Man Turns Crumbling 1957 Stone Ruin Into His Dream Home in Just One Year

The kitchen

The kitchen occupies part of the main level above the old basement. Long before the finished furniture went in, Luxon had to rebuild the floor itself. Thick wooden boards were planed, protected and screwed securely into place, creating a solid surface where there had previously been an ageing structure that could no longer be trusted. From the beginning, this section of the house was set aside as the future cooking area.

Like the rest of the renovation, the kitchen avoids the polished look of a city apartment. Timber is the main attraction, and the handmade approach means the room looks as though it belongs inside an old stone cabin rather than being dropped in from a showroom. The compact proportions also make sense for an off-grid house: there is enough room to prepare food and sit down comfortably without filling the building with unnecessary cupboards and oversized appliances.

That simple design is part of what makes the house so appealing. The original building was modest, and Luxon never tried to turn it into a mansion. Instead, every part of the interior had to earn its place. The kitchen provides what he needs while preserving the warm, rustic character of the house around it. The cleverest use of space, however, is overhead. Climb the handmade staircase and the house reveals an entire sleeping area tucked beneath the new roof.