Photos for great idea on Dwell.com

Built in the early 1970s, the house's kitchen, living, and dining areas were originally divided into three distinct zones. In order for this great room to flow as one, Klopf Architecture removed the glass doors and solid walls separating the enclosed atrium from the kitchen and living room. A Herman Miller trade poster, Design Within Reach book tower, and IKEA sofa mingle in the space.

The kitchen was custom made by a local carpenter due to its unconventional scale. The appliances consist of a De Dietrich oven, Amana refrigerator, and Imperial microwave.

The couple lounges in their great room. The 16-foot-high windows are from Milgard.

Most of the furniture in the living room is from London flea markets and eBay.

Christine (at left), and Amanda (at right) chat with David’s sister Aroha Yates-Smith (center) in the kitchen.

The concrete wall mimics the slope of the hill outside as a reference to early Maori structures that were dug into the land. The simple kitchen has strandboard cabinetry and an MDF island that conceals a fireplace at one end. The ceramic works on the built-in seat at right are by Raewyn Atkinson and Robyn Lewis.

Because the house is narrow and long (16 by 68 feet), the design team decided to create a huge open-air space to light the interior naturally. Two retractable motor-driven canvas canopies shelter the space during Singapore’s frequent rains.

The great room's high, pitched roof and neutral walls give the space an open, tranquil feel, making it a desirable spot for the couple to pursue two of their passions: classical music and literature.

Cozy two story great room with vaulted ceilings

Dining Area with Custom Dining Table by Rob Zinn for blankblank & Nakashima Chairs by Knoll, Martis Camp Residence by Jill Dudensing Lifestyle + Design

All the floors were redone in a light ash hardwood. The crisp interior paint is Benjamin Moore Super White. The kitchen cabinets are from Artistic Kitchens. A frosted glass door leads to the laundry room.

A mature avocado tree shades the hardscaped patio located just outside the great room.

Dining Area and Kitchen, Martis Camp Residence by Jill Dudensing Lifestyle + Design

Great Room - Eagle's Nest Estate

Living Room, Martis Camp Residence by Jill Dudensing Lifestyle + Design

A pair of matching Idea lights by Vesoi over a dining room table and chairs, both locally-made.

The first-floor great room is where all the action takes place. “It’s like Frank Lloyd Wright’s Usonian homes: everyone in one main space,” Hale says.

Another beautiful design from Haptic Lab and by Emily Fischer, the Great Lakes Quilt features light blue, poly-silk, hand-appliqued shapes against a navy background.

The master bath contains all functions in the white fiberglass panel that runs the length of the wall. Lazor designed the vanity; the tub is by Duravit.

“It was a major decision to put the kitchen in the center where everything would revolve around it,” says Lazor. “We did this simply by following what patterns we observed—it was just where people gravitated.” The bar stools are by Blu Dot, and the chairs by Charles and Ray Eames.