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"We needed a place to station the computer, and have one-on-one meetings with clients," explains Efrat of the new study. "However. I didn’t want to make the public space feel dark and small (by subtracting a chunk of it for a designated room). Another constraint was to have acoustic isolation, and the glass-walled room was the perfect solution for all of the above—it made the main living space feel more spacious since it enables light to pass through, yet separated it from the main living space acoustically and effectively."

“We love how the staircase not only plays the role of the focal point, but also separates and organizes the spaces,” says Emilie.

View from the front entrance towards the kitchen and living room at the rear of the home. The trees in the rear yard are visible through both the ground and section floor windows. The kitchen island and counters are Brazilian soapstone while the lower millwork cabinets are a super matte black laminate. The upper cabinets are a natural finished rift cut white oak. Beyond and at the centre of the the home, the soffit of the of the second floor landing interlocks with the open to above spaces. Kitchen Stool: Kristalia BCN Stool Cooktop and downdraft: Bosch

“We would normally integrate the fridge, but this French Door refrigerator looked so good we were happy to keep it exposed,” comments Josie Sommerville of Whiting Architects.

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

Not only was extra living space necessary for the growing family of four, but the existing house also failed to take advantage of the striking views that drew the couple to the site. The homeowners tapped architect Malcolm Davis of San Francisco–based Malcolm Davis Architecture to redesign and expand the dwelling without damaging the many established oak trees.

To make the interior of their 12-foot-wide Brooklyn home feel larger, designers Ed Parker and Barbara Tutino Parker used Farrow & Ball paint in All White for the floors and applied Benjamin Moore Super White with a flat finish to the walls. They also rearranged the floor plan.

As a former librarian and true book lover, Williams liked the idea of storing her books in the living room. "At first, the built-in shelving we designed was more open, but the exposed books created too much visual clutter, so we added cabinet doors and kept a few open shelves to house a rotating display of our client's collection of quirky and artful artifacts," says Eng-Goetz.

The Cozy Room is a more intimate space for reading, drafting letters ("an activity our client has turned into a true art form," notes Eng-Goetz), and watching movies. JHID lowered the ceiling height and raised the floor by a single step in order to give the room a different scale compared to the rest of the apartment. "When you're in the Cozy Room, you feel hugged by the interior architecture, while still being connected to the public spaces that it so clearly looks out on," says Eng-Goetz.

All kitchen appliances, cupboards, and counters have been united in a single, self-contained island, designed in collaboration with Bulthaup. The architects wanted unfussy space and they rejected easy-access overhanging cabinets. "There's an emphasis on convenience in the world that is all about numbing things," says Alan Koch.

O’Sullivan designed the ceiling “to have a knitted or woven quality like that of wool or silk.” It dives down over the kitchen and dining area, eventually reaching a point at the entry that is low enough to touch. Here, resident Jes Wood leans against the onyx kitchen island while her daughter Ruby hangs out. Replica Jean Prouvé chairs surround the dining table; a vase by Bruce and Estelle Martin for Kamaka Pottery sits on top. The Reel table under the television is by Atelier Oï for B&B Italia.

The Felds’ new kitchen is clean, modern, and laced with industrial touches (laboratory faucets, lab glass pendant lamps designed by Sand, stainless steel appliances) while animated by materials and crafted elements that radiate warmth: fir floors unearthed from beneath two layers of linoleum; a fireclay farm sink made in England; Carrera marble counters that extend up the walls; walnut shelving; and industrial mechanisms that put the hardware on display, such as the suspended rolling blackboard that conceals the water heater.

Living Room: With custom sliding doors that lead into the master bedroom.

Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves provide ample storage for books and memorabilia.

White built-in cabinetry delightfully contrasts with the home's original wood beams and pillars, which the architects have left exposed (along with the aluminum ductwork and perforated metal) to pay homage to the building's industrial past.

The entry in this Greenwich Village townhouse is wide enough to resemble a “street” where family members interact throughout the day.

The subdued palette blends warm timber tones with white interiors and stone accents.

The minimalist A-frame overlooks pristine alpine views.