In the know

Australia's first Australasian Association of Professional Organisers- accredited Expert Professional Organiser and a talented kitchen designer with a "name" for the industry make up the list of profiles this month.

Michael Kitchener, Kitcheners Kitchens

With a name like Kitchener, it seems like destiny that Michael Kitchener would one day create the ultimate kitchen company. A passion for creating in the 3D realm teamed with business savvy and the quest to find the perfect kitchen were the key factors behind the creation of Kitcheners Kitchens.

Following an apprenticeship as a mechanic and a little bohemian travel, Michael studied for a Bachelor of Built Environment in Industrial Design. After his studies, Michael worked as a kitchen designer for Freedom Kitchens and also in the administration of Sydney Kitchens, followed by a role as Production Manager for high-end furniture design company Schamburg and Alvisse.

Motivated by a strong desire to run his own business, Michael was on the lookout for the right opportunity, which presented itself during a renovation project with his father in 2004. While designing kitchens for a block of four units, Michael realised the opportunity to combine his passions to create a custom-made kitchen company utilising the best-quality products and design philosophies at affordable prices.

Registering the business name Kitcheners Kitchens in 2005, Michael set up a website and office, placing an extraordinary 80 kitchen orders from his two bedroom Bondi apartment in the first year of trading. From 2007, Kitcheners Kitchens grew exponentially. Michael trained a team of kitchen designers to sell kitchens, set up a showroom and started strategic press advertising.

In 2008, Michael negotiated prolific chef and high-profile television personality Iain Hewitson to become the face of Kitcheners Kitchens, a highlight for a company so young. Now, in 2009, Michael has 12 staff members running the head office in Alexandria with teams of designers and installers across Australia. The future looks bright for Kitcheners Kitchens.

Michael Kitcheners' Top 10 Design Trends

1. Drawers - The average number of drawers in a kitchen has increased from 5.2 to 14.2 in the past decade, as people use more drawers in kitchen spaces for easy storage and convenience.
2. Smart cabinetry -Handleless kitchens and hidden shelves are very popular and make the space more user-friendly.
3. Interesting lighting - For both practical and visual reasons, lighting concepts in kitchens are becoming a focus with glass shells, internal cupboards, pantry lighting, wall units and mood lighting all popular options.
4. White kitchens - Australians love having white kitchens and this is a trend that will continue. A white kitchen creates a bright, fresh space in the home and is something we get many requests for.
5. Benchtops - The current trend for benchtops is for super thick, but we're starting to see a change to super-thin coming through.
6. Crossing the divide - There is a blurring of the line between kitchen and living spaces in the home, with a trend towards creating a flow between the two areas with the use of floor materials and different cabinetry heights to create a common space for entertaining and sharing meals.
7. Open space - A strong trend emerging for kitchen design is to create a lot of open space that can be achieved through the use of drawers, cupboards and less permanent fixtures to ensure a minimalist, clutter-free area.
8. Surfaces - The use of natural stones and timber veneers as materials for surfaces is strong in kitchen design for both practicality and visual reasons.
9. Floating shelves and cabinetry - As one of the international trends, floating shelving and cabinetry creates a minimalist look in a kitchen space.
10. Blum Technology - Each kitchen has more than 360 different operations, workflows and journeys each day and over the average lifespan of a kitchen (20 years) this amounts to 2.6 activities. The Blum Dynamic Space principle identifies five core zones to consider the kitchen design process to ensure maximum efficiency within the space using different elements and storage solutions.

Narelle Todd, Successful Living

Narelle Todd of Successful Living based in Bulimba, Queensland, recently became the first Professional Organiser in Australia & New Zealand to be accredited as an Expert Professional Organiser by the Australasian Association of Professional Organisers (AAPO), the Association's highest level of recognition.

The Australasian Association of Professional Organisers (AAPO) is the peak body for Professional Organisers in Australia and New Zealand. The Queensland-born entrepreneur received accreditation in May 2009.

Commenting on her achievement, Todd said: "I'm thrilled to be recognised by the Australasian Association of Professional Organisers (AAPO) as their first Expert. Our industry is still relatively new in Australia and yet it is not surprising that Australians have embraced the opportunity to receive help in their homes and offices to get and stay organised, as a recent Australian study identified that 80 per cent of homes are cluttered and people are feeling stressed and overwhelmed as a result."

Successful Living was founded in 2004 by Narelle Todd and is a specialist decluttering and home organisation company that helps people fall in love with their home again and tap into the unrecognised prosperity in their homes. Its client base includes busy professionals, home owners, and small business owners. Todd also trains and coaches Professional Organisers new to the industry.

Todd says, "We live in an affluent society and often become buried under our belongings, with many families drowning in clutter. Decluttering allows you to free up your space and your spirit. It is very difficult to be romantic, for example, if the bedroom is packed to the walls with things. If that couple were to clear the clutter and organise their space, the bedroom becomes more inviting and intimacy improves."

"I have worked with clients who could open their own stationery store their office was so jam-packed. Because they didn't know what they had, they kept buying supplies," says Todd.

Todd says, "One client who cleared the clutter in her home held a garage sale where she made a whopping $5000 simply from small items that had been laying neglected or packed away in her home."

Todd says, "I create solutions that complement my clients' personalities so they can get organised, free themselves of clutter and stay organised. One of the highlights of my work is identifying how each person interacts with their environment and then developing an organising system that is as unique as they are. Like a good tailor or seamstress, my designs (systems) are crafted to fit the individual. The truth is that different personalities use different strategies to stay organised. If you are overwhelmed because your home or office is a mess or you are constantly saying "I can't find…." then chances are you are trying to use an organising system that is not right for you."