When Atlantans Jill Sharp Brinson and her husband, Rob, set out to remodel their 1930s house, they decided to keep what she calls its good bones (tall ceilings and single-floor living) but gut the rooms, improve the flow, and invite more natural light. The dining room, extending from the living room, became the kitchen, while the old kitchen became the new dining room. "My goal was to move the kitchen to flank an adjacent garden area and to have the living space flow naturally into the new dining area," says Jill, who is the creative director for Ballard Designs, a home furnishings and accessories company.

Because the new kitchen faced the backyard, she added custom steel-framed windows to emphasize the view. Even the custom-designed pantry on a side wall is curved, so it doesn't obstruct the view. "This allowed the garden to become a major focal point from the kitchen," Jill says. Although the couple didn't gain much space in the new kitchen, the existing 18-foot ceiling makes the room feel larger, and a converted closet in an adjacent room provides an alcove for the stove.