What's the most important element in a home? According to Hope Alexander, the owner and designer of this airy, modern kitchen, it's the "relationship to the outside...to the garden...the sun's trajectory and the wind direction"—all of which you can see implemented in the kitchen, with its wall of windows, open wood shelving, and green and blue color accents!

Ms. Alexander tells Apartment Therapy in this recent House Tour that her kitchen and home designs are greatly influenced by Los Angeles' multiculturalism:

I grew up around the light and space movement in Los Angeles and this has deeply affected my sensibility. Making/designing a house is like making a painting or sculpture. I see the building, in and out, as a whole. Los Angeles' openness to other cultures, particularly its strong Mexican and Japanese influences, are strong factors in my designs.

See the Full Tour: Hope's Relaxed and Easy Modern Home at Apartment Therapy

(Images: Bethany Nauert)