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Kitchen Design Photos and Ideas

A new, lowered level at the back of the home hosts the kitchen and dining room, and is accessed via concrete steps that deliberately double as informal seating. “We loved the idea of being able to read the sunken part of the house as an entirely concrete element, which would give the space a feeling of being grounded,” says the architect. “[It also] provides a robust base for the timber frame and a series of plinths on which different activities can take place—such as sitting, cooking, reading, or exercising.”
Three elements of the extension were built off-site: the exterior and structural concrete, which includes patterned brickwork, the nonstructural concrete elements (like the kitchen counter and bath), and the balustrade. An arch motif ties together the renovation.
It was Elsie, the goldendoodle, who started it. “We were living in a tiny house in the center of Byron Bay with two little children and Elsie in the middle of the wet season,” says homeowner Cheryl Kitchener.
“My favorite aspect of the project would have to be the custom-built planter/light box suspended over the island bench,” says interior designer Kate Lucas. “The cascading plants bring a gorgeous green accent to the interiors. I also have a soft spot for the herringbone floor.” The custom planter box was built by local furniture maker and friend Lee Gratton of Gratton Design.
The pine interior features custom details like a rolling couch from Aquaclean and a kitchen cupboard wide enough for a paella pan. A D-7 freestanding stove from Rocal hangs on the wall.
New custom walnut cabinetry syncs with the rest of the built-ins throughout the home, to create a pleasing rhythm in the open plan. The backsplash is Heath Ceramics tile, and the counter is Pental Quartz. Open shelves at the rear overlook a cozy den, and allow sightlines out the new windows at the front of the home.
Alessia’s favorite detail? “I am not a huge fan of handles, so there are only three cuts [in the cabinetry] which lets you open six doors.”
Black steel-framed windows continue into the airy kitchen, complete with bespoke cabinetry.
No-fuss, sturdy materials, like Kahrs oak chevron floors that camouflage dirt and easy-care black metal siding, free up time for family. “The more durable the material, the less work to maintain it,” says Susie. Also in the kitchen is a quartz countertop by Daltile and faucet from Kohler. The windows are by Milgard.
The kitchen was designed so that the cooktop is in the Caesarstone-wrapped island, which means the cook can enjoy the view while they work. “I love cooking and looking out,” says Michele.
A view of Sequoia's pared down kitchen, where all the magic happens. It's here that she cooked up her ideas for her meal delivery service, TAROCCO.
The kitchen is marked by a variety of textures that include dark walnut and marble.
A large g<span style="font-family: Theinhardt, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif;">lass door at the rear of the home ties the open-plan kitchen, dining, and living areas on the first level to a sun-drenched courtyard filled with plantings.</span>
White oak storage wraps the kitchen, which is tucked under the lower ceiling, to create a more cozy spot that’s still connected to the living areas. “It's such a large space,” Erling says of the great room. “It's nice to be more intimate in the kitchen zone.” The counters are Gascogne blue limestone.
The bath and a secondary sleeping area, equipped with bunk beds, are arranged at one end of the open-plan kitchen area.
"I created an entire wall of cabinetry on the North side of the main living and dining area to organize the kitchen and living spaces,
Plan B carpenters built the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves as well as the cabinetry in the kitchen at the far end of the room.
Another view of the kitchen, which also opens onto the side garden. The cabinets are by Conestoga Wood Specialties, and the paint is Decorator’s White by Benjamin Moore.
Inside, Kyu Sung’s wife, Jung-Ja Kim, a concert pianist and professor at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, stands at the Corian-topped kitchen island.
The couple chose partially open shelving in the kitchen. “We’re not minimalists, and we wanted to display different objects we’ve collected,” Vincent says. The cabinetry, conceived as freestanding pieces of furniture, turned out even better than they had imagined. The dining chairs are from Ikea and the appliances are by KitchenAid.
A look at the kitchen, situated adjacent to the dining area.
The semi-enclosed kitchen has a barbecue and a two-burner propane stove from Coleman. The Gersby bookcase, kitchen cabinets and countertop are also from Ikea while the drop cloth is from Chicago Canvas and Supplies.
Photographer Richie Davis occupies the 700-square-foot studio upstairs.
The kitchen pairs dark terrazzo with stainless steel.
Sara works in the kitchen, which contains a propane cooktop from Wolf and a propane refrigerator by Dometic. The louvered windows are from the Glass Guru and the porcelain tile is from Daltile.
The family gathers in the kitchen, which features oak cabinets, a concrete island, and brass fixtures. The backsplash is made of pink bricks hand-selected by Alix and Onur from a nearby brickyard. The mango wood pendants were purchased in a market in Bangkok.
The visual simplicity and raw beauty of the space takes inspiration from a surprising source: the Wes Anderson movie Isle of Dogs. “Ravi sent me a screenshot and I just said, ‘I’m on board,’” says Emilie.
The open-plan kitchen-dining-and-living area is located on the first level, where a narrow staircase leads to the second level, where the bedrooms are situated.
In the kitchen, the couple found barely used appliances instead of new ones to save money. The cabinetry and butcher block counters are from Ikea.
Cabinetry maker Forest Designs used birch plywood to craft the U-shaped kitchen island, which is topped with quartz from Floform. The Ziro floor tiles in Gris are from Navarti and the contemporary metal edge pulls are from Richelieu. The appliances are from Whirlpool.
Brandon <span style="font-family: Theinhardt, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif;">and Gabi Fox—a husband-and-wife team of photographers— transformed a 1972 Airstream Overlander into a mobile live/work studio that lets them fulfill their life-long passions through an unconventional lifestyle. The Seattle-based couple run their photography business out of the renovated Airstream, traveling the country to shoot weddings and elopements. </span>
Another view of the kitchen showcasing the ensemble of natural light and a bright, bold patterns.
The full-height glass doors open the home to its surroundings and provide a strong indoor-outdoor connection.
A wall was removed so the two main living spaces now flow together. In the spirit of reuse, the curtains are fabric recycled from stage backdrops.
Virtue Joinery built the custom cabinetry, composed of plywood stained a soft grey.
The counter and backsplash are made up of a marble slab leftover from a bigger job.
On the main level, Alessia relocated the kitchen into what was a large bedroom, so as to give the kitchen more functionality and connect it to the living room. The cooktops can pivot up against the backsplash to create more prep space on the counter.
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