Our clients requested a clean, restrained, yet distinctive environment for their Chelsea renovation. From the polished concrete of the bathroom sink to the muted reflectivity of the steel kitchen cabinets, an emphasis was placed on smooth textures. Coherence was achieved by deploying white oak planks of uniform width on the floors and walls, but staining them different colors according to function and location. In the living room, black niches have been carved out of the walls to form shelving areas, a biofuel fireplace, and to camouflage the television. The black steel-framed doorways in the hall repeat this rhythm. The subtle wood grain of the hallway turns the corner to continue on the upper kitchen cabinets. A glass panel above the sink reveals the adjacent wine cellar.