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The island and cabinets, fashioned from remilled Douglas-fir beams salvaged from upstate New York, sport inexpensive drawers from Ikea. The Carrara marble for the sink surround also came from the firm’s warehouse, from a section of slab orphaned from an earlier commission. A Viking chimney wall hood tops a free-standing range by Bluestar.

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

kitchen facing the living room and patio.

In the kitchen, a sliding glass door provides direct access to a large adjacent terrace.

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.

A dramatic Cle’ Zellige tile wall tastefully infuses the open space with another layer of color.

Volt 678 bar stools by Pedrali line the island. The floors throughout are hand-troweled concrete.

The open-plan kitchen-dining-and-living area is located on the first level, where a narrow staircase leads to the second level, where the bedrooms are situated.

Photographer Richie Davis occupies the 700-square-foot studio upstairs.

The bath and a secondary sleeping area, equipped with bunk beds, are arranged at one end of the open-plan kitchen area.

White oak storage wraps the kitchen, which is tucked under the lower ceiling, to create a more cozy spot that’s still connected to the living areas. “It's such a large space,” Erling says of the great room. “It's nice to be more intimate in the kitchen zone.” The counters are Gascogne blue limestone.

No-fuss, sturdy materials, like Kahrs oak chevron floors that camouflage dirt and easy-care black metal siding, free up time for family. “The more durable the material, the less work to maintain it,” says Susie. Also in the kitchen is a quartz countertop by Daltile and faucet from Kohler. The windows are by Milgard.

A dusty-pink facade is only a hint of what’s inside this 18th-century structure. For Sérgio Antunes, cofounder of Lisbon-based Aurora Arquitectos, the charming exterior and its rich pigment provided a fascinating starting point for the renovation of the Rose Building—a single-family residence in southern Portugal that his team turned into five glowing apartments in collaboration with Lisbon architecture studio FURO. Throughout are huge swaths of color with unique touches: For example, painted on the ceiling of the central stair is a moody mural of a woman in the style of a fresco, and in one of the unit’s bathrooms, more ceiling artwork depicts a mermaid emerging from a swirl of waves. Elsewhere, arched windows, sloped ceilings, ornate moldings, and wooden doors elegantly play off Portuguese marble and patterned ceramic tiles. With the go-ahead from the city, the architects were also able to construct a modern addition at the rear—The Mustard Building—that pairs natural wood partitions with the subdued tones of creamy terrazzo.

“I don’t paint landscapes when I’m here because I can’t compete with the natural beauty,” says Yael.

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.

Colorful ceramic tiles on the back wall in the Westbourne Cottage scullery