It's a disciplined use of materials paired with a modern stance on storage that lifts this kitchen above being just another polygonal place. An energizing spear of black steel ties the ceiling to the floor in a scale-preserving move. I like how it interrupts the window. On the island, the mirror-finish induction cooktop blends into the stainless surface—impossible with a typical black-glass appliance. While the ductwork in this room doesn't allow for any upward expansion, the rest of the Shell House, with its two-story open ceilings, is meant to allow the eventual insertion of a second floor. fedl.jpIf I can go off-topic for a moment, and indulge in a minor gripe: This project has been posted in various places online; well and good, as it [hopefully] fosters a broader discussion of the design. But it's dismaying to me to read comments—in the guise of editorial—that are just unthoughtful rephrasings of each other. Why pass up an opportunity to exercise one's own critical faculties and deliberately choose to parrot another person's point of view? I sadly suspect the answer can be found in the intellectual cul de sac at the end of the path of least resistance, if you catch my drift. Thanks for hearing me out, dear readers.