Kitchen

Whereas others might look at a board-formed cement wall in a basement and see, well, a concrete wall, Jess and Jonathan Taylor, the design duo behind the L.A.-based firm Taylor + Taylor, were inspired. The couple had purchased a virtually untouched 1952 house in east L.A. and that concrete wall became the backdrop for a new guest kitchen in the basement. "It was really the starting point of the whole design," says Jess Taylor. "As designers, our goal is to always try to incorporate the existing surroundings whenever possible, utilize them in practical ways, and be inspired by them."

The floors throughout the home were built of Douglas fir. The window frames are made of pine.

The kitchen is outfitted with a Wolf stove and hood, Hansgrohe faucet, and Sugatsune cabinetry hardware.

In the open-plan living area, one of the highlights is the natural light-filled kitchen from Italian manufacturer Armony.