The kitchen was subtly reconfigured to improve functionality. The pantry, which was originally adjacent to the entrance, was relocated, next to the refrigerator, as part of an elongated kitchen that reaches toward a set of east-facing windows. An island runs parallel to the major appliances, and includes a built-in wood breakfast table. Additionally, to make efficient use of a tight corner, next to a vertically set pair of ovens, Kimura created compact storage with a glass-faced bifold door. Honed Belgian blue limestone tiles demarcate the kitchen, as well as the entry, from the living and dining space, which feature engineered wood. The subdued green walls and custom walnut floor-to-ceiling cabinetry—the refrigerator is integrated with the same material—recall woodlands, while the bronze hardware and pendant lights offer bright accents. Slabs of Orobico marble wrap the island, hood, and backsplash. The stone was chosen for its bold pattern and acts as the kitchen’s focal point. For Kimura, the Orobico marble echoes the shadows of a forest. “It’s like another painting,” she adds.

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The kitchen comprises Orobico marble and custom walnut millwork (1, 2, & top of page). Photos © Brendan Mainini, click to enlarge.

Gold-colored accents and nero marquina stone enliven the powder room. Photo © Brendan Mainini

The powder room is located at the end of a narrow brick-lined corridor. Its detailing is inspired by the Peacock Room, a resplendent 19th-century London dining room designed by James McNeill Whistler (it is exhibited at Washington, D.C.’s Freer Gallery of Art) that artfully balances ornamental excess and formal restraint. This approach is expressed through the application of golden swirled wallpaper and a similarly hued sconce and rectangular mirror, which are countervailed by a floating vanity composed of a muted dark cyan base and a nero marquina stone counter. As in the kitchen and entry, the flooring consists of Belgian blue limestone tiles.

Though spatially modest, the careful arrangement of color and embellishment in the room makes for a visual treat. Notes Kimura, “you can express a lot in tiny spaces.”