SPAB's Ideas

Throughout the home, large picture windows frame views of the greenery outside, including glimpses of a 150-year-old oak tree the couple worked hard to save.

The team expanded the kitchen and gave it a modern look that now features stunning walnut cabinets, gray Caesarstone counters, and a beautiful teal backsplash with tile from the Ann Sacks Modern Line.

See Arch removed a wall to create a more spacious kitchen with a stronger visual connection to the dining area. The updated kitchen is outfitted with quartz countertops and Viking, Fisher Paykel, and Asko appliances.

The expanded central kitchen occupies the heart of the home. The kitchen island is wrapped in reclaimed Douglas fir and topped with a white granite countertop. The countertops in the rear are black-flamed granite.

This midcentury in Armonk, New York, was the personal residence of Arthur Witthoefft, an architect for renowned firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Witthoefft won an AIA First Honor Award in 1962 for his design, and the home was listed on the Register of Historic Places in 2011 after a meticulous restoration profiled in Dwell. The kitchen was modernized with white lacquer and stainless steel.

Thick Calacatta marble counters wrap streamlined sage green flat-front cabinetry, painted in Farrow & Ball's "Mizzle." The island pendants are Cedar & Moss, and the Alfi Low-Back counter stools are by Jasper Morrison for Emeco.

“Windows are picture frames to the landscape,” says principal Dan Brunn. In the home’s den, a pair of fixed and casement windows create the perfect vertical frame for the towering tree trunk beyond.

The pool house was designed and built to mimic the main house, so they feel like "a family of structures," says Porter.

Heath Ceramics tile and Hygge & West wallpaper make for a cheerful combination.

Porter reconfigured the space to make room for a nearby art studio, and the siting of the bed now enjoys lake views.

The architects preserved the existing beamed ceilings, which give the open-plan living area an airy feel. The living area is dressed with a vintage tête-à-tête sofa by Edward Wormley, a Warren Platner chair, and an Isamu Noguchi table.

Small details help tie the two rooms together, such as brass detail in the lighting and along the back of the chairs.

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

“The previous kitchen was last updated around 1995, and the homeowners were ready for an update,” says Jamin. Several walls were removed to create a seamless flow with the dining room and to also allow more natural light into the kitchen.

A modern staircase creates a visual connection to the woodland that surrounds the property.

A raised planter adds character and defines the entryway, while still allowing for connection between the front door and living room. “You want the space to breathe, but you also want to designate zones,” says Wei.

The home naturally integrates into its natural surroundings as such you can appreciate the changing light, the stunning views, and the seasons.

The post-and-beam home has a classic midcentury profile.