In a home designed for longevity, a successful kitchen needs to do more than make an immediate visual impression. It needs to support the everyday, from cooking and preparation through to storage and clean-up, while providing enough space and flexibility to comfortably bring family and friends together.

That balance feels particularly relevant to The Block 2026 and its Mount Eliza setting. These generous homes need to be designed for modern family living within a premium coastal market, where space, quality, liveability and entertaining form an important part of what future buyers will be looking for.

It is a sentiment echoed by the judges. Darren Palmer describes the Mount Eliza market as one where luxury is refined, comfortable and liveable, with the ability to accommodate guests and entertain while remaining family-focused. Marty Fox similarly notes that premium buyers are seeking homes with great entertaining spaces and the flexibility to support modern family life.

For Kitchen Week, five distinctly different kitchens by Kinsman Kitchens explore that brief through each contestant team’s interpretation of material, proportion and finish. Across each space, a considered selection of Momo Handles has been used to complement the surrounding joinery and help define the individual character of the kitchen.

WINNING KITCHEN

Adam & Jolene

Hendrix in Antique Brass

Adam and Jolene’s winning kitchen takes a warm and natural approach, with Polytec Vista cabinetry in Dune Oak Woodmatt creating a soft timber foundation throughout the kitchen and butler’s pantry.

The palette is complemented by Cosentino Dekton Ava across the benchtops and splashback, alongside Bronze Glass inserts that introduce another layer of depth to the cabinetry. Completing the joinery are the Momo Handles Hendrix Round Knob, 32mm in Antique Brass, paired with Hendrix Bar Pulls in Antique Brass. Rather than creating a strong contrast, the Antique Brass sits comfortably within the warmth of the surrounding materials. The combination of knob and pull allows the hardware to respond to different cabinetry applications while maintaining a consistent finish throughout. Against the Dune Oak, creamy stone and Antique Bronze tapware, the hardware becomes part of a broader tonal story rather than an isolated finishing detail.

It is subtle, refined and carried seamlessly from the main kitchen through to the butler’s pantry.

Chantel & Wyatt

Livorno in Brushed Matt Brass

Chantel and Wyatt’s kitchen takes a softer, more neutral direction. Byron cabinetry in Neutral Stone Smooth is balanced by Veneto Oak Woodmatt shelving and gently curved forms, with Cosentino Eclos Wondr introducing the movement of a marble-inspired surface.

Against this light backdrop, the Momo Handles Livorno handle in Brushed Matt Brass provides a refined metallic accent. Its warm finish creates definition against the neutral cabinetry without disrupting the softness of the overall palette. The Brushed Matt Brass also connects naturally with the surrounding timber and brass detailing, allowing the hardware to feel integrated rather than applied.

Behind the main kitchen, the gallery-style butler’s pantry extends the functional footprint of the space, providing additional preparation area, storage and specialised organisation while allowing the kitchen itself to remain streamlined and ready for family life or entertaining.

Lisa & Rosco

Aspen in Bronze

In House 3, the palette becomes richer and more grounded. Lisa and Rosco’s kitchen features Polytec Vista cabinetry in Rosewood Oak Woodmatt, complemented by Canyon Oak internals, decorative arch detailing and the earthy movement of Cosentino Dekton Sabbia.

The Momo Handles Aspen Pull Handle in Bronze continues that warmth. Its solid brass construction and Bronze finish sit naturally alongside the deeper timber grain, creating a tonal relationship rather than a stark contrast. The handle provides enough definition to articulate the cabinetry while remaining connected to the wider palette of timber, stone and Brushed Copper accents.

The adjoining butler’s pantry supports the more practical side of everyday living, with dedicated zones for food preparation, storage, cleaning and cooking designed to keep the primary kitchen composed. Here, the hardware becomes another warm layer within an already richly textured interior.

Courtney & Sev

Sense Mini in Dull Brushed Nickel

Courtney and Sev’s kitchen explores a lighter and more restrained expression.

Chadstone Bleached Grain Woodmatt cabinetry and curved end panels establish a soft architectural foundation, paired with Cosentino Eclos Landr across the benchtops and splashback. The cabinetry is completed with the Momo Handles Sense Mini in Dull Brushed Nickel. Its restrained profile and cooler metallic finish provide a subtle counterpoint to the warmth of the timber. Rather than becoming a focal point in isolation, the hardware works quietly within the design, introducing definition and precision while allowing the larger architectural gestures to remain central.

The butler’s pantry continues the same calm material language while delivering tall pantry storage, integrated drawers and practical preparation space away from the main kitchen.

It is an example of hardware doing exactly what it should: completing the cabinetry without overwhelming it.

Rick & Tayla

Ona and Strano in Dull Brushed Nickel

Rick and Tayla introduce two hardware profiles within the same finish. Their Bleached Grain Woodmatt cabinetry creates a soft, natural backdrop, complemented by Cosentino Eclos Tajnar benchtops and a backlit stone splashback that becomes a defining feature of the kitchen.

The joinery is paired with the Momo Handles Ona Lip Pull in Dull Brushed Nickel, alongside the Strano Pull Handle in Dull Brushed Nickel. Using different forms allows the hardware to respond to the practical requirements and proportions of the cabinetry while the shared finish maintains cohesion throughout the kitchen and pantry. It demonstrates that a kitchen does not necessarily require one hardware profile across every surface. When finish and design language remain connected, varying form can add another considered layer without making the space feel busy.

The adjoining pantry continues the warm timber palette while providing a highly functional zone for storage, organisation and everyday kitchenware. Together, the two spaces feel cohesive and resolved without becoming repetitive.

Designed Beyond Reveal Day

Kitchen Week is also one of the clearest reminders that these homes are being designed for life beyond the competition. Each space needs to remain relevant long after reveal day, placing greater importance on decisions that balance individual character with longevity.

For The Block 2026, those decisions sit within a much larger objective: creating homes that respond not only to the contestants’ design vision, but to the way future owners will live, gather and entertain within them.

Kitchen Week demonstrates just how varied those interpretations can be, while reinforcing the value of spaces that feel distinctive today without losing sight of how they will function for years to come.