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Despite their fidelity to the original structure, the residents made small changes, notably in the kitchen: The wood-veneered island was moved to create more circulation space behind it and finished in white lacquer and stainless steel. Wood cabinetry above the island was exchanged for a steel ventilation unit.

Top 9 Kitchens of 2020: The nominees for this year’s Dwell Design Awards are the epitome of style and function.

"The home is about 1,500 square feet, but I knew I wanted to devote a lot of that to a large kitchen and living space,

Just because your kitchen is on the smaller side doesn’t mean you can’t make it as efficient and effective as possible.

If the idea of a plain white backsplash doesn't appeal to you, but you still want a neutral backsplash, consider handmade tiles or a material that comes in a range of colors and tones. Here, a cream-colored backsplash made of traditional Moroccan tiles and available through Emory & Cie line the backsplash of the kitchen.

An energy-efficient TPO membrane covers the living room’s zigzag roof.

Building in the countryside presents problems enough; building on a remote Scottish island multiplies them. But Tiree has form for award-winning architecture. A ferry shelter-cum-art installation was shortlisted for the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2003. Then, in 2014, Murray Kerr of Denizen Works rebuilt one of the tumbledown black Hebridean houses for his parents and won the Stephen Lawrence Prize. The three volumes of the house are linked by a glazed-roofed atrium, but they are separately expressed: the original house a black pitch-roofed, white-rendered stone building, the two new elements have corrugated agricultural cladding that look the part. Yet inside all is cosy warmth provided by an air-source heat pump. Collectively they are corralled like farm animals hunched together against the weather. Marco Goldschmied described it as ‘an intelligent and witty response to the function and logistical challenges of location, orientation and isolation.’ He was right.

Home Renovation Tip: Get an Understanding of What’s Already Around

The kitchen is composed of stainless steel, from the cabinetry fabricated by Barcelona company Timblau, to the counters and backsplash, the latter given a mirror polish for contrast to the former’s patina on the surfaces. The boxes were brought in on a crane and then the group put them together in place. “The kitchen shouldn't be a closed dirty area of the house,” says Jon. “But [rather] the heart.” Fitting, as social life in the Basque culture revolves around eating together.

The relocated kitchen includes Villa Lagoon concrete floor tiles, Heath Ceramics island tiles, Schoolhouse Electric pendant lights and Design Within Reach Valencia stools.

To avoid the sight of dirty dishes, the sink is on the side rather than in the island, where instead an induction stove from Bora (with a cleverly designed down-draw exhaust system) makes the kitchen “really social,” says Kate. “One of us can be cooking while the other can sit and have a glass of wine.”

Quartz countertops and two-by-eight-inch subway tile with tan grout (on the backsplash) complement the tone of the birch cabinetry and ash shelves in the kitchen.

The open-plan kitchen, dining and living room honors the home's original design and heroes the existing stone wall.

The reading nook corridor has a sizeable sliding glass door that pockets into more glass, with thresholds flush between the cork floors on the interior and the large format porcelain tile on the exterior. The center of the atrium is filled with raked 1/8” Desert Gold crushed granite.

The expanded kitchen has a large central island, with room for prep, seating, storage, and cooking. The cabinetry is a mix of wood, Shinnoki Milk Oak, and white fronts, Fenix NTM Bianco Kos. The terrazzo counters are by Concrete Collaborative. There are two types of tiles: the Mutina Rombini fluted tile on the island and Cepac Krave Sugar Tiles on the backsplash. “It looks very mid-century modern,” says Blaine of the backsplash tile. “But in this application, it also adds that little touch of depth that I think is really important to making the house feel interesting.” The counter stools are from Hay.