Kitchen

This kitchen is an exercise in light and dark, which echoes the home’s dark exterior and light interior. The white quartz countertops gleam against the black sink and fixtures, and the cabinets and backsplashes were constructed from Baltic birch.

Black-rimmed steel clerestory windows add illumination in this diminutive white kitchen where black accents abound. A black Aggregato Saliscendi Suspension light, designed by Enzo Mari and Giancarlo Fassina for Artemide, accents against the white Calacatta marble countertops and MAP's oak Milky Stools.

A dramatic black island is expertly balanced by a wall of white cabinetry and a refrigerator that blends perfectly. The kitchen’s black countertops were cut from Nero Assoluto granite. The sink and faucet are from Quebec-based company Rubi. Appliances are from Wolf.

A massive white island range is anchored by locally sourced Italian slate floors in black. In this black and white kitchen, cabinets, countertops, and walls are finished in white so as to prevent the space from feeling too dark. To shed even more light, a glass ceiling at the far end of the kitchen presents an open-air feeling.

A granite island countertop and black American oak cabinetry are a winning combination for the utilitarian kitchen. The sleek kitchen pendant lights are Matric-P4's from Lightnet.

Tall steel-and-glass doors open to the backyard and bring some understated drama.

The firm then combined a palette of steel, concrete, and oak in the elegant, double-height rear addition.

The kitchen in the Winchester Residence features plywood cabinets with white Fenix cladding. RobitailleCurtis moved the rear service stair forward into the kitchen to allow a new stair to the basement to be concealed beneath it.

A white Bulthaup system fits cleanly into the 13-foot-long kitchen.

The Kohler Crue Collection. The mega company's brand introduced the Crue collection of sleek, gooseneck faucets that integrate motion sensors for hands-free operation. But the real story here is that the pull-down model is available with Kohler Konnect, the company's voice-activation app. No need to grab the measuring cup—like U by Moen, Crue can dispense precise amounts of water at desired temperature.

The minimalist kitchen features Caesarstone countertops, Corian backsplashes, and maple cabinetry.

Custom oak clad kitchen integrates wall and floor finishes

Overhead cabinets now can be easily swung open for ease of access. The kitchens are priced at IKEA’s usual retails. A 10 by 10 foot kitchen fitted with Sektion cabinets will range from around $1,300 to $2,200, excluding appliances.

The large, naturally lit kitchen is the heart of the house. Messmate-clad cupboards and huge expanses of glass dominate the space where Angelucci uses the sink, Gorman works at the kitchen island, and Pepa and Hazel look on. Play in the courtyard between the kitchen and garage is easily supervised and enclosed from the alley behind the house.

Choosing a kitchen or bathroom countertop can be nerve-wracking, and we understand why—they can be one of the most expensive aspects of a renovation, with the added responsibility of impacting the aesthetics of a space. Read on as we work our way through the pros and cons of seven of the most common countertop materials.

Morten Bo Jensen, of Danish industrial design company Vipp, and his partner, graphic designer Kristina May Olsen, have mixed repurposed vintage items with their own creations inside their Copenhagen apartment. In the kitchen, the dining table—Jensen’s first piece for Vipp—is made of a powder-coated aluminum frame with a recycled, untreated teak top. The lamps overhead are salvaged and rewired Copenhagen streetlights.

The smooth, raven-hued island in this kitchen is made of oak with a thin stone countertop. A Foscarini Gregg Pendant hangs overhead.