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Built into a steep slope, this contemporary spec house hopes to raise the bar for hillside development in Los Angeles. The lower-level ADU can be used as an office, fourth bedroom, guest room for Grandma and Grandpa, or a suite for a possible tenant.

A new door and window combination improve access to the private garden.

The back garden is a perfect metaphor for what the couple hoped to achieve with their project. "We feel a part of the city, but there’s still this sense of privacy," says Ali.

The bookshelves in the living room allow for privacy as well as openness to the front yard for events. The light above the dining table is a Girlande ceiling light from Areti.

Blinkoff coveted Bestor's design of her own house in Silver Lake, featured in the book Bohemian Modern, and was thrilled to finally work together.

The kitchen includes two sinks and dishwashers, one to serve as a scullery for events. The island surface is soapstone and the counters Carrera marble.

Inspired by Greek diners, the nook gets the best views of the San Rafael hillside.

Two passthrough in the kitchen open to the living room and breakfast nook.

The kitchen of this renovated apartment in Rome dramatically puts a deep veined marble for the counters and backsplash against the dark millwork.

A young Vancouver family asked Falken Reynolds Interiors to convert their waterfront vacation home on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast into their primary residence. To facilitate livability for the foursome, an enlarged kitchen, complete with a large white island with wood hardware, was a major part of the renovation.

For this kitchen, the architects paired slate-gray HPL (high-pressure laminate) cabinets by Henrybuilt, cool Basaltina countertops, with custom shelving and a white Corian backsplash.

Hatchet Design Build took a contemporary approach with this kitchen while still drawing from the a traditional palette. The grain-matched walnut cabinets echo the walnut pocket doors elsewhere.

This artfully minimalist Australian kitchen combines concrete, oak, steel, and prefabricated panels with a substantial marble countertop and backsplash.

This lakeside home in Quebec boasts a white kitchen with an elegant, white marble backsplash that adds just a touch of pizzazz to an otherwise simple and minimalist open kitchen.

Oil your wooden kitchen tools and cutting boards. Most mineral oils will do the trick—and they’ll give your wooden widgets a much longer life. Make sourdough bread. If you’ve got some yeast in your pantry, and it’s not too old, get down to perfecting that sourdough bread recipe. You could also start a kombucha culture, or pickle any hearty vegetables you’ve got lying around. Make a pantry meal. If you can’t get to the supermarket, think about making some Spanish rice and beans from canned or dry goods. Perfectly simple. Label absolutely everything. KonMari your entire kitchen, while you’re at it. Know where and what everything is, and get rid of anything you don’t use for a perfectly uncluttered and organized kitchen.

The stove was kept in place in order to retain the position of the gas and venting. The designer dropped the sill on the right-side window to the floor. Sleek black cabinetry is topped with Essastone Concrete Pezzato weathered stone on the perimeter, and custom terrazzo on the island.

"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."

Now, the sizeable kitchen is an exceptional blend of old and new. The original floors, coffered ceiling, and windows are joined with IKEA cabinets with Semihandmade fronts, and Vermont-sourced Danby marble counters.