Having to stay within the original structure's footprint, Jay took the house down to the studs and approached the revamp carefully. “It was my job to use every inch effectively,” she says. Knowing that the family loves cooking and entertaining, the designer made the kitchen and dining spaces the hub of the house. With surrounding views of organic things like trees and rocks, Jay stuck with natural materials. Wood ceilings and American walnut floors are highlighted with hickory cabinets, a reclaimed live-edge walnut island counter and stone countertops. The homeowners did not want cabinetry on either side of the cooktop. And since they were already doing an expensive Walker Zenger glass tile backsplash on the windowed wall (about $25 per square foot), Jay used a dark brown Italian porcelain tile (about $3 per square foot) on the other wall to save money but still add warmth and texture. “It created so much more depth than a painted wall,” she says.