kitchen

Eunice Byun, cofounder of Material Kitchen, raves about the best things she keeps in her cabinets.

The c-shaped kitchen is built from Ikea carcasses which were strengthen by the couple’s joiner to withstand the weight of the polished concrete worktops and clad in Douglas Fir plywood.

The kitchen is lower than the rest of the open-plan living area, helping to create distinct zones between the cosy living space and the practical cooking area. A three-metre long rooflight above floods the kitchen with natural light.

“The client wanted an interior space where you could read the materiality of the building elements like understanding the ingredients in a recipe,” principal architect Elizabeth Webster explains. The extension features distinctly textured materials: an exposed timber ceiling, painted brick walls, and polished concrete floors. Warm lighting by Brinklicht unifies the space.

Smitten from the start with a 1970s concrete villa in rural Belgium, a resident and her designer embark on a sensitive renovation that excises the bad (carpeted walls, dark rooms) and highlights the good (idyllic setting, statement architecture). Owner Nathalie Vandemoortele worked with designer Renaud de Poorter on the interior renovations, which included opening up the heavy structure with the help of new windows and doors to the outside. A concrete bi-level island keeps the Brutalist vibe on the interior, but is open and light enough to feel balanced.

Open wooden shelving serve as an idyllic spot to display special kitchen gadgets and trinkets.

A close-up of the kitchen countertops, which are made of three-inch board-formed solid concrete finished ultra smooth and sealed.

Blackbutt veneer cabinetry inject warmth into the kitchen and match the blackbutt ceiling planks seen throughout. Granite and concrete countertops create visual breaks in the timber surfaces.

The floors in Tetris Extension by Crosshatch are hydronic-heated, polished concrete.

The counter and backsplash are made up of a marble slab leftover from a bigger job.

Virtue Joinery built the custom cabinetry, composed of plywood stained a soft grey.

In the kitchen, the couple found barely used appliances instead of new ones to save money. The cabinetry and butcher block counters are from Ikea.

No-fuss, sturdy materials, like Kahrs oak chevron floors that camouflage dirt and easy-care black metal siding, free up time for family. “The more durable the material, the less work to maintain it,” says Susie. Also in the kitchen is a quartz countertop by Daltile and faucet from Kohler. The windows are by Milgard.

Black steel-framed windows continue into the airy kitchen, complete with bespoke cabinetry.

SF Historic Renovation

In the kitchen, which faces west to capture views of the San Jacinto Mountains, a large red work by James Jensen punctuates one wall. The induction cooktop is from Gaggenau; the sinks were sourced from Blanco.