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Rice is a must for the family's meals. The rice cooker comes out onto the counter when it's time to cook.

The kitchen-cum-dining area is an open space that facilitates gatherings, working from home and lets people behind the counters communicate with others outside easily.

The firm color-blocked the bathrooms, using peach dimensional tile here with terrazzo flooring.

The kitchen, kept in the same location, was opened up dramatically. Gray cabinets from IKEA are topped with honed granite countertops; an oil painting of the original cottage sits on one of the floating shelves.

When Austin-based firm Matt Fajkus Architecture was tasked with renovating this classic midcentury home, they sought to open up the interior—not only by unifying the common areas into an open-plan layout, but also by literally raising the home's roof. This strategy increased the ceiling height on three sides of the home, allowing for the insertion of clerestory windows to create a bright and airy open living space. "The raised ceiling maintains the original pitched roof geometry to stay harmonious with the existing gabled roof in the private zone," explain the architects in a statement.

The original brick facade had very few windows, making for dark interiors.

Now, the kitchen is bright, open, and totally transformed. The chandelier is the Aquitaine Linear Chandelier in Burnished Brass from RH Modern.

The optimized layout includes an open-plan living room, dining area, and kitchen, along with three bedrooms and three-and-a-half baths.

Frederick Tang Architecture renovated this Brooklyn brownstone with entertaining in mind. The new kitchen features a mix of IKEA and custom walnut shelving. The gray subway tile is from Nemo Tile.

The pergola was removed, the exterior wall opened up, and a new dining room added. The 12-foot-long sliding pocket doors manufactured by Western Window Systems recede all the way into the wall for total indoor/outdoor flow. The new patio received cement tile—the Arc pattern from Clé Tile—its black and white palette coordinating with the new white paint and black window frames of the exterior.

The vaulted ceiling adds an expansive airy feel that the original home lacked. Now, the wall of windows perfectly frames the gorgeous overlook.

After: The kitchen faces the back garden and benefits from a double height atrium space. Pine has been used for the kitchen flooring and cabinets. Extensive glazing gives the ground floor living spaces a direct visual link with the courtyard and terrace.

The kitchen now looks out to the big, open deck which houses expansive tree views.

The open plan great room is bright and airy thanks to the insertion of the center courtyard .

Northwest Modern Home with site-specific features