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Despite the use of hard surfaces and strong shapes, this kitchen retains a visual softness

This is a kitchen with strong shapes & architecture, ceiling, countertop, floor, house, interior design, interior designer, kitchen, living room, real estate, room, table, gray — This is a kitchen with strong shapes & tile usage

A granite benchtop under a glass storage unit architecture, countertop, house, interior design, kitchen, gray

The gas hob of this granite benchtop - countertop, floor, flooring, granite, kitchen, kitchen stove, tile, gray

Reflective mirror to this kitchen bench - Reflective chair, flooring, furniture, interior design, product design, table, gray, white

Rhomboid-shaped, mirror-clad island in this kitchen architecture, countertop, interior design, kitchen, product design, gray

We tend to associate certain materials with specific rooms in the house. For example, leather is often used in a living room or study, silk in bedrooms and tiles in the bathroom.

But the mirror-clad island in this kitchen, designed by owner/architect Simon Rodrigues, demonstrates how mixing things up a little can lead to striking and unexpected results.

Located on the home's main living level, the kitchen occupies one corner of an open-plan sitting and dining area. A sliding door to one side opens onto a balcony with views of the ocean.

"The kitchen is tucked into the corner of a rhomboid-shaped space, determined by the site's slightly asymmetrical shape," says Rodrigues.

Rather than dominate the room, the aim was for the kitchen area to have a streamlined, visually uncluttered look that would create an illusion of openness and space.

Its dominant feature is the mirror-clad island, which takes its form from the room's floorplan. Floating slightly above the floor, its visual lightness, coupled with the reflective mirror finish, helps to further enlarge the room.

"While it might be considered a modern material, mirror has been around for centuries," says Rodrigues. "The Bianco Sardo granite countertop is also a fairly traditional material. But both surfaces are very practical."

Terrazzo floor tiles are laid in what Rodrigues calls a "collision of two different patterns". This shift, which takes place below the raised island, helps to visually break up the surface. Tiles with a gloss finish that pick up the sheen of the whiteware are used on the kitchen side of the island, while the living-room side features a matte version of the same tile.

Despite the use of hard materials, Rodrigues says the subdued palette creates a soft-focus look.