Favorites

Before: At purchase, the listing for the home said electricity bills were less than $25/month, thanks to spray foam insulation and the solar array.

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.

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.

For this Swedish kitchen, an extra-thin slab of Carrara marble was used for the countertop and backsplash so that it would recede into the space, not overwhelm it. The room is also outfitted with IKEA cabinets painted a serene powder blue—adding a vintage vibe, and a high-low sense of style.

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."

Concreteworks countertops, a Wolf range, Kallista sink, and Boffi faucet also fill the space.

Top designers give their advice about how to choose a stylish, functional faucet and what it will cost. Hint: it’s more than you may think.