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Eliminating the wall separating the kitchen from the dining room was a challenge, forcing Dupont Blouin to reconsider mechanical and electrical logistics.

This apartment, overlooking the beautiful beach and the urban views of Tel Aviv, was built in the late 1990s and hadn't been renovated since, until designer Maya Sheinberger came in. The kitchen cabinets were chosen in a grey color with a matte finish and for the countertops, the designer chose a bright Dekton with marble texture. Above the kitchen island, which is used for cooking and for light family meals, are three wooden lighting fixtures by Israeli designer Ohad Benit.

At this home renovation in England, the architects kept the interiors minimal and stripped back, allowing for extra space to be used by the family as they pleased. A kitchen island with exposed plywood on the interior but painted on the exterior doubles up as a breakfast bar, and holds storage space for three Magis swivel beech barstools to be tucked away when not in use.

For the kitchen, American cherry wood was used to create cabinets that establish a warm and sturdy tone. Each piece of lumber was purchased at auction by the Brillharts and stored in New Hampshire, before being shipped to Miami and milled on site. The wood island is painted black to provide a point of visual contrast. Himalayan marble countertops and stainless steel appliances lend moments of clean modernism to the kitchen, which is flooded with bright light thanks to patio windows that open to the yard.

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.

Contained within this gabled-roof section are the bedrooms and bathrooms, which look out to stunning views of the mountains.

This bathroom, tiled in bright blue mosaic to offset the home’s limited materials and color palette, calls for a simple vanity. The sinks, toilets, and tubs are by Villeroy & Boch, while the faucets and towel rails are by Grohe and Avenir, respectively.

An updated bathroom features a mix of tiles: Carrara marble tiles on the floor, green subway tiles from Heath Ceramics on the inner shower walls, and white subway tiles from Daltile on the exterior walls. The fixtures are from Grohe.

A brand new line of black appliances from Fisher & Paykel provides even more style choices.

Blackbutt veneer cabinetry inject warmth into the kitchen and match the blackbutt ceiling planks seen throughout. Granite and concrete countertops create visual breaks in the timber surfaces.

The kitchen of this renovated apartment in Rome dramatically puts a deep veined marble for the counters and backsplash against the dark millwork.

The stone island bench in the kitchen is a Montenegro Quartzite from Artedomus. “Its monolithic quality really grounds the space under the towering void above,” says architect Bronwyn Litera.

Construction pausing during the pandemic turned out to be a boon: Living in the half-finished space, the couple realized they needed to open up the pass-through to the rest of the house for even more circulation.

Loader Monteith tends to have a "fabric-first" approach to sustainability. Any work happening on the roof or walls received a thick coat of insulation, and all glass is triple-glazed. "It’s like the house has a warm hat and jacket and a dry pair of Welly boots," says Loader. "Once you’ve done a lot of the hard work, you can make the heating system as small as possible." Photovoltaic solar panels on the roof collect energy throughout the day.

The Bulthaup kitchen also features Calacatta quartzite countertops from Stone Fleury. A Float console table by Aleksandra Zee hangs along a wall opposite the bar stools.

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.