623 Ashland Rd

Look at the floor first. The mosaic tile pattern alternates between solid white rounds and black insets, and each black penny round had to be selected and placed individually to hold the pattern consistent across the full pantry floor. Brass cabinet knobs catch warm light against the white oak cabinetry, and the joint where the tile meets the wood base trim is clean enough that you know the tile setter ran his layout lines before the first piece of thinset went down. Small room, high standards.

The island countertop is a single quartz slab that spans nearly eight feet without a seam — getting that piece through the front door and set on the white oak base took three guys and some careful planning. Black metal bar stools tuck under the overhang with enough clearance that they're actually comfortable, not just good-looking. Subway tile backsplash runs tight to the underside of the upper cabinets, and the grout lines are consistent enough that the whole wall reads as a single plane of texture behind the range hood.

Stone on the fireplace surround is full-depth, not a veneer, and you can see that in the way the pieces wrap the inside corners with real mass. The built-in shelving flanking both sides is white oak to match the ceiling planks overhead, and the cabinet doors at the base use a flat-panel style that keeps the lower half quiet while the open shelves above do the talking. Sliding barn doors on a flat-black track close off what's behind without eating floor space. I would venture to guess the vaulted wood-plank ceiling is what people notice first in this room, but the stone is doing the heavy lifting.

Wall-mounted brass faucet in the powder room means the plumbing rough-in had to land exactly where the trim plate would cover it, and there's no vanity back to hide a miss. The vessel sink sits on a marble countertop over a floating white oak vanity, and the wainscoting wraps the lower third of the walls in a pale blue that gives the small room some depth without making it feel dark. Gold-toned sconces flank the mirror at a height that actually lights your face instead of the ceiling.

Herringbone brick flooring in the mudroom was laid over a concrete slab with a mortar bed, which is more labor than tile but gives you a surface that handles boots and dirt and wet shoes without showing wear the way a finished floor would. Custom white oak cabinetry includes a locker tall enough for coats, upper storage with paneled doors, and lower drawers sized for the things that actually end up in a mudroom. The black stone countertop ties into the kitchen palette one room over. Vertical planking on the back wall holds hooks at a height that works for both the homeowner and the kid — that kind of thing doesn't happen by accident.