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Don't dismiss the kitchen as a modern day parlor. Sarrah Khan of Agencie Architecture & Engineering says, “ Kitchens are modern parlor rooms. In today’s homes, kitchens serve a double function of both cooking and entertaining zones.”

Architect Kevin Alter integrated wood from the original bungalow into the kitchen and covered the island in Carrara marble, with an interior clad in wood. A long table extends from the side of the island, and wine storage is integrated into one end of the island. New appliances include a Wolf range, a Broan hood, and a Miele oven and refrigerator. The Fucsia pendant lights are by Achille Castiglioni for Flos.

The dining room is delineated from the kitchen by a long kitchen island with a higher partition between the two spaces. The island provides storage along its length, with exposed shelving at the ends. The drum lighting pendants by Axiom were also made using local timber.

The kitchen and dining areas now occupy the new single-level wing and also overlook the backyard via the glass wall. Silestone countertops waterfall over walnut cabinetry, and exposed wood rafters overhead received a coat of whitewash.

By removing walls, inserting new windows, and utilizing a lighter color palette, Mowery Marsh Architects give this historic home a modern, new look.

The couple chose Thermador appliances from Don’s Appliances. The black Nero Marquina marble counters are in a high honed finish, which kept them from becoming too gray in the finish process.

Modern kitchen includes triple-bay sink, gas range, and hidden storage.

White oak storage wraps the kitchen, which is tucked under the lower ceiling, to create a more cozy spot that’s still connected to the living areas. “It's such a large space,” Erling says of the great room. “It's nice to be more intimate in the kitchen zone.” The counters are Gascogne blue limestone.

In the kitchen, Eames chairs flank a custom dining table, and the pendant is by Wever & Ducré.

In the kitchen, the couple kept the original cabinets and "beautiful, custom-rolled stainless-steel counters,” says Christine. They updated the island counter, flooring, and backsplash, adding Foro marble, Concrete Collaborative tiles, and Cle tile, respectively.

A 26-foot-wide, 3-ton airport glass hangar door opens the living room to the Atlantic Ocean. The enormous structure was custom-made for the home, designed to raise at the touch of a button to let the ocean breeze permeate every corner of the home.

The guesthouse hovers above the motor court. "The main area was broken up into four zones: the kids wing, the guest suite, the master suite, and the living-dining room and kitchen, which is a transition area, where public meets private," says Hawkins.

Though the front of this 1880s home in Adelaide, Australia, maintains a traditional facade due to strict heritage laws, the rear is modern eye candy at its best. See more of the home.

On all three aboveground levels of the house, outdoor spaces feature as prominently as indoor ones. The backyard is lined with tiered concrete boxes for planting vegetables; the modest top floor—which houses the master bedroom—has a deck wrapping three sides; and in the middle, a 770-square-foot green roof extends off the living area. Don't miss a word of Dwell! Download our FREE app from iTunes, friend us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter!

Robertson restored the existing rooms in the front of the original house, and redesigned the back of the home to have a much more modern, indoor/outdoor living experience.

The new rear addition overlooks an exterior courtyard.

A sense of privacy is conjured by the abundance of trees at the edge of the site.