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Pros: Marble is elegant, heat resistant, and comes in a range of colors. Cons: Its high price, especially for more unusual types like Calacatta marble (known for its purer white and bolder veining compared to more common marble like Carrara), means that it isn’t an option for everyone. It is also quite high maintenance, requiring regular resealing.

The fireplace and hearth are clad in soapstone, which the team liked for the contrast and movement in the veining. The new window above the sliding door provides "a view of the sky and then just a flood of daylight coming in," says Fowler.

Before: Black Butte Ranch is a private resort community in central Oregon with homes that were mostly developed in the 1970s. "On one hand, you can say that there’s something that almost feels like Sea Ranch," says Hacker designer Jennifer Fowler, referring to the famous Northern California enclave. "They're funky in that '70s way, and they're all really different." Tim and Nive’s condo was built in 1972, and has 1,905 square feet over three floors with four bedrooms and three baths.

In the kitchen, an island on casters hides a trio of tables that can be configured in multiple ways both indoors and out.