I’m a cabinet maker who designs and crafts custom cabinets using real timber (OMG) in Perth.  Over the last 15 years, I’ve seen many homes in most suburbs, and what I’m offering here is a snapshot of home improvement opportunities based on the kind of home you may live in. I hope it’s helpful.  Let me know in the comments.

I’ve posted this now because the building trade is understaffed and from what I hear, certainly, feels overpriced. Custom cabinetry could offer a way to improve your home without significant renovation.  With a thoughtful approach, the results can be just as transformational.

1900s – Federation; Claremont, Mount Lawley, Subiaco and Guildford.

These homes feel welcoming with tuck-pointing, stained glass, and wraparound verandas. Generously proportioned rooms enable larger cabinets to be considered. For example, ‘free-standing’ pantries or larders look perfectly appropriate and can transform a kitchen’s performance without total renovation. Even though they look like furniture, I recommend that larder cabinets be built-in to ensure they remain straight and true to provide years of good service in a family home.

1930s –Spanish Mission and Art Deco; Kensington. Mt Hawthorn. Inglewood.

 As block sizes reduced, so did the scale of the homes. The decorative elements followed the fashions of Spanish Mission, Art Deco and California Bungalows: stucco walls, arched entryways, terracotta roofs, geometric elements, and curved facades. In Wembley homes, I’ve noticed decorative plate rails are a strong horizontal element, I’d suggest you consider echoing this in any new work – doing so can unify the result and help make the old look new again. One thing to consider is that smaller rooms mean narrower cabinets often work better.

If you’re struggling with an original kitchen and dining set-up, a banquet configuration might help.  Bench seats on one side and chairs on the other can create an interesting and space-efficient arrangement.

1940s – Post-War Homes Manning. Mosman Park. North Beach.

I really like these smaller, simple homes with little ornamentation. They are ‘worker housing’ in suburbs that have become highly desirable over time. What has stayed constant is that the owners still work hard to obtain these homes and seek a comfortable life in them.

Jarrah used to be cheap, so these homes use it liberally throughout—on floorboards, door frames, cabinetry, and more. If you’re planning an update, consider including Jarrah as a visible decorative element, as this will help create a cohesive result. Jarrah’s beautiful colours, from pinks to rich, warm browns, help create a comforting palette in any home.

Many renovations on these initially modest homes use a ‘big-box-on-the-back’ approach.  Fortunately, this approach opens many opportunities for full-height walls with interestingly composed shelving, open spaces, and storage. It can be an exciting architectural feature and add a sophistication that can be missing from the big-box approach.

1960s – Mid-Century Modern. Floreat. Doubleview. Coolbellup.

 It started in the 1950s, but this architectural fashion hit its stride in the early 1960s in Perth.  The classic MCM houses with their low-slung rooflines and windows under the eaves make them lovely light-filled homes, and the open-plan interiors are fabulous. A timber room divider at the entry often defines the living room or dining space spatially.

If you own one of these beauties, swapping out the room divider for a custom-made, open shelving element can honour the original and provide disguised storage in the entry hall or the living room, an often-overlooked opportunity (or so it seems to me).

1970s –Split-Level Clinker Brick. Carine. Booragoon. Sorrento. Lesmurdie.

These multi-level homes seemed made for sloping blocks, they often had raked ceilings and sunken living rooms, and orange Laminex appears to have been widespread, too. These homes usually have interesting compositions of smaller and larger room volumes and feature sliding doors opening to courtyards and side gardens.

The suburbs they live in are great for raising families and they have loads of parks and recreational facilities. However, in the homes I have seen, the kids have grown up and moved on, and we may be adapting the house to the next stage of the owners’ lives—creating a bespoke home office or an artist studio and space for grandkids.

Big floor-to-ceiling bookcases would look stunning in those voluminous living rooms, and a library ladder on wheels would echo the lines of exposed rafters. I haven’t done a library bookcase in that type of room yet, but if you like the idea, please let me know.

For more of my design and craft ramblings, take a look at my website blog section.

Thanks for reading : )

PS I will leave you in the 1990s with, as Dame Edna Everage described them, Neo-Fediterranean townhouses.