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The shelves in the kitchen are crafted from pine and suspended using leather straps. These shelves display glasses, mugs, and a few select bowls, while everything else is neatly tucked away inside the cabinets, keeping the counters clear and drawing the eyes upward to the large horizontal window.

The family share a love for the color teal, which was already featured in the home. So, when selecting a backsplash tile, teal was the obvious choice. The tiles are locally sourced from Yeomans Bagno & Ceramiche in Eltham.

8. "How often do I like to communicate with my realtor and what's the best way to do so?" "Your agent should know how you like to check in and by what method—text, email, or phone,” explains Hoffman. “The biggest complaints we hear from clients who have worked with other agents is that their agent did not communicate with them in the way they wanted."

Hope replaced the upper wood cabinets with open shelving and painted the lower cabinets a shade of gray-green. Beneath the linoleum were wood floors that the designer refinished.

Another view of the kitchen showcasing the ensemble of natural light and a bright, bold patterns.

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.

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.

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.

Custom cabinets in a mix of white oak and lacquered paint join Miele appliances and a honed quartz countertop.

At a renovated home in Pennsylvania, the orange kitchen countertops were swapped for custom concrete countertops. The cabinets were painted Pink Ground by Farrow & Ball and paired with Build.com hardware, giving the kitchen a warm glow, in particular thanks to the natural light coming in from the double exposure of the windows. The kitchen sink and faucet are from Amazon, while the tile is from Lowes.

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 DeVol marble sink and faucet are lit by Ramsey Conder 8

The design team retained the old supports, which now frame the kitchen. Jessica picked DeVol cabinets and systems for their traditional-meets-streamlined style.

Ali Fraenkel and Mentor Dida prepare for one of the many gatherings they host in their penthouse in Prishtina, Kosovo. Self-described “changemakers,” they regularly open their home to 20 or more people for get-togethers with live music from local artists or guest speakers like Uta Ibrahimi, the first Albanian woman to climb Mount Everest. The couple worked with designers Fitore Syla and Njomza Havolli of local firm Muza to create a balance of open and intimate spaces. “Gathering people is our shared calling,” says Ali.

Mint green-painted ironwork and tiles connect the indoors to the outside more fluidly.

Valspar ‘Black Evergreen’ covers the beams, doors, and trim. The perimeter counters are concrete, by Cement Elegance.

An arched opening was added to connect the kitchen and breakfast nook, and gain sightlines to the yard. Seamus refinished the fireplace mantle and added square zellige Zia tile in ‘Nana’s Lipstick’ to the surround. Gubi Semi Pendants hang over the island, and the sink has a Devol Ionian Bridge Tap.