|
Kirstin’s Kitchen
My husband and I bought the coolest house in Tigard near what was at one point a Street of Dreams in the mid-90s. The reason we could even afford it was that this spacious house had been completely done in vinyl floors, Formica countertops, stock oak cabinetry, and every wall had been painted in industrial-strength-contractor-white paint. A designer’s dream! We literally took the kitchen down to the studs and started over. The original kitchen had an island in the middle which at the time we remodeled had become a well-worn racing track loop for my two little boys. (Try kicking out some top quality mac-n-cheese with two small children running in circles through your legs and you’ll feel my pain.) So we worked with a kitchen remodeling contractor (our wonderful friends at Artisan Renovations) and created the gorgeous space we have today. Notice how I closed off the island at one end so that there was only one way in and one way out? It makes for significantly more peaceful food preparation these days. Other features I had included are the “standing drinking bar” on the backside of my stove cabinetry. This allows folks to watch the cooking while not having to stand in the prep space. It’s also a great way to hide electrical outlets on the inside nestled in the short tile backsplash – not something easily accomplished when your island countertop is all one level. Another thing I love about this kitchen is the use of two-toned cabinetry. While most of it is cherry-stained heartwood maple, we used painted cabinetry at each end to give it better definition. Since we remodeled our kitchen this trend has really picked up in popularity and lends itself to a much more interesting visual.
It has definitely paid off for my clients after having lived through my own remodel projects. I have cooked out of my laundry room for months at a time, eaten at the table in my front foyer next to my fridge, while mothering two pre-school aged boys…and I lived to tell about it and stayed married! So I’m fully aware of the stress that projects of this magnitude bring to a household. But I also know that a ton of pre-planning, clear communication and a healthy dose of humor can go a long way in surviving it all.
see “before” photos
|
