Kitchen cabinets
“I like the darkness of walnut. Other woods tend to yellow if you don’t stain it, while walnut stays true to itself,” Caleb says. The white glass tile backsplash melds with the wall.
Inside, nods to naval architecture continue with wood-clad walls and ceilings, as well as a simple yet functional use of space. Black fixtures and trim accentuate the angular shapes.
Custom pendant lights from Sydney’s Anchor Ceramics hang above the vintage table. The company also made the backsplash behind the coffee counter.
To avoid the sight of dirty dishes, the sink is on the side rather than in the island, where instead an induction stove from Bora (with a cleverly designed down-draw exhaust system) makes the kitchen “really social,” says Kate. “One of us can be cooking while the other can sit and have a glass of wine.”
The chairs are from Hay, the Cast Pendant is by Tom Chung & Jordan Murphy with Menu, and the TE070 countertops are from Diespeker.
The preserved brick chimney was exposed and cleaned up in the remodel. A classic Smeg range and exhaust hood create a pleasing contrast with the contemporary Kerf cabinetry.
The walls are covered in Milestone cement plaster.
"Also consider performance when purchasing an older house, as these properties use a ton of energy,” says Schaer. “Many midcentury homes are minimally insulated and can be costly and challenging to remedy. For example, if you want to add insulation to a roof, you have to add it above the roof because there is no cavity for insulation."
The house features Bayerwald sliding windows and highly insulated fixed glass; low-VOC paint from Benjamin Moore; and big overhangs to the south to shield summer sun and allow winter light. It was important to the family to integrate sustainable materials and strategies.
The structure is made of double-brick walls with insulation between each layer, which regulates indoor temperatures while still providing strong protection from the elements.
Since moving in three years ago, the family has adapted to the smaller size of the home, especially as the children have become teenagers. “There's a shed outside that was for our gardening tools and surf boards and stuff, and we've just converted that into a living room for them,” says Maclean.
Students come home to 150 single-occupancy rooms, as well as support staff residences on every floor.
Terra-cotta tiles clad the kitchen backsplash, and the countertops are made of oak.
Two hours north of New York City, an unusual barn emerges from a hill just off a country road. Its black siding and bright-red window frames hint at the imaginative playground inside. This space, with its rope-railed catwalk and indoor tent, is just one element of the multifaceted getaway architecture and design firm BarlisWedlick Architects designed for fund manager Ian Hague.
GO Logic specializes in combining traditional craft with specialized sustainability techniques for building the modern home.
Architect Robert Swinburne deploys a collaborative building approach and hyperlocal materials to craft a Passive House–certified home that celebrates the land it’s built on.
Barcelona-based Slow Studio builds a bioclimatic home for a couple who work with the United Nations.
There is even the possibility to create single, independent units as cabin-like retreats.