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Custom shelving now flanks the fireplace, now composed of encaustic tile from the Cement Tile Shop and a marble hearth. A floating cabinet on one side balances an uncovered radiator on the other, and Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace unifies the scheme. Throughout the first floor, Bona Traffic white oak floors with a matte finish is laid in a herringbone pattern.

Barker salvaged the original glass windows in this living room, although the surrounding millwork had to be replaced.

The fireplace in Mississippi Modern by Charlie & Co. Design is offset by floor-to-ceiling windows—but not an ounce of coziness is lost.

White marble and concrete floors give the fireplace at OKC Modern an industrial edge. The modern home by Butzer Architects and Urbanism is striking yet intimate.

Alpine Noir by Casework

The Throckmorton Renovation can be likened to a small art gallery. Official Design honored the history of the Bud Oglesby-designed home by adding a plentitude of natural light and celebrating the formal geometry of the original design.

"The ceiling moldings were kept to create a sense of intimacy, and to blend the home’s classical style with the modern look of the kitchen," architect Maxime Moreau says. A PH Snowball light pendant by Louis Poulsen illuminates the living room, and a gas fireplace by Foyer Universel keeps it warm, with a mirror above the fireplace allowing light to bounce around the space.

Designer Christiane Hogner, Bruxelles

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.

White oak storage wraps the kitchen, which is tucked under the lower ceiling, to create a more cozy spot that’s still connected to the living areas. “It's such a large space,” Erling says of the great room. “It's nice to be more intimate in the kitchen zone.” The counters are Gascogne blue limestone.

Alessia’s favorite detail? “I am not a huge fan of handles, so there are only three cuts [in the cabinetry] which lets you open six doors.”

A new, lowered level at the back of the home hosts the kitchen and dining room, and is accessed via concrete steps that deliberately double as informal seating. “We loved the idea of being able to read the sunken part of the house as an entirely concrete element, which would give the space a feeling of being grounded,” says the architect. “[It also] provides a robust base for the timber frame and a series of plinths on which different activities can take place—such as sitting, cooking, reading, or exercising.”

On the interior, the kitchen-and-dining extension features large concrete floor tiles and light-gray concrete blockwork on the walls. Exposed Douglas fir ceiling joists, bespoke birch plywood cabinets, and Corian countertops lend texture to the space. A skylight and tall glass doors that lead to the garden bring in natural light.

Colorful ceramic tiles on the back wall in the Westbourne Cottage scullery

To avoid the sight of dirty dishes, the sink is on the side rather than in the island, where instead an induction stove from Bora (with a cleverly designed down-draw exhaust system) makes the kitchen “really social,” says Kate. “One of us can be cooking while the other can sit and have a glass of wine.”

A closer look at the renovated kitchen, which features a large picture window and a beloved chandelier that once hung in the couple's first Berlin apartment.

The kitchen features its original built-in clock; a Michael Graves Alessi kettle stands on the range.