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.
