On an island 20 miles off the coast of Maine, a writer, with the help of his daughter, built not only a room, but an entire green getaway of his own.

Mint green-painted ironwork and tiles connect the indoors to the outside more fluidly.

A Carrara marble backsplash adds cool contrast and a sense of drama when set against the custom oiled-steel black cabinetry in the renovation of the kitchen in this A. Quincy Jones home in Los Angeles.

The Max-A studio is also built with a pine frame, though it has pine panelling on the ceiling, while the main house ceiling is painted a warm white.

Architect Craig Steely has become fast friends with Russell-Clarke and Moolsintong. He hangs out in the kitchen and lives not far from the house.

The Salvatori marble tiles in the bathroom were added at the last minute, once everyone was confident that they would not put the project over budget.

Located in Springfield, Missouri, this modern farmhouse designed by Kansas-City based firm Hufft Projects exudes the traditional vernacular of Kansas with an updated take on the conventional form. The rolling hills and expansive land resemble the tone of quaint Marquette.

The family room is situated at the apex of the house, with picturesque views that extend up the meticulously landscaped north slope. The concrete floor sits just low enough that the main elements of the scene—the succulent garden and large limestone ledges—are at eye level. A bank of NanaWall folding windows breaks up the fourth wall.

“The walnut unit between the kitchen and dining room ties into the fumed oak floor,” Dubbeldam says. “The rest of the materials in the house—glass, marble, stone—were selected to offset the wood.”

Prioritize either storage or easy cleaning. While extra storage is always nice, it is important to note freestanding vanities are also known for being harder to clean, since there are more corners and nooks where dust can hang out around them.

The bathrooms are lined in luxurious Estremoz marble.

In the master bathroom, Chris clad the tub and walls in Carrara marble. An AJ Wall sconce by Arne Jacobsen for Louis Poulsen sheds some light on bathtub reading.

In the kitchen, the continuous kitchen worktop and table are made of marble from Caledonia Marble. The pink Tamatik dining chairs are by Connie Chisholm and are from the Canadian design shop Made. The Blinding Love pendant lights are by Periphere, which has shops in Montreal and Toronto. The iron rails were inspired both by screens the couple had seen on their travels in the Middle East and by the ornate wrought ironwork favored by their Portuguese neighbors. Barzel Ironworks fabricated the banister to Sawatzky’s design by slicing up iron pipe, welding it, and painting it.

The kitchen features a concrete island topped with marble. Deja-Vu stools by Naoto Fukasawa surround the island. A print by Guy Gormley, as well as a painting bought during holiday in St. Tropez, hang on the walls.

The tiny budget still allowed room for some strategic splurges, such as the vivid green Verde Ming marble in the house’s only bathroom

A guest room in this repurposed barn in the English countryside lets the ceiling do the talking. Photo by Christoffer Rudquist.

To reinforce a streamlined aesthetic, materials move from the inside out and from room to room. A Caesarstone countertop in the kitchen extends through a window to the backyard. The basalt path in the house continues outside and up the outdoor stairs.

Wood decking extends out to the yard.

The kitchen is beautifully textured and veined thanks to white Carrara marble countertops installed by New Marble Company and reclaimed cypress cabinets built by Wayne Berger.

Angelica Becerril prepares food at the kitchen island; the Carrara marble countertop is one of the few luxury materials used in the house.

White walls, a luxurious marble double-sink, and an area rug give this bathroom an inviting atmosphere. “The natural light, open spaces, and light color palette make it a great place to wake up in the morning,” Flournoy says of his home. The sink is from Restoration Hardware and the rug is from West Elm.

Architects Anne Marie Lubrano and Lea Ciavarra limited the material selection in their renovation of a town house dating from 1899. The powder room on the first floor is located in a former waiting area (the previous resident used the level for his dental practice). It features a custom Alabastro marble sink and fixtures by California Faucets. The architects kept the original marble fireplace, paying homage to the structure’s history. Benjamin Moore’s Super White paint was applied to the ceiling and the White Dove hue to the walls. "Positioning the faucets on the side wall emphasizes the horizontal," Lubrano says. "Wall-mounted fixtures feel less grounded and materials can continue uninterrupted below. We wanted the spaces to feel light, spacious and light-filled."

The careful coordination of color continues in the kitchen, where the gray and white marble backsplash, lit with faint orange lights, mediates between the ashen column and ochre cabinets.

Amending Meeuwissen’s early request for an open bathroom space, the architects devised a more private chamber with an overhead skylight and walls in stone tile from Intercodam Tegels.

A shaft of sunlight streams into the marble shower, through a glass atrium that connects the master suite to the outdoors while maintaining privacy; the fixtures are by Vola.

In a home largely outfitted in wood, this marbled bathroom designed by Peter Russell-Clarke and Craig Steely provides a respite for the eyes, with its white, gray, and black palette and minimalist fixtures and details. Dramatic veining in the stone provides visual interest and movement, and the freestanding bathtub contrasts with the dark marble on the wall behind.

To accommodate his passion for cooking, Renaldi insisted on the long Carrara marble countertop, a niche for cookware, and ultra-contemporary appliances.

After - living room (Rubio monocoat floors, Chantilly lace walls, used fireplace)

A sliver of mirror cleverly conceals the gap between the existing marble slabs and the new, more contemporary architraves. Golden yellow grout gives new life to the marble slabs, and brings out the gold veining—which was the catalyst for the entire color scheme.

New marble Salute tables by Sebastian Herkner in La Chance's Brera showroom.

Since Marble Basics creates small decorative items, they maintain an accessible price point despite an expensive material.

99 by Von Tundra and Lydia Cambron $13,000 Oregon-based Von Tundra’s unit combines three different storage options—a rack, drawers, and boxes—into a multipurpose dresser.

An updated bathroom features a mix of tiles: Carrara marble tiles on the floor, green subway tiles from Heath Ceramics on the inner shower walls, and white subway tiles from Daltile on the exterior walls. The fixtures are from Grohe.

House in Luxor - Cooking Space

Bright, white, and airy. This Toronto kitchen features a 13-foot Calacatta marble island, countertops, and a matching backsplash that pair perfectly with the custom white aluminum cabinets.