LOCATION: Southwest Hills of Portland, OR

The goal of this project was to simply bring a wood-heavy, dated, much-loved, family home some light and better function. Brian said, “bring us something that blows our mind. Something we would never think of.” And so we did. These clients are very close with their kids and grandkids and wanted to be sure to have a home that accommodates all of them with comfort and style. The biggest battle as a designer was convincing them that wood everywhere is not always the best way to go. I wanted to make their ceiling the feature and then the view so I convinced them to get rid of A LOT of wood paneling. Thanks to our software we were able to show them in 3D how it would feel. There are no regrets.

There are a lot of details I am proud of in this space. The way we weaved the existing in with the new seamlessly, the use of mirrors to not only reflect light but to help out with awkward heights of doors and windows was an inexpensive trick that almost no one notices until you point it out. Storage abounds in this space. Brian is a cook and Mo is a baker. They each have their zones and more storage than they realized they could have. The stonework at the island is really cool and the tile work is amazing! We did a custom cabinet door detail long before shiplap was a thing. We used that as a painted detail that brought a subtle visual break from all the wood. The cabinet maker created the table I designed so that they could enlarge the table and pack the entire family around it. Yes, it makes them sit very close together but that was the goal. Being together.

Photo Credit : Blackstone Edge

Credits

A heartfelt thank you to the amazing professionals who helped bring this project together. Paul Hegarty Construction, Hawthorne Tile, and Custom Cabinets by L & Z Specialties really brought this look together.

Design work involves so many different elements. Baking needs, cooking needs, family gatherings, flow, function, storage, lighting, durability. All of this needs to be planned for and created thoughtfully and beautifully. That’s what we do and we can do that for you too.