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Exploratory demolition revealed enough space in the kitchen for an Asko washer-dryer and a full-size refrigerator.

The architects set up a cozy reading nook off the kitchen, with furnishings picked by Santos. Positioned as it is beside the big windows, the spot benefits from the views outside, and enables family members to chat easily while cooking.

Natural wood with original brickwork and microcement to create a minimalist yet warm kitchen area.

The clerestory windows were originally screens covered by sliding plywood panels that could be opened to allow in light and air.

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.

The kitchen cabinets are exposed edge plywood with a mix of rift-sawn oak veneer and Wilsonart Black Velvet laminate. Photo by Sarah Shields

By using color, wood, and polished concrete floors, this apartment in Berlin is full of personality. In the kitchen, polished statuario marble covers both the island's countertop and the backsplash in the custom kitchen cabinet block. PSLAB designed the light fixtures, and the island has open shelving incorporated into it for easy access to cookbooks and other reading material.

With clever storage and a retractable skylight, a London apartment designed by metalworker and owner Simone ten Hompel and Roger Hynam of Rogeroger Design Solutions feels larger than its 576 square feet. The team worked in a uniquely collaborative way, with Ullmayer Sylvester planning the space, Hynam creating the built-in storage and the kitchen island, and ten Hompel making models and scrawling on the wall to better envision their proposals. The kitchen island features a compact cooktop by Whirlpool and an integrated drainboard incised into the countertop for easy cleaning.

For the kitchen, American cherry wood was used to create cabinets that establish a warm and sturdy tone. Each piece of lumber was purchased at auction by the Brillharts and stored in New Hampshire, before being shipped to Miami and milled on site. The wood island is painted black to provide a point of visual contrast.

“Clients come in, and we make them coffee,” Shivley explains. “We use it as an opportunity to slow the pace, to chit-chat and catch up on how their day has been. It takes the formality out of meetings, to make it really social.” Instead of a stuffy atmosphere, “we're just in a coffee shop catching up,” he says.

Helgerson selected white Savoy 1”x4” stacked tiles from Ann Sacks for both the kitchen and bathroom.

The kitchen features a marble backsplash and a precisely placed window. The floors and internal walls are also crafted from clay and concrete.

Painting this diamond-plate steel backsplash a charming pink color makes the material feel less cold and industrial.