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Hannah Puechmarin’s Queenslander Cottage Kitchen

Hannah Puechmarin’s Queenslander Cottage Kitchen

Overview

Photographer, stylist and author Hannah Puechmarin has spent more than a decade documenting the stories held within Australian homes. Her work centres on layered spaces and humble homes, and has been published in Country Style, Australian House & Garden and The Design Files. So when it came time to restore the kitchen in her own 1930s Queenslander in Ipswich, South East Queensland, the brief was a personal one: a cottage kitchen in keeping with the age of the home, filled with pieces that tell its story.

Hannah worked closely with her friend Pete, a cabinetmaker who had recently moved to Australia, to design a bespoke timber kitchen with English-style face-frame cabinetry. “I had a very clear vision of what I wanted, and Pete had all the necessary carpentry skills to bring it to life,” she says.

The cabinet fronts and drawers are Tasmanian oak, and the benchtops are spotted gum from Bundjalung Country. To keep costs down, the existing appliances were reused and the original layout was kept, so the budget went into materials and detail.

The concept was drawn up in late 2025. Pete built the cabinetry ahead of demolition, and installation began in March 2026. Working alone between other jobs, and getting past the hurdles that come with a home of this age, he finished the first stage by June. The kitchen was completed in September 2026 when the handmade tiles went in.

British and Welsh cottage homes inspired the design, but story mattered most.

“More than anything, I wanted the kitchen to tell a story,” Hannah says.

A porcelain butler’s sink was non-negotiable, and specifically one made by Dinmore Pottery, a major ceramic manufacturer in Ipswich in the early 1900s. Pete found one on Facebook Marketplace for $40. The last touch came from a ceramicist friend, who made a set of hand-illustrated tiles. Many of the botanical illustrations have a special meaning for Hannah.

Much of the home’s original hardware is still on its doors and windows, so the new pieces had to sit naturally alongside the old. “Predominantly the old fixtures are brass and copper plated, so it was an easy decision to choose brass hardware to feature in our new kitchen design,” Hannah explains.

She chose TradCo’s Domed Cupboard Knobs and Classic Drawer Pulls in Unlacquered Brass. The knobs’ soft, rounded profile and the pulls’ traditional form suit the face-frame cabinetry. Because the finish is unlacquered, it will develop a gentle patina as it’s handled each day.

“I opted for unlacquered brass cabinetry hardware from TradCo to add a lovely lustre and warmth, knowing with time the knobs and pulls would patina softly to feel as though they too have stood the test of time alongside the rest of the home’s hardware.”

Hannah has photographed many homes that use TradCo hardware, so she knew where to look. “I knew I could look to them for a quality product that fitted with the era of my home and vision for my kitchen design.”