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The view from the kitchen towards the main entrance. Large windows throughout the cabin blur the line between indoors and out.

The addition of the antiqued mirrored panels amplifies natural light that the living room receives from the adjacent sunroom.

Our experts advise on choosing an area rug by pile, construction, size, and placement—and how much it’ll cost.

"Light is the most important part of a successful living space," Naughtin says. "We utilized double-height glazing with operable windows and large doors to maximize the intake of light and achieve a strong connection to the outdoor space." European oak storage in the living space matches that in the kitchen for a continuous flow.

The curved ceiling was built from layered Austral Plywoods hoop pine plywood sourced from Queensland plantation forests. The flooring is blackbutt timber.

Throughout the home, the walls and floors feature the natural grain patterns of lacquered plywood. The Stokke Tripp Trapp chair in the dining room was Lizz’s when she was growing up in the 1980s while the two Steen Ostergaard chairs were a thrift store find, and Project Room designed the table.

Main living space

SHED replaced the windows with new wood units of the same style. Note how the shelving at the half-wall aligns perfectly with the window mullions.

"Go with your gut, and don’t be afraid to mix things up as you go along," Owens advises. "Originally we didn’t have open shelves flanking the hood, but we added them at the last minute and now it’s one of my favorite elements of the space."

The new layout feels more open and spacious, thanks in part to strategic open shelving and chicken wire on the cabinet fronts. All of the bowls and boards are by Elsie Green, and the ceramics are from Jenni Kayne.

There's a noticeable four-inch gap in between the last two tiers of cabinets where the couple mounted a sliding library ladder in order to easily access every cabinet.

"Around the time we were thinking of moving back [to San Francisco], I took a trip to Marfa, Texas, and fell in love with the agelessness of Donald Judd’s work," says Amy. "I liked the idea of having a classic American reference to the space, since we are influenced as much from America as we are by Asian culture."

Ceaserstone in Blizzard was used for the perimeter countertop, and Silestone in Lusso for the island top and the waterfall edges.

Rich black soapstone counters wrap black-matte IKEA cabinets, and appliances are hidden behind cabinet fronts so the room recedes. Storage now extends under the windows and lines the dining area, where the table and chairs were both Craigslist finds.

Large windows nicely frame out the corner of the kitchen and provide views of the home's entry and street. Black matte wall sconces from Cedar Moss add an unexpected detail with a contemporary flair that provide ample light in the kitchen space.

This midcentury kitchen was well-positioned so the updates maintained its original footprint, adding plenty of storage space for all the family's cooking and dining essentials.

An assortment of Le Creuset pieces in Agave. The champagne-gold knobs complement the earthy hue.