A look at the Richard and Helen Arens House, located on a quiet, tree-lined street in Brentwood.
A built-in slatted oak panel seals off the kitchen, creating a peaceful and visually enchanting space for those first walking into the home.
The built-in hardware is one of Simon's favorite elements of the kitchen. "We liked the idea of not having a lot of jewelry in this room," she says. The pendant lights are from Shades of Light, the bar stools from Interlude Home, the wall sconces from Cedar and Moss, and the accessories are from Everything But the House, an online auction house.
![A new, lowered level at the back of the home hosts the kitchen and dining room, and is accessed via concrete steps that deliberately double as informal seating. “We loved the idea of being able to read the sunken part of the house as an entirely concrete element, which would give the space a feeling of being grounded,” says the architect. “[It also] provides a robust base for the timber frame and a series of plinths on which different activities can take place—such as sitting, cooking, reading, or exercising.”](https://images2.dwell.com/photos/6575684823601102848/6801915089576910848/original.jpg?auto=format&q=35&w=160)
A new, lowered level at the back of the home hosts the kitchen and dining room, and is accessed via concrete steps that deliberately double as informal seating. “We loved the idea of being able to read the sunken part of the house as an entirely concrete element, which would give the space a feeling of being grounded,” says the architect. “[It also] provides a robust base for the timber frame and a series of plinths on which different activities can take place—such as sitting, cooking, reading, or exercising.”
To accommodate a young family leaving New York City, design firm Stewart-Schafer revamped the kitchen and living areas of an outdated upstate home in just three months.