Green doesn’t have to be funky or blah. Here, real Bolivian rosewood (the stripes of sapwood are natural) forms the floor and the wood is Forest Stewardship Certified (FSC) sustainable, the highest standard available in the industry. The countertops are soapstone, quarried in Virginia, a material once used by the Native Americans in the area and later very common in laboratories because, unlike granite or marble, it is resistant to virtually all stains, and may safely hold a pot right from the stove.

The home had radiator heat; there was capacity on the boiler, but no room for a radiator in this sleek renovated kitchen. We laid radiant heat tubing between the floor joists, using a separate circuit from the boiler with its own thermostat, producing cozy comfort with virtually no increase in heating cost.