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Dining takes place at the large custom-fabricated table underneath pendant lighting. Seating is a mix of Eames Shell Chairs and Real Good chairs from Blu Dot.

Batiik Studio designed a "space cube," made of Fenix NTM's matte nanotech material and warm oak, to serve as a sleeping nook and storage.

The kitchen is streamlined and modern, with a black seamless backsplash, a minimalist faucet, and a wood-clad vent hood.

Storage, fixtures, and appliances are all built into the black steel modules of the kitchen. Heirlooms and vases from Andre Bloch rest on the island’s tk counters.

The design of this Australian houseboat features a soft, modern color palette. Here, light sage laminate kitchen cabinets are paired with leather recessed pulls.

After: Pink-toned terrazzo tile counters and a backsplash and olive green-painted cabinetry enlivens the kitchen, where the designers created open shelving using leftover plywood from the mezzanine ceiling panels.

This artfully minimalist Australian kitchen combines concrete, oak, steel, and prefabricated panels with a substantial marble countertop and backsplash.

Choosing a kitchen or bathroom countertop can be nerve-wracking, and we understand why—they can be one of the most expensive aspects of a renovation, with the added responsibility of impacting the aesthetics of a space. Read on as we work our way through the pros and cons of seven of the most common countertop materials.

Detail of the kitchen

The cabinetry is fabricated by a local Indian craftsman styled in the manner of modern German and Italian kitchens at a fraction of the cost.

The new kitchen features ceiling-to-countertop tiles in a grid pattern, which reappears throughout the home. The globe flush mount overhead is from Anthropologie, while the hardware is from Altas Homewares and Alno Hardware.

Niki and Gustavo splurged on more permanent finishes and budgeted on items, like faucets and shelves, that could be easily upgraded over time.

The expanded kitchen has a large central island, with room for prep, seating, storage, and cooking. The cabinetry is a mix of wood, Shinnoki Milk Oak, and white fronts, Fenix NTM Bianco Kos. The terrazzo counters are by Concrete Collaborative. There are two types of tiles: the Mutina Rombini fluted tile on the island and Cepac Krave Sugar Tiles on the backsplash. “It looks very mid-century modern,” says Blaine of the backsplash tile. “But in this application, it also adds that little touch of depth that I think is really important to making the house feel interesting.” The counter stools are from Hay.

Adding storage under the new stair maximizes the kitchen's footprint. Hemlock wood on the stair was stained to complement the casework. The faucet is from Brizo and the green backsplash tile is Heath.

"The marble was chosen to complement the tones of the timber floors,

The kitchen is adorned with Fireclay olive-green tile on the backsplash that ties to the green-painted custom millwork of the lower cabinetry.

"We contrasted the linearity of the etched granite by curving the island edges and introducing fridge panels with hand-carved pulls,

The design team restored the cork floors. The island lights are Sven Middleboe for Nordisk and are original to the house. The counters are Ceppo Di Gre Marble and the door to the restored pantry is painted Tarrytown Green by Benjamin Moore, and given a porthole window with reeded glass.

The kitchen, which friends helped put together, pairs affordable Ikea cabinetry with birch countertops and glazed brick tile.