Home design

The 1875 structure sits on half an acre with a detached office, a backyard kitchen, and plenty of outdoor living space.

The guest bathroom—one of Leah’s favorite rooms—features a custom walnut vanity, and cement “Bateau Everglade” tile from Zia Tile. “I was a little nervous to go with such a bold patterned tile, but I couldn't be more obsessed with how it turned out,” she says.

In the kitchen, mini orb pendants by Allied Maker illuminate the island. The kitchen stools are by KBH through Fair Design.

The screened porch enjoys a darker aesthetic, with a couch by Kettal and table by mark Jupiter. The wall sculpture is by Malcolm Hill.

In the living room, corner glazing helps blur the line between inside and out. The sofa is by Minotti and the coffee table is by Jake Szymanski. The lounge chair is Finn Juhl.

In the primary suite, a lounge chair from Moving Mountains sits in the corner window. The wall-hanging photograph is by James Welling.

The shower has concrete tile from Zia Tile which was painstakingly cut to follow the angle of the ceiling. The exterior wood screen provides privacy over the windows while allowing light in.

Ben Allen renovated this old Victorian in London using a rainbow of colored concrete. One of the new bathrooms is cast in mossy green with an arch motif that appears throughout the home.

For a bathroom in the new addition, the architects utilized the former addition's rocky foundation, complemented by zellige tile.

Seattle-based Shed Architecture & Design worked with kitchen systems company Space Theory to create Quynh-Vy’s dream kitchen, complete with pink cabinets, open walnut shelving, and a 12-foot marble island.

A Pastille Collection sofa by Hlynur Atlason joins a Tricolor LC4 Chaise Lounge by Cassina, both from DWR. The black marble-and-rebar coffee table is from Hay. Next to the staircase is a 19th-century Japanese samurai suit of armor. A Noguchi Akari pendant hangs from the 14-foot ceiling.

Kenard and Jennifer splurged $800 on a deep soaking tub and paired it with terrazzo ceramic tiles.

Aleksandra shifted and shortened the window to pack in usable storage around it. The cabinets are painted Rainy Afternoon by Benjamin Moore, combined with white oak boxes for contrast. “We were also badly hit by the material price increases during Covid,” says Aleksandra, whether it was kitchen cabinets or framing lumber. The couple were receiving quotes that changed week to week.

Rebuilding the rear addition gave Aleksandra a chance to play with its form, and make it contrast with the historic body of the Edwardian. Large glass doors lighten up the kitchen and connect it to the deck and backyard.

In their query letter, Ben and Sarah were clear that they wanted a home that could accommodate all of life’s messes. “We don't want a white display kitchen that only looks good when it's clean and not in use. We want our kitchen to be able to work hard. We love to cook and when we do, there are usually lots of things on the go and a mess being made.”