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The kitchen countertops are made of oiled soapstone, and the backsplash features Heath Ceramics tiles. The island is a Carrara marble slab fitted onto an industrial base from Big Daddy's Antiques.

Dyer's renovation of a kitchen in Portland's Burlingame neighborhood opens up walls and reconfigures counter space. The floor is a striking terrazzo from Ann Sack's Renata line.

The vintage-modern look is accentuated by an elegantly curved, Calacatta marble backsplash that frames the Lacanche range. The countertop is also Calacatta marble.

In the kitchen, bar stools by Atelier Arking line a marble-topped island.

The kitchen island features an elegant concrete top in a light tone that complements the white oak joinery and allows the Carrera marble backsplash to steal the show.

Vermont Danby Marble along the countertops features blue veining that nods to the home's waterfront location. Sliding glass doors open the dining area to the surrounding outdoor space.

From the central kitchen island, there is a continuous line of sight to the garden. “Milli loves her indoor plants,” says builder Hamish White. “The tree views from most windows, and all the indoor plants makes you feel as if nature is never far away.”

A minimalist materials and colors palette helps keep the focus on the outdoors. Stone porcelain tile lines the ground floor.

Cheng opened up the kitchen to the main living spaces and gave it an uber-functional layout.

Choose meaningful embellishments. “Homeowners tend to focus predominantly on the utilitarian components of their kitchen remodels and place less emphasis on decorative elements such as tile, open shelves, visual art pieces,” says Nicole Tysvaer of Galaxy Homes. “The kitchen is the heart of our homes and the most occupied space. I encourage all of our clients to consider meaningful embellishments that add beauty and a personalized touch to their kitchen remodel, such as a display of heirloom teacups, framed photography from family vacations, or decorative wall art.”

New custom walnut cabinetry syncs with the rest of the built-ins throughout the home, to create a pleasing rhythm in the open plan. The backsplash is Heath Ceramics tile, and the counter is Pental Quartz. Open shelves at the rear overlook a cozy den, and allow sightlines out the new windows at the front of the home.

The cabinetry is fabricated by a local Indian craftsman styled in the manner of modern German and Italian kitchens at a fraction of the cost.

"The kitchen is pretty small, so we were inspired by Japanese design where everything is highly organized,

The rear of the home had been complicated by many additions. Davis streamlined the space as one adjoining kitchen, living room, dining room, and lower sunroom.

After: The soaring new living and dining space benefits from an abundance of natural light from every side, and they spent a lot of time trying to find the best lighting for the kitchen. The final choice: long, narrow copper pendants from Denmark suspended by ultra thin wires to not disrupt the visual flow of the room.

As seen in Boulder Lifestyle Magazine

The fridge is concealed behind grain-matched walnut doors (and a very cute dog).

As seen in Boulder Lifestyle Magazine.