Kitchen

The star of the renovation, and the Richter's favorite room, is the kitchen. It is also the room that underwent the biggest transformation. They created custom cabinetry design with playful, ribbed side panels and curved marble profiles. They also designed deep storage drawers hidden behind custom lacquered cabinetry.

The original wood ceiling was revealed, and the appliances are also freestanding. Shelving and lights are also by Vipp.

In the kitchen, Rossi pulled down the drywall to expose the unique framing at the peaked ceiling. "When we opened it up, it had that beautiful curved detail," says Rossi. "That's super rare." The team added glass there to emphasize the detail.

A view of the kitchen with the panels closed.

A kitchen island made of large Travertino Santa Caterina porcelain slabs from Ariostea breaks up the timber palette. Also pictured are Hay Cornet stools and a Baxter-Hubble lighting fixture.

Sculptural plywood walls weave new life into a 19th-century Parisian apartment while preserving its historic Haussmannien features.

With a client wish list including ample natural light, high ceilings, outdoor connection, and peak energy efficiency, Mowery Marsh Architects check off all the boxes and more. In the kitchen, oak floors, inset walnut cabinets, Fireclay subway tile, and Caesarstone countertops read more classic vibes, while the furnishings are modern counterpoints. The refrigerator and freezer columns are Thermador, and the wall sconces are by Cedar & Moss.

In the kitchen, White Oak floors, inset walnut cabinets, Fireclay subway tile, and Caesartone countertops read more classic vibes, while the furnishings—such as the Reno Table from Structube, Channel Chairs by Industry West, and ADAM Stools by Frama Denmark—are modern counterpoints. Appliances include a Thermador 36" Freedom Induction Cooktop and an inconspicuous Thermador 36" Downdraft Ventilation, as well as a Miele Dishwasher, convection oven, and speed oven.

In the kitchen, Laminex Absolut Matte Black cabinets are topped with counters from Pop Concrete.

Local carpenters built the furnishings.

The kitchen cabinets are custom-made from 100-year-old wood purchased at Sliverado Salvage. There’s a breakfast nook and a nine-foot island finished in Tadelakt, a waterproof plaster often used in Moroccan architecture, creating a communal and open space that flows into the living room. "Tadelakt is such a beautiful material and provides an old-world, earthy feeling, but using it is very labor-intensive," says Elaine.

The rustic wood used for the open shelving was sourced locally, and a carpenter based in the area made the cabinetry.

Located on a wooded property some 80 miles north of New York City, the Pond House is the weekend hangout for Kyle Page, founder of Brooklyn-based architecture firm Sundial Studios and his family. Perched atop a concrete plinth, it features weathered steel cladding and blackened cedar siding. Glass doors and a covered porch stepping down to the pond add another dash of indoor/outdoor synergy, while the interiors are awash in natural materials like sugar maple and fallen ash.

Storage, fixtures, and appliances are all housed within the monochromatic steel modules in the McCourt Townhouse. "It’s all freestanding, even the unit with the sink in it," says homeowner Chris McCourt. "Two blokes unpacked and fitted it all in a day."

The architects avoided typical, open-plan living in favor of separate, calm, and purposeful spaces. This need for separation and acoustic privacy drove the form of the building, while a layered approach of filtered built elements, such as the steel screening and double-sided fireplaces, still facilitates family interaction.

The kitchen, located in the center of the home, has white millwork and cabinetry that contrast with brick-clad walls.

Louvered windows at the end of the counter "visually increase the transparency," says Yuan. Floating shelves provide functional storage that doesn’t block the light and views.

The use of both black and white kitchen cabinets is a unique design choice for black and white kitchens, but it works well in this lovely kitchen, a study in dark and light. It incorporates a fantastic black-and-white marble backsplash, which brings together the kitchen’s many other elements, like dark hardwood floors and a white quartz countertop.

This remodeled and extended ranch house in Del Mar is a modern farmhouse-meets-beach shack. The 2,800-square-foot ranch house from the 1950s was renovated by San Francisco-based architect Nick Noyes, with interiors designed by Raili Clasen, founder of Newport Beach studio railiCAdesign. Sited on an oversized lot, the Southern California house has an intimately scaled exterior structure that follows a clean farmhouse aesthetic.