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The kitchen counters are Pietra Gray marble, which complements the refinement of the spotted gum timber joinery.

The 260-square-foot tree house in Melides that Madeiguincho designed was inspired by a pair of centenary pine trees.

The surface of the cabinet doors are made from saw cut veneer, which Bjerre-Poulsen says gives the design a very tactile element. "You can see and feel the groves from the saw on the surface."

The kitchen opens directly onto the dining room; the 1954 article in Good Housekeeping noted that the dining room was separated from the walled garden by large sliding glass doors, "uniting indoors and out."

A cantilevered peninsula offers a smart, space-saving solution for the 900-square-foot layout: It offers ample space for food preparation and also acts as a dining area.

Low-VOC finishes on the walnut cabinets help improve the home’s indoor air quality. "Our suggestion is always to use water-based rather than oil-based or petroleum finishes," Britt says. Quartz countertops and a ceramic-tile backsplash continue the focus on natural materials.

If you find a particular tile with black accents, do like Tim and Merrill Melideo and work with the shade throughout your kitchen.

The Douglas fir cladding is from Abodo, and the home is the first project in New Zealand to use iron vitriol to treat timber cladding. The innovative finishing option enhances the natural qualities of the band-sawn timber, creating a striking contrast with the metal cladding.

A soapstone apron-front sink with an integrated drainboard adds a simple yet luxe touch. The single floating shelf puts everyday dishes close by without creating visual clutter.

"Before there was a full-sized fridge that jutted out and blocked the clerestories," says Jessy, who replaced the clunky kitchen appliance with inconspicuous CoolDrawer units by Fisher & Paykel. With the exception of the Falmec range hood, all the appliances are now built into lower cabinets, which were fabricated by Dan Eckstrom. The vibrant encaustic tile is by Mission Tile West. The oven is by Fisher & Paykel.

The kitchen features oak cabinets stained in a dark grey and navy tile from Heath Ceramics. These darker elements are balanced by the tongue-and-groove wood ceiling and floors, as well as ample sunlight entering through the steel-framed glass doors.

In the kitchen, concrete floors and counters are offset by wood cabinetry and doors that add warmth to the space.

Simple, white IKEA cabinetry allows the Henrybuilt walnut island, a secondhand find, to be the star of the kitchen.

The wraparound kitchen, located at the front of the Airstream, includes a Miele 2-burner cooktop, a Dometic RV fridge, and a split ceramic farmhouse apron sink.

"Anthony and Sherry love to entertain, so they wanted something that felt a little more austere from the street and then became warm and cozy on the interio,” says architect Eric Hughes.

Consider an open layout. When there’s a crowd in your kitchen, it’s important to ensure that people are comfortable and can move around and mingle with ease.