The entryway leads into the living room, and a low wall hides the staircase that leads to the lower level from view.

Custom-designed back-painted glass in the kitchen backsplash brings the blue-gray tones of the water inside, while Caesarstone Black Raven countertops provide a stark contrast. Bulthaup appliances update the kitchen's functionality.

In the kitchen, the same materials and shapes are echoed, including the custom barstools that surround the kitchen island—which bare resemblance to the seating options he designed for the living room.

The original kitchen was designed by the Booths, and Robert renovated it in 2000, making it ergonomic for his wife Sirkka's shorter frame.

An open floor plan with uninterrupted views from the front to the back of the home provides a stark transformation from the original “boxy” floor plan. Designed to cater to university events as well as day-to-day routines of the home’s residents, Meade notes that the first floor was designed so that “only one room can close itself off in order to create visual and physical openess. If you are hosting events, you can have everyone in a single space, but still have them in different “spaces.”

Kitchen

Picture window looks onto a porch with a nice view of the yard. Sun sets directly into the window view.

Casual meals are eaten at the kitchen’s glacier white Corian countertop, which features Aalto K65 stools. The island’s Blanco sinks offer a direct, uninterrupted sightline to the garden.

Haines House by Christopher Polly in Newtown, Australia

Suzanne and Brooks Kelley at the back of their 1,100-square-foot guest cottage.

The owners toured this home, which surrounds a mature tipu tipu tree, while visiting relatives for the day. The brick is original to the 1947 construction.

This garage space uses iconic checkerboard floor tiles to contrast the rustic barn door that provides entry to the rest of The Barn.

Sliding doors by Quantum were made to look like the original panes that couldn't be saved, and they lead to a fire pit outside.

Another view of the garage reveals its extensive space to house vehicles and protect them from the elements.

“A building can have far greater impact than the space it stands in.”—William Carpenter, architect and resident

New zoning allowed for a zero-lot-line structure, but required a public storefront, which Carpenter uses as an art gallery.