This family of four
bought a beautiful piece of property on Parrett Mountain
with views of Mt. Hood and the Tualatin Valley, and built an
amazing 7,000 square foot home and 1,000 square foot pool
house. We were brought in to design the entire finish
interior and exterior from cabinetry design/layout to the
heavily decorative molding, paint colors (interior and
exterior), countertops, tile, flooring, window styles, and
siding/roofing materials.
The kitchen was most
definitely the focal point of the main floor with its
10-foot ceilings and sweeping, open views. Our clients loved
to entertain large groups of people and needed not only the
functionality of a commercial kitchen but the design, flow,
and efficiency of a cozy residential kitchen. Making 500
square feet feel “cozy” is definitely not an easy task, but
we managed to pull it off.
When working in a space
this big it’s really easy to make it feel monotonous if
you’re not careful about varying materials, colors, and
textures. So, that’s exactly what we did. Our client loved
the look of white cabinets but in order to not overwhelm the
space with them we made sure we tempered them with one large
island made from stained wood and used dark walnut floors.
Same thing went for the countertops by using two different
surfaces, granite and butcher block. And then to mediate the
stark contrast of the white cabinets with the darker woods,
we used a soft yellow wall color to help connect it all.
We suggested installing
two islands to meet a number of needs. First, to have ample
serving space and seating for entertaining, while keeping
the mass of guests out of the actual food prep area. Second,
the backside of the family room island served as an
entertainment center including a television and storage for
toys. This way our clients would have a way to keep their
kids nearby, while preventing them from being underfoot as
they prepared meals. And third, we wanted to mediate the
large expanse of floor space between the shared kitchen and
family room area. Despite the mass of square footage, this
kitchen ended up feeling very warm and inviting. To see the
master bathroom in this house, go to “Sara’s Bathroom”.
Best
Kitchen Semi-Finalist
Portland IDS Distinct Style Awards 2010
