Kitchen/Bath

Along Victoria’s Surf Coast, a minimalist timber dwellingcombines Scandinavian charm with the laid-back vibes of a New Zealand bach.

SHED Architecture & Design does not believe in blindly following trends, preferring to allow light and space, economical and sustainable materials, and well-considered details guide their work. For the remodel of this loft-style apartment in the award-winning, industrial-style 1310 East Union Building on Capitol Hill, SHED worked with contractor Dolan Built LCC. They used an industrial-influenced material palette to complement the development’s edgy facade.

Interior designer Cathie Hong transformed the kitchen of this San Jose Eichler into a bright open space, but kept the wood paneling in the adjacent room, to preserve the warm, midcentury feel.

Light pours through clerestory windows in the master bathroom. Staying true to the home’s overall aesthetic, Sweet used simple, contrasting materials—white oak for the cabinets and Ann Sacks white tiles for the walls.

In this kitchen, three globe pendants with brass details and burgundy cords match the hood tube hanging above the kitchen island.

A new wood-panel wall is a focal point in the open layout. The original white oak floors were also refinished.

This lovely kitchen features laminate cabinets by Danish brand Reform.

Removal of walls in a former laundry room, hallway, and a small corner room produced an open living space overlooking the Mediterranean.

Six world-class chefs invite us into their home kitchens and share the dishes they’re loving right now.

The tile-clad addition to this existing home in Yangqing, China hosts the entry, dining room, and kitchen.

Shane Michael Pavonetti, an Austin-based architect and contractor, and his wife, Holly, built their eco-friendly home on a lean budget of $175,000. The cedar siding used on the exterior reappears throughout the house. Keen on recycling the wood, the couple added shelving to their kitchen as well.

Building the addition upward instead of outward allowed for more space and better views without excavating across the hilltop.

The old mahogany cabinets were swapped for lighter, cream-colored ones, which are contrasted by a large central island with black cabinetry.

The kitchen/dining space is oriented sideways, making the most of the narrow site and opening out onto the rear courtyard to create an indoor/outdoor living space.

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."

Husband-and-wife team Elaine and Stanley Yang of real estate and development firm Mini Inno discovered this 2,000-square-foot ranch home, and set about transforming it into an idyllic weekend retreat. Built in 1966, the home sits on 3.6 acres and, while the bones were good, it was a bit outdated in terms of style. The revitalized, Moroccan-inspired retreat is a sanctuary worthy of its soothing surroundings.

Read on for all the pros and cons to keep in mind for an educated decision about installing a kitchen sink.