Kitchens

A custom-built island anchors the kitchen-dining area, the most social area of the home. The dining table and chairs were made with wood rescued during the renovation process.

The kitchen, which friends helped put together, pairs affordable Ikea cabinetry with birch countertops and glazed brick tile.

In the dining room, the original steel window mullions were painted Farrow and Ball's Radicchio red, along with the railings and stairs below. The dining table is vintage David Naylor, and the chairs are vintage Danish modern with custom upholstery in Ghanaian textiles.

In the living room and kitchen, soft-but-tough Expanko cork flooring provides comfort and stands up to dings and scuffs. While the kitchen was designed primarily with Surendra and a caregiver’s needs in mind, it also accommodates the five-foot-radius of a wheelchair.

Australian expats Carla and Paul Tucker tasked designer Dan Gayfer with expanding their Melbourne bungalow without adding any square footage. In the kitchen, a soft palette of wood, laminate, and tile created cohesion, impressive considering the clients didn’t see a single finish, color, or material in person prior to their homecoming. The kitchen cabinets were clad in Russian birch plywood, and the countertops were concrete.