When designing Condominium interiors, the proverbial blank slate can be a bit too blank. Charged with creating architectural interest within a Miami Beach unit, Sand Studios principal Larissa Sand started by removing two walls to join the kitchen with the rest of the home.

Pairing rectangular volumes with a palette of rich natural materials enhanced not only the eating area but the apartment’s overall atmosphere. “The clients wanted a kitchen that would be comfortable to live in — not just cook in,” says Sand. Bookmatched slabs of Calacatta marble line the back wall, where boxy walnut cabinets house appliances and storage.