or let space go to waste, you can have pull-out trays, vertical dividers for baking sheets, lazy Susans in those annoying corner cabinets, and custom solutions for whatever weird appliance collection you’ve accumulated.

If your layout allows, adding an island or peninsula can be transformative. It’s the modern equivalent of that old kitchen table, giving you a central workspace and often doubling your prep area. Plus, it naturally creates that separation between the cooking zone and the living area without completely closing things off.

Making or breaking the character

The Shaker door profile is brilliant for these transitional renovations. It’s got enough detail to feel classic and crafted, but the lines are clean and simple enough that it doesn’t fight with the MCM aesthetic.

For the actual finish, you’ve got options depending on the look you’re after. Natural wood veneer (real timber cut from actual logs) brings that organic warmth that MCM design loves. Oak or walnut with their beautiful grain patterns just work in these spaces. They feel authentic and substantial.

Or, if you want to lean into that crisp, period look, go for a high-quality 2-Pack paint finish. Think about those classic 1950s colours (maybe a soft pale blue or that iconic crisp white that’s been popular since forever). Pair this with classic schoolhouse pendant lights, or subtle brass or copper accents, and these little touches complete the story and make the space feel considered rather than cookie-cutter.

Let’s make those modern appliances disappear

One of the smartest strategies for keeping character intact is concealing your modern appliances behind custom panels. Your massive fridge, your dishwasher, whatever else you need, can all disappear behind cabinetry that matches the rest of the kitchen. The result is those clean, uninterrupted lines that make MCM design so appealing, with all your modern conveniences tucked neatly out of sight.

For the stuff that can’t be hidden (like your cooktop or oven), choose appliances with timeless styling. Stainless steel is your friend here as it works with pretty much everything and won’t look dated in five years.

The kitchen renovations Nunawading trust

H&H Cabinets has built its reputation on exactly this kind of work. Our clients consistently mention feeling supported through the process rather than pressured, and the work speaks for itself.

Your Nunawading kitchen can absolutely be both functional for modern life and true to its heritage. It just takes the right approach, the right expertise, and a commitment to doing it properly. Book that initial consultation, get your design brief taken care of, and let’s start the journey toward a kitchen that works for your family today.