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The renovated kitchen is defined by its custom oak cabinetry, as well as absolute-black granite countertops and a Heath Tile (the M144 in "oat") ceramic backsplash.

The design team “poked fun” at the homeowner for her unusual request, but they’ve since recommended bathroom refrigerators to other clients.

Hannah and Rami laid out the living area to face the television, which hangs above a restaurant-style metal shelving unit from Webstaurant. The sofa is an Ikea piece the couple had previously, and the rug is from West Elm. The floor lamp is another vintage piece.

While Leah and Kyle were unable to expand the compact primary bathroom, a skylight was added when the roof was replaced. “By adding a skylight and beautiful tile, we made it feel like a little spa even with it being a small footprint,” says Leah. Tile selections from Zia Tile include Apollo 12x12 for the floors and countertop, and Dune 4x4 for the shower walls.

The revamped kitchen features custom walnut cabinetry by Stille Home—all made from a fallen walnut tree from Leah and Kyle’s last project. All of the home’s cabinets and custom built-ins were the result of a close collaboration between Leah and Kyle. “It’s rare to find a builder who can instantly understand the wild ideas in my head, and bring them to life even more beautiful than I imagined,” says Leah.

The living room features a pendant from Ochre and Silk, barstools from Hati Home, and a wool rug from Revival. The European Walnut floors throughout the home are Stuga “Zig Zag.”

Deciding not to paint the original ceiling (”I was tempted so many times!” she says) was one of Leah’s biggest design decisions. “I feared it’d have a cabin look, but ultimately trusted my gut and it turned out to be one of my favorite rooms in the home,” Leah says.

While Leah and Kyle initially wanted to fully open up the wall between the kitchen and the living room, discovering that it was load-bearing changed their plans. “We ended up opening the wall up so you could see into the beautiful kitchen, and made a custom hood vent with shelves,” says Leah. “Looking back, I am not sure I even would have wanted it removed now.”

The view from the living room into the common areas, with the living room and the study area divided by a brick screen.

The apartment now has one bedroom, which enjoys a feeling of warmth from ample timber joinery.

The kitchen countertops use Dekton Marmorino, which can also tolerate high heat and is less susceptible to food stains; handcrafted tiles enhance the apartment's warm aesthetic.

New glass louvre windows from the private areas to the open kitchen enhance airflow and light through the section of the apartment.

L Architects customised a long, fluted pendant lamp using watercolour paper above the dining table, which was manufactured by Superstructure, a design-to-fabrication consultancy in Singapore.

The homeowner now wakes up to a view of potted plants through a new glass window looking into the kitchen.

New glass louvre windows at the bedroom allows the homeowner to see the potted plants in the living room.

Baloo and Gus in the built-in bench in the studio, which, according to Amy and Tomasz, is one of their favorite spots to hang out.

In 2020, Isabel and David Yahng bought their Portland house, which was originally designed by architect Saul Zaik in 1963.

The new home quotes the forms and materials of the neighborhood, but remixes them in a more contemporary combination.