The rich bank of wood cabinets to the right, and those surrounding appliances and sink, are brightened by the warm, soft tones of coordinated granite counters, small tile format of the backsplash, and terrazzo flooring. Note the clean lines and uncluttered surfaces of this thrifty loft kitchen. ...

Maximizing counter space while providing all of the essentials resulted in this compact and useful space in which the curvilinear styling of the cooking appliances draws the eye to their distinctiveness. Note the quasi-pixelated tile of the backsplash. Photo: Dan Bawden