Stylish Water Supply

Tucking the spout of this faucet into a metal-lined reveal in the stone wall gives each element an identity of its own, and lifts the installation above the ordinary. glennsestigarchitects.com

Design for Transition

Apparently, I'm in a minimalist mood, now; yesterday's kitchen design, and this barely-there bathroom, are mirroring the colorless, stripped-down quality of the late-winter landscape. What does the narrow portal to the shower portend? I see it as a point of transformation, signaling a change in spatial—and seasonal—conditions. frederickielemoes.be

Sky-High Kitchen

Dubbed the 'Jenga tower' for its top-heavy collection of blocky,  cantilevered condos, the new high-rise by architects Herzog & de Meuron features kitchens that counter that jagged image. Curving islands and conical range hoods add an element of softness to the interior. dada-kitchens.com

Masonry Masterpiece

I see more than a little bit of Sol LeWitt in the bold, precise lines that course through this bath by Jean-Louis Deniot. But that's not paint on the walls or floor—it's stone. [Beige French limestone and grey Cascais limestone, to be specific.] The cabinet doors continue the pattern; are they mirrored or painted? I'll never tell—to do so would dilute the mystery of the space. deniot.com

A Serene [and Clean] Kitchen

In the wake of Thanksgiving, it's almost startling to see a kitchen that's so tidy. That reaction is heightened by several more integral factors of the design: The shadowy, fog-colored palette; the dissolving, rounded edges of the cabinets, the coved ceiling, and the arched door; the time-telescoping use of contemporary and period details. Hmm...maybe the room is more evocative of Halloween than Turkey Day? evgeniybulatnikov.com

Zaha's Kitchen

The Code kitchen was designed by the late Zaha Hadid. Now in production, it's a toned-down melding of the architect's favored swoops and curves. While I find it too tame to convincingly be a part of her exuberant oeveure, it nonetheless offers a distinctive look that can be at home in contemporary or period settings. boffi.com

Weathered—Or Not

No fancy fittings here—water for both the sink and shower flows from what are essentially stub-outs. This almost certainly creates a major splash event, but the wet-room design of this bath is built to handle just that. I'd like to revisit the space after a couple years' use, to see how the then-patinated copper alters the appearance of the room. stonewooddesign.co.uk

Bath for Reflection

In New York, this week has come to symbolize much more than the unofficial end of summer. A quietness creeps over the city, especially in the downtown area, as people remember the day the towers fell. This contemplative space brings solid and light together in a way I find calming. johnpawson.com

Kitchen as Art

A more enigmatic kitchen I have yet to see! Task lighting is eschewed in favor of mysterious glows. On the far wall, panels of raw travertine slide to reveal [or conceal] a cooking alcove that's lined in luminous bronze. The thin bronze frame that cages the island barely seems capable of containing the massive block of carved Nero Marquina marble. dietervandervelpen.com

Best of the West

Los Angeles is much in my mind and my heart these days. So I'm happy to see how one of its architectural highlights, the Harpel house by architect John Lautner, has been brought back to close to its 1956 state. Unencumbered by any hanging cabinets, the kitchen offers a fabulous view of the City of Angels.

A Brassy Bath

At once polished and proletarian, this bath has a quality of refuge about it. The combination of humble plaster walls and gleaming brass—albeit with a hint of tarnish—is grounding, at least for me. It's a reassurance many of us are seeking these days, whether looking for rescue from the horrors of Hurricane Harvey or the buffeting forces of political strife. hansverstufytarchitecten.be

Celestial Design

Today, I'll be looking up at 2:42 PM EDT, when the solar eclipse will be most evident here in NYC. Although the skies will be clear, it might be a bit of a challenge to find an unobstructed vantage point in Manhattan; something tells me that rooftop lounges will see a surge in mid-afternoon business. The deep skylight in this kitchen would allow for limited tracking of the event—which occurs in fewer than one in a billion planets. davidchipperfield.com

Happy 150th, Mr. Wright

This year marks the sesquicentennial of Frank Lloyd Wright's birth. Here's a peek into the kitchen of his first residence built in Los Angeles, Hollyhock House. Note the cooktop vent incorporated into the ceiling; given its distance from the burners [all two of them!], I can't imagine that it was very effective in clearing the air. The building was restored in 2015, and is open for tours. barnsdall.org

An Appetite for Al Fresco

And so begins a week of posts devoted to that hallowed summer tradition, cooking outdoors. As a person who is happiest in the shade, I see this kitchen as an ideal design. A galley layout, with its horizontal line balanced by a vertical fireplace, establishes the simplicity of the space. Rustic stone, concrete, and wood keep the design low key and the focus on the out-of-doors.  stevenharrisarchitects.com

Working Art

The Harlock faucet, created by architect Fabio Rotella, is quite the original work. Unorthodox angles and a huge palette of finishes—copper, bronze, white, silver, ebony, and more in endless combinations—make it both a distinctive and an accommodating design. huberitalia.com

Independently-Minded Design, Day 4

This truly blue loo is quite the design statement. Accenting its moody monochrome with white or red is tempting—and such diversity could quite possibly be mind-opening at such a politically charged time. emildervish.com

Custom Kitchen

Shiny and streamlined, the Ego is well suited to be the nucleus of an open plan kitchen. [Unless, of course, your tastes run more to the subdued than the statement-making.] Designed by architect Alberto Torsello, the mirror-polished stainless steel cabinet can reflect color and light in a way that makes it a part of—and sets it apart from—its surroundings. Several custom handle treatments are offered. abimis.com

Indoor/Outdoor Perspective

Who knew that an outdoor kitchen could have a window? The context makes it a clever idea—but one that's quite the norm for an indoor kitchen. Framing a view over this sink also provides an opportunity to capitalize on the depth of the cabinetry and install a couple of canister lights on the 'ceiling.' lakeflato.com

The Fifth Wall

Carrying the use of wood in this kitchen to include the ceiling gives the room a slight time-traveling air. Floating on top of a narrow band of white wall, it can be seen as a contemporary, contrasting treatment. But it could also be imagined as a historical throwback, revealing the 'original' ceiling. jeffreydungan.com

Looking Up

At last: a beautiful weekend, with warm temps and clear skies. [And a couple days off!] Let's hope the euphoria lasts all week...here's a glass-roofed kitchen to keep the vibe going. glennreynaert.be