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In the kitchen, an “Alpine Mist’ Caesarstone slab tops Alder cabinets. A mint green custom steel hood conceals a Vent-a-Hood insert, and Ann Sacks ‘Context’ tile in Frost covers the backsplash.

Jon wanted no hardware on the kitchen cabinetry to keep a streamlined look, but, "turns out, that's just super annoying,

At 700 square feet, Chris and Ady's cottage had to make economical use of space—like the bar-height dining table doubling as a cooking countertop.

Niki and Gustavo splurged on more permanent finishes and budgeted on items, like faucets and shelves, that could be easily upgraded over time.

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.

The kitchen underwent the most dramatic change, being relocated to the back of the house adjacent to the living room. White Oak floors and casework and new Kolbe windows warm up the space. The pendant light is from Design Within Reach, and the bar stools are custom from Sean Woolsey.

Lee Buchanan of Lee Build created a screen of white ash slats beside the kitchen as well as the entry. "The stairs are beautifully integrated into the kitchen so the kids and I are always talking and someone is always sitting on the bottom steps,

The kitchen is adorned with Fireclay olive-green tile on the backsplash that ties to the green-painted custom millwork of the lower cabinetry.

The countertop is a custom Concrete Collaborative terrazzo, and the colored flecks nod to the wall tiles.

“I’ve done shelves in front of windows here and there throughout my life,” says Lanigan, who grew up in a hippie commune in the ‘70s, where plants were always hanging in the windows. “I grew up in a geodesic dome my parents built. That organic ‘70s design is very much a touchstone for me.” Beside nostalgia, this choice offers extra accessible shelving and blocks a boring driveway view while still letting in light.

The new kitchen features green kit kat tiles, a terrazzo-effect rubber floor, white cabinetry, and cherry wood veneered cabinets. The client originally wanted teak cabinets, but 4 S Architecture recommended using cherry wood instead as it is more sustainable but has the same warm tones as teak. “We couldn’t get behind teak as a product so we used FSC certified European cherry that has less air miles than American cherry,” explains architect Julia Hamson. “The client was really pleased with the result.”

The kitchen cabinets have also been cleverly designed by 4 S Architecture to combine a luxury appearance with cost-effective construction. The carcasses were sourced from DIY Kitchens and delivered preassembled, which cut down on labor costs. While the white cabinet doors are also from DIY Kitchens, the cherry veneered doors are bespoke. “We worked with as many off-the-shelf products as we could to minimise cost and added a few bespoke items to elevate the scheme,” explains architect Julia Hamson.

Engelsman gave the kitchen an L-shaped layout with a large island workspace at the center, and pushed the tall storage into the garage, to create a wide circulation space to access the dining room and backyard.

A skylight was added to bring in more light, and the existing ceilings painted Benjamin Moore ‘Black Tar’ for contrast. The island pendant is the Schoolhouse Ray 17” Pendant and the stools are the Artek Aalto High Chair K65.

Studio Becker Xu streamlined the kitchen by building all of the appliances into the millwork. The budget-friendly countertops are a Formica solid surface.

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.

During the renovation, they discovered a window on the north side of the kitchen and built some shelving in front of it to enjoy storage while still letting the light in.

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

The architects used natural materials and colors in the kitchen to make the space feel serene, expansive, and connected to the outdoors.