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The overall design balances high- and low-cost materials—as in IKEA kitchen cabinets alongside custom shelving and a Breville espresso machine.

Oak lines the interior for a tactile surprise, and the marble counter echoes the marble on the island and perimeter counters.

One of the owners is a chef, so the kitchen, featuring HAY Revolver bar stools, naturally takes centerstage. Although it opens to the living room, the imposing butcher block ensures that cooks can be sealed away when maximum concentration is needed.

Stainless steel cabinets from IKEA were paired with a Corian countertop in the renovated kitchen. The custom cabinetry will be accessed by a rolling library ladder, which the couple will have fabricated by a local woodworker.

A handmade Fireclay backsplash resembles turntables as a nod to the couple’s love of music.

The new kitchen, which features banquette seating for laidback meals, is one of the owner’s favorite parts of the renovation.

Sleek cabinetry, space-saving built-ins, and gleaming stainless steel define the kitchen.

A cantilevered peninsula offers a smart, space-saving solution for the 900-square-foot layout: It offers ample space for food preparation and also acts as a dining area.

Longer lead times are common when you buy large items like sofas and couches, whether in person or online, but you’ll really need to read the fine print before ordering if you’re purchasing online.

Before: SHED redesigned the kitchen as a series of interconnected functional zones, which are linked by a continuous kitchen counter. This approach allowed the architects to increase usable space without modifying the house’s exterior. It also helped to visually connect the kitchen with the living area, while still maintaining separation via the walnut plywood cabinets and solid walnut eating counter, which serve as partitions.

A 12-foot “display island” gives this kitchen programmatic function—food and drinks are prepared here; cooking and cleaning are consigned to the back—and helps make it a welcoming space, whether homeowners Pacek and Roynon are entertaining or simply enjoying time to themselves. The soft green hue adds an inviting touch.

"Also consider performance when purchasing an older house, as these properties use a ton of energy,” says Schaer. “Many midcentury homes are minimally insulated and can be costly and challenging to remedy. For example, if you want to add insulation to a roof, you have to add it above the roof because there is no cavity for insulation."

The island and cabinets, fashioned from remilled Douglas-fir beams salvaged from upstate New York, sport inexpensive drawers from Ikea. The Carrara marble for the sink surround also came from the firm’s warehouse, from a section of slab orphaned from an earlier commission. A Viking chimney wall hood tops a free-standing range by Bluestar.

Bespoke inbuilt solutions, such as the cut-out cabinetry knobs, enhance the minimalist flair.