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"VIEW MORE PHOTOS  When architect Philip Mahla redesigned this prewar New York City apartment\u2014combining two units into a large space more akin to a suburban house than an urban flat\u2014the small kitchen got a square-footage boost as well as a complete upgrade. The homeowner, an enthusiastic cook who trained at a London culinary school, wanted an eat-in kitchen with an efficient layout to serve family meals and entertain guests. The new 13-by-13-foot space had to have industrial-strength equipment but also look comfortable enough to blend in with the rest of the apartment. Mahla&amp;#039;s plan was to flip a classic combination by using white on the appliances and stainless steel on the cabinets. When he found a cabinet manufacturer to fulfill his design idea, that sealed the deal. &amp;quot;The white appliances look great, and it shows that you don&amp;#039;t always have to go with the big stainless cubes,&amp;quot; he says. To finesse the layout and product selections, Mahla enlisted kitchen designer Elsa Kessler. &amp;quot;Even though stainless cabinets have been in commercial kitchens forever, using them for a residential project was a unique request,&amp;quot; she says. The base cabinets are constructed of plywood wrapped in stainless steel. The sleek style is softened by the wall-unit doors with honeycomb glass inserts that reveal maple-look vinyl interiors. &amp;quot;The glass slightly mutes what&amp;#039;s behind it, and the wood tone adds a bit of warmth and color,&amp;quot; Kessler notes.     IN THE KNOW: Cork Floors   This flexible surfacing is good-looking and eco-friendly   Using cork on floors isn&amp;#039;t a new idea, but the product has increased in popularity lately on account of its sustainability. The material is harvested in nine-year cycles from the bark of mature cork oak trees so that the same trees can keep producing for decades. The bark is ground up, mixed with resin, processed into blocks, baked, compressed, and cut into tiles or planks. Cork is great for residential use because it&amp;#039;s fire resistant, insulates well, absorbs sound, and resists moisture\u2014thanks to a waxy substance called suberin that&amp;#039;s found in its cell walls. The tiles can be glued directly to any type of dry, level subfloor. Cork planks can be floated over existing flooring because their tongue-in-groove system requires no adhesive. Cork flooring ranges from $5 to $10 per square foot, installed, and is available in a variety of sizes, patterns, and colors. Manufacturers recommend the application of a water-based poly\u00ADurethane sealant, especially in kitchens, bathrooms, or other wet areas.     In a cooking enthusiast&amp;#039;s kitchen such as this one, utility is the key ingredient. &amp;quot;The client didn&amp;#039;t want anything fussy\u2014just good appliances, a work triangle, and practical materials that would last,&amp;quot; Mahla says. He opted for counters made of 2-inch-thick, honed Carrara marble slabs. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s a great surface for food prep, with a beautiful lightness to it,&amp;quot; he adds. The centerpiece of the room is Mahla&amp;#039;s custom-designed \u00ADtable, which also serves as a work island. It&amp;#039;s made from sheets of stainless steel welded together, bolted to the floor, and topped with a 36-inch round piece of Carrara marble. &amp;quot;It was a great opportunity to match the countertops,&amp;quot; says the architect. Beneath it all, Mahla used one of his favorite materials, natural cork, in 12-by-12-inch, glue-down floor tiles sealed with a \u00ADfactory-applied finish. &amp;quot;Cork&amp;#039;s always my go-to choice for visually linking a kitchen to adjacent rooms that have hardwood flooring,&amp;quot; he says. He also recommends the material because it wears well and is comfortable underfoot, affordable, and eco-friendly. Mahla says he had fun exploring various sources and mixing and matching pieces to get this cohesive, professional-looking kitchen. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s got commercial elements, appliances from several makers, a custom piece, and off-the-shelf products,&amp;quot; he says. &amp;quot;And all the elements work well together.&amp;quot; "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.elledecor.com/design-decorate/room-ideas/a1269/industrial-strength-44996/>