As a building designer who loves to cook, I am naturally intrigued by kitchens. I've spent a lot of time studying how other people have solved their kitchen-design problems. What I came up with, without breaking the bank, has proved to be a functional, poetic space. Catch the morning light. At the southeast corner, the kitchen is warmed by the morning winter sun while remaining sheltered from the hot afternoon summer sun.
Some building materials die ugly deaths.
Plastic-laminate counters and vinyl floors, for example, don't look better with age. But some materials do, taking on a patina of use that charts the passage of time. Without getting extravagant, I chose materials that would hold up and, with proper care, look better with age. I started with the floor. Then they applied a sealer to the slab to protect it from dirt and spilled liquids.