Kitchen

The dining area is located in what used to be the passageway between the house and the barn. A Moon luminaire by designer Davide Groppi hangs above the table, with tall, sliding glass doors extending the space to the enclosed yard.

The founder of Polly Harbison Design transformed the 1940s home where her sister, Margot, resides with her family to include a new kitchen, a bedroom with an outdoor shower, and wide-open garden views. In the main communal areas, floor-to-ceiling glass doors and wooden screens slide open completely, allowing Margot, Ewen, and their three daughters to get fresh air.

For the renovation of the East Fremantle House in the suburbs of Perth, architect Nic Brunsdon added a rear extension that playfully mixes white stucco and warm timber. Within the 3,229-square-foot residence, an airy common space, which Brunsdon refers to as “the garden room,” features a giant sliding door that connects the indoor living areas with a sunny green courtyard.

Black accent pieces create the illusion of a black and white kitchen in the home of San Francisco architect Cass Calder Smith. A black reading nook coordinates perfectly with the stainless steel countertops and white cabinetry.

The master bedroom is designed as a tranquil place of rest with filtered light from the blinds.

To accommodate a young family leaving New York City, design firm Stewart-Schafer revamped the kitchen and living areas of an outdated upstate home in just three months.

"Around the time we were thinking of moving back [to San Francisco], I took a trip to Marfa, Texas, and fell in love with the agelessness of Donald Judd’s work," says Amy. "I liked the idea of having a classic American reference to the space, since we are influenced as much from America as we are by Asian culture."