Eric Kitchen

Floor Plan of Casa T by Gabriel Montañés

A custom-built island anchors the kitchen-dining area, the most social area of the home. The dining table and chairs were made with wood rescued during the renovation process.

A custom-built island anchors the kitchen-dining area, the most social area of the home.

Erica and her mom enjoy cooking together, and this kitchen makes that easy to do so, with an expanded footprint, leathered quartzite counters, and custom white oak cabinetry. Shoe storage was built-in by the exterior door, with a slim cupboard for cleaning supplies.

A cedar-clad ceiling emphasizes the dramatic volumes of the combined living spaces, and the windows bring in the “dappled light” from the trees, says Rogers. The new plan makes entertaining much easier for the couple, with easy flow from the interiors to the roof deck and yard.

Custom oak storage sets the tone for the house, with the shoes stored behind the slatted door. A large window creates connection between the exterior landing and the interior foyer, as does the continuous slate flooring.

For the backsplash, the homeowner chose ceramic tiles in a honeycomb pattern by Portland-based Clayhaus to compliment the walnut-faced cabinetry.

The couple chose partially open shelving in the kitchen. “We’re not minimalists, and we wanted to display different objects we’ve collected,” Vincent says. The cabinetry, conceived as freestanding pieces of furniture, turned out even better than they had imagined. The dining chairs are from Ikea and the appliances are by KitchenAid.

Studio Becker Xu streamlined the kitchen by building all of the appliances into the millwork. The budget-friendly countertops are a Formica solid surface.

The kitchen reflects the creative personalities of the homeowners—Alaina Smith, founder of accessories brand Cold Gold, and Ryan Schaefer, a musician, software designer, and founder of Hologram Electronics, which designs unique stomp boxes and pedals.

Quartz countertops and two-by-eight-inch subway tile with tan grout (on the backsplash) complement the tone of the birch cabinetry and ash shelves in the kitchen.

The oak countertops in the kitchen are the same as the flooring.

In the new guest bathroom, the Nood wall-mounted sink has a small, built-in countertop. The blush pink tile is from File Tiles, and the fixtures are California Faucets.

A custom ribbon skylight fabricated by Atelier Bailleul curves across the ceiling.

Designed by architect Jean-Baptiste Barache of Arba-, the 1,200-square-foot home floats above the ground, respectful of the nature surrounding it. “We tried to reduce the boundaries as much as possible,” says Barache. Sliding glass doors at the back of the house, mirroring those in the front, open to a view of the garden and the limestone quarry.

In a secluded garden by an old limestone quarry, in a town in northwestern France, Isabelle and Patrice Girard-Donnat built a humble wooden house with a fantastical metal roof. Connection to the garden was paramount for the couple and their two daughters, who moved from Paris to Caen in search of a more bucolic life. Léontine, 17, sits with one of the family’s three cats in her bedroom, which has a glass door that opens to the exterior.