The more planning you do and the fewer changes you make, the higher chance you have of staying within your budget. Take the time to figure out what the scope of the project is and get a sense of how much work is needed so that you can make educated decisions when presented with options.

The kitchen is completely open to the main living area and features a custom birch pegboard wall. Eames dining chairs accent the space.

The renovation, which focused on the living-dining-kitchen area, strikes a balance between intimate and inviting, hence the project's name, the Open/Private apartment.

The open-plan living room is Standard Studio architect and creative director Jurjen van Hulzen’s favorite part of the home. “Mom can cook, Dad can work or play piano, the kids can play. At nighttime there’s a fireplace and a nice sitting area,” says van Hulzen. “It really just has a super nice energy.”

Two smaller, adjacent structures house autonomous bedrooms, each equipped with a full bathroom.

Joaquin Altamirano and Silvia Martín worked with Daniel Bergman Vázquez of Estudio Untercio to create an open-plan oasis in an apartment building in central Madrid. Estudio Untercio designed the medium-density fiberboard cupboards, which are coated with lacquer paint matching the ceramic-porcelain countertops. The tubular hood above the island is by Teka.

Nakada works from an Alvar Aalto table in the living and dining area, adjacent to the kitchen. He saved on some elements, such as the plywood cabinetry, and splurged on others, such as the Finn Juhl chairs and Vilhelm Lauritzen lamp. A skylight beneath the angled roof allows in a sliver of constantly changing light.

The refrigerator is Sub-Zero, the cooktop and hood are Viking, and the oven is Miele.

The central living area features an open-plan kitchen, living space, and deck with views of Louttit Bay. To maximize energy savings, the house has a ducted reverse air cycle system from Fujitsu.

A linear layout allows for air and light to flow freely through the apartment, making it an a open haven in the center of the city. An IKEA pendant and chairs surround a table by Zone Maison.

Candy Sarvis loves feeling connected with dinner guests while she cooks. The African teak kitchen cabinetry is by Pedini, with Miele appliances. A Big Bang pendant by Foscarini illuminates the Montecarlo table by Cattelan Italia.

The decidedly modern dining and kitchen areas open to the backyard through a floor-to-ceiling steel-and-glass door, fabricated by Optimum Window. One of the owners’ favorite features of the home is the “ability to connect the inside to the outside seamlessly,” Bangia describes. The living area serves as “a place for the kids to dance or ride a skateboard, a casual space that reflects the way they live.”

Outside on the deck, one-year-old Mary and three-year-old Finbar enjoy a snack at the kid-size table and chairs Michael designed and made for them.

Tsutsui continued the Oregon pine from the floor to the steel-reinforced cantilevered staircase, which appears to float above the floor.

The family's activity centers around the open-plan dining room, which does triple-duty as a living room and kitchen. Susanna prefers a motley set of dining chairs over a coordinated set; that way guests can pick their favorite when they sit.

The house's open plan is neatly divided into public and private spaces, with the front containing the kitchen and living areas and the back holding the bedroom and bath, overhung by a small mezzanine. A hidden wooden panel can be drawn closed between the two sections for greater privacy.

The staircase leads to the living area upstairs.

Impromptu reading time in the open-plan kitchen is encouraged.

The design team completely changed the layout of the first floor, moving the kitchen to the front of the home and the living room to the rear. The open floor plan allows them to cook in the kitchen while the children play in the living room. All walls and ceilings were painted basic Dulux Brilliant White and a custom-supplied skylight adds illumination to the previously dark and closed-off space.

Inside, the bottom floor contains the bedroom, off of which is the bathroom, with a tub from Kaldewei and a Duravit sink.

The dining table in the open-plan space is custom, and the fireplace is from Napoleon.

“Because the property is so narrow, we had to be strategic in laying out the plan,” Mitchell says. “Our goal was to create an open plan that spanned from exterior wall to exterior wall in order to make the home feel as large as possible.” Solid oak flooring fills the space and pendants from Kenroy Home illuminate the kitchen.

“We adjusted the combinations to see what kinds of spaces they created in relationship to the site and the surrounding buildings,” his associate Satoshi Ohkami explains.

This open-concept Amsterdam loft features soaring 15-foot ceilings, an Eames lounge chair and ottoman, and a Jielde light. Throughout the home, Standard Studio architects Wouter Slot and Jurjen van Hulzen favored raw materials, including concrete, oiled oak, and hot-rolled steel, all of which complemented the original space's industrial feel. Tucked smartly underneath the loft, a compact home office features functional built-in shelving and an Eames DSR chair.

Four-year-old Ian plays in the courtyard, which is the center of family life in warmer months.

The kitchen and adjoined dining space have a light, open feel, as does the rest of the home. Complementary design elements, like the low-slung steel bookcase next to the stairs, which Flournoy’s partner organized according to color, reappear throughout the house. Pops of color add an appealing break from the largely monochromatic palette, and reinforce the couple’s design aesthetic. The Bistro chairs are from Crate and Barrel.

Architect Ester Bruzkus of Bruzkus Batek redesigned a compact apartment in Berlin to serve as her home. The previous layout had two bedrooms and one bathroom, but Bruzkus created an open-plan arrangement with only one bedroom to free up space. A folding wall can be pulled out for privacy. Custom furniture joins pieces by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller and Gervasoni. The bathroom is enclosed within the black cube, which can be entered from either the bedroom side or the living room side. The paintings are by Berlin-based artist Niki Elbe.

In an effort to create a more open floor plan, a portion of the wall between the kitchen, family area, and dining room was removed. Part of the dining room wall was also replaced with a huge window that not only makes a statement, but also gives the family a stunning view of the backyard area. Photo by Mariko Reed.

Joseph Armario tasked husband-and-wife duo Karen and Guy Vidal of Design Vidal with transforming an architectural mishmash in East Los Angeles into a modern bachelor pad. Their response was a highly textural single-occupant home that swaps out the original's most dated elements.

“We wanted to create a natural mood, like you’re in a forest,” he says. “We went for a more abstract reference to nature.” Stark white walls create the feel of wide-open space in the single story, roughly 2,500-square-foot dwelling. The white palette is offset by rough oak finishes.

Previously, the apartment featured a substantial balcony that David converted into additional living space. Cherner bar chairs pull up to the island. The dining table is surrounded by Wishbone chairs by Hans Wegner and Tom Dixon pendant lights.

Five-year-old Thomas Dochter plays outside the houses.

Hobson Renovation Plan

With its porches and rows of windows, the still-legible schoolhouse is unwaveringly 19th century.

The main hallway and corridor leading to the apartment was kept all-original; the entrance appears just as it did 100 years ago. The interior offers a warm and modern respite, while respecting the colorful history of the schoolhouse.