This project was a long-held dream of the homeowners, who planned every aspect of it and even lived with a center island mock-up to fine-tune its function and size (including various pendant light designs overhead). Lessons learned from earlier, smaller remodelings in the house were applied to the kitchen, resulting in a design that closely hews to their original vision. The detailed design and mock-ups were key to the homeowners, both of which have careers in design and one of whom is physically handicapped. Ergonomics and ease of use were important design drivers. The new kitchen’s design, in the words of the homeowners, is “…a combination of industrial and minimalist styling.” The dominant image is one of crisp, clean modernism, but one that welcomes several traditional and unconventional touches. The original house’s 1906 window casing and baseboard is replicated in the west end of the kitchen, and a new mud room door echoes the historical look. A brick chimney, previously concealed behind plaster in the corner of the kitchen, has now been fully exposed. The chimney is adjacent to a new, exposed spiral duct. Even the new floor tile – large, grey squares that give an impression of concrete – reinforces the intentional juxtaposition of modern and industrial. The tile “will not be everyone’s cup of tea, but this ain’t their kitchen”, exclaims the proud homeowners. One set of custom barn doors conceals a closet, and another closes off the stairwell from the kitchen. Beyond these eclectic elements, however, the kitchen is uncompromisingly modern. True to the homeowner’s vision, the final kitchen presents a calm balance of rich oak surfaces, quiet grey tones, and stainless steel. This remodeling – along with newly sanded wood floors and fresh paint throughout the rest of the main floor – transforms the feel of the entire house.