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"The wife’s vision was to create a very calming interior using a minimalist material palette," explains Mac. "The custom kitchen was designed to be elemental—we wanted [it] to feel more integrated [with the rest of the space]. The oak cabinets, concrete countertops, and appliance placements all reinforced this aesthetic."

The ground floor kitchen is currently part of the rental apartment, but could easily become part of the office if the Uli Wagner Design Lab studio were to be extended downstairs in the future.

Making the decision to buy a home is never easy; it’s hard to know what life will look like five or ten years down the line. But on the bright side, buying a home is exciting. The responsibility can be invigorating.

8. "How often do I like to communicate with my realtor and what's the best way to do so?" "Your agent should know how you like to check in and by what method—text, email, or phone,” explains Hoffman. “The biggest complaints we hear from clients who have worked with other agents is that their agent did not communicate with them in the way they wanted."

"It’s not uncommon for sellers to throw some new black plastic under the house to conceal any potential water problems,” says Burkholder. “Old leaky pipes are one problem, but a high water level that leaves the crawlspace musty can be an expensive fix as well.”

Here are a few questions Smirke recommends asking: When is a permit required? Will you need to submit plans for your renovation project? Were there un-permitted improvements made to the property? If so, what will be required upon inspection? Are there new fire, energy, and safety requirements that will need to be met to meet current building codes?

Scala Studio created the kitchen from scratch in the former office space.

The kitchen floor can be used as a substrate in the future if the homeowners choose to make additional renovations.

The architects bought standard-size cabinets and played around with different configurations to make the layout feel bespoke at an affordable cost.

Hidden Kitchen Pantry Opened

Earth-toned laminate covers the kitchen niche and shelving for durability. There’s a gas stove and refrigerator, and no running water. “The staff bring you a bottle of water and it's a pump faucet at the sink,” explains St-Laurent.

“Daniel knew what he wanted, and that made it easy for the materials,” says Bernardo.)

Windows stretch from the counter to the ceiling to maximize the view. The difference in ceiling height gives the kitchen a cozier feel.

The visual simplicity and raw beauty of the space takes inspiration from a surprising source: the Wes Anderson movie Isle of Dogs. “Ravi sent me a screenshot and I just said, ‘I’m on board,’” says Emilie.

The flooring switches from warm, engineered white oak in the living room to concrete in the kitchen to make cleaning a breeze.

“I don’t paint landscapes when I’m here because I can’t compete with the natural beauty,” says Yael.