The homeowners are creative professionals, both bringing their vision to the design. A collaborative project, the space incorporates their chosen modern Mediterranean-style hues—a warm, natural and tactile palette with some green (but no white or gray)—with lots of natural wood to add texture. Walnut, selected for its beautiful grain pattern, is used for the majority of the cabinets and paired with a beige paint for balance.

Visuals settled, Jill turned to functionality. The original, three-sided angled island had incorporated the range and anchored the old kitchen, while the window over the sink offered a side view of the neighbor’s house. To replace the unflattering view and enhance the flow of the space, she designed a dramatic island to be the kitchen’s workhorse. Jill and her client found the perfect candidate for the island countertop while shopping together. “We saw this amazing green quartzite,” Jill explains. “We both just stopped in our tracks and said, ‘Wow, that’s it!’”