Timothy Silverman

Full- height timber cabinetry and a white kitchen maintains the home's open, airy feel, while the loose furniture stays with the minimal approach

“Lydia and Ian both have great taste and a deep appreciation of quality design,” says Agnello; the couple describe their style and aesthetic as “James Bond meets Barbarella.”

The lighting, tile, and drawer pulls all feature a circular form that was inspired by the home's curves.

Photography by Nils Timm

The backsplash is covered in Clé Tile, and the counters are Carrara marble.

After: By knocking out a wall and building a new island, the kitchen flows more cohesively into the living room and dining room. The

The one-time guest bedroom on the parlor level is now the kitchen, where one of the draws is the island, raised on a brushed stainless steel frame and legs.

This home that was built atop of home constructed in World War I is completely reimagined by Daniel Rabin and Annie Ritz of local architecture and design firm And And And Studio. Details like fluted white cabinetry in the kitchen give this LA home a posh look.

Kitchen and dining area, Maison JJ Joubert

Cabinetry maker Forest Designs used birch plywood to craft the U-shaped kitchen island, which is topped with quartz from Floform. The Ziro floor tiles in Gris are from Navarti and the contemporary metal edge pulls are from Richelieu. The appliances are from Whirlpool.

A look at the kitchen, situated adjacent to the dining area.

The kitchen is marked by a variety of textures that include dark walnut and marble.

It was Elsie, the goldendoodle, who started it. “We were living in a tiny house in the center of Byron Bay with two little children and Elsie in the middle of the wet season,” says homeowner Cheryl Kitchener.

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.”

In the kitchen, Eames chairs flank a custom dining table, and the pendant is by Wever & Ducré.

Milla and Nigel thought the kitchen island should anchor the first floor, and they wanted colors that matched the frescoes. Stone specialist Nick Blok found exactly what they were looking for: a monolithic piece of Italian quartzite with muted pinks and umbers in the veining.

In the kitchen, the couple kept the original cabinets and "beautiful, custom-rolled stainless-steel counters,” says Christine. They updated the island counter, flooring, and backsplash, adding Foro marble, Concrete Collaborative tiles, and Cle tile, respectively.

Retro inspired Kitchen

Jose Mármol Reform by Micaela Racca Kitchen

The ceramic floor tiles are from Ciot, while the ceramic wall tiles are from Céragrès.

To avoid the sight of dirty dishes, the sink is on the side rather than in the island, where instead an induction stove from Bora (with a cleverly designed down-draw exhaust system) makes the kitchen “really social,” says Kate. “One of us can be cooking while the other can sit and have a glass of wine.”

The kitchen features its original built-in clock; a Michael Graves Alessi kettle stands on the range.

The solid support wall was swapped out for a wood slat wall. Dunn Edwards “Revival Rose,” an update on the terracotta color, was used to define the kitchen from the rest of the home.

The new kitchen features a full-sized refrigerator behind the paneling, a multi-functional oven and induction cooktop, and a stainless-steel sink with integrated cutting boards. “The induction stove top was carefully chosen because it's a durable glass top and it's very efficient,” says Jones. “It's also spatially efficient because you can put a cutting board on top of it, or prepare food on top of it.”

Pam and Frank recently tasked Light and Air Architecture with remodeling this loft in New York City to get better natural light. “That’s exactly what we were looking for, is light and air,” says Frank.

Reimagined by architect Lisa Breeze, this compact semidetached brick home in Melbourne was built by the client's granduncle in the 1940s and passed down through generations. While the kitchen was updated to fit a modern lifestyle, the pastel color, gentle curves, and preserved Bakelite handles are a nod to the original era.

Kitchen cabinetry is crafted from regional Douglas Fir, offering a welcoming balance of clean lines and textural warmth.

The new kitchen is outfitted with white oak cabinetry by Ramon Padilla, Trias counter stools and a La Cornue oven and range.