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This Portland, Oregon, couple knew their primary bathroom was on borrowed time. A poorly executed renovation years earlier had left the space in rough shape, and when the wall-mounted vanity began pulling away from the wall, it became clear a full remodel was needed. Beyond fixing the problems, the homeowners also wanted a bathroom that reflected their personal style.
They hired contractor Arent Wortel and designer Joel Fraley for the project. Wortel focused on making the room structurally sound, while Fraley worked closely with the homeowners to create a bold, memorable look. “These clients are very outgoing and love bold style,” Fraley says.
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These Washington state homeowners — a couple with a baby and a toddler — hired architect Heidi Helgeson to create a family home closely connected to its wooded setting. Built into a hillside and surrounded by mature trees, the custom transitional house is designed to capture light and views at every turn. That approach shines in this open, welcoming kitchen, where soft neutral tones and natural light create an easygoing feel. A statement island with a continuous polished quartz top delivers ample prep space, seating, storage and a handy landing zone for groceries. Custom white oak Shaker-style cabinetry and European oak flooring create a warm foundation. Matte white appliances, a modern farmhouse sink and layered mixed-metal accents add polish without fuss.
Photos by Anastasiya Andreychuk of Anastasiya Homes
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with a baby and a toddler
Location: Bellevue, Washington
Size: 205 square feet (19 square meters)
Designer: Heidi Helgeson of H2D Architecture + Design
Nature and warm wood tones take center stage in the open kitchen. A generously sized island with seating and storage anchors the layout and keeps traffic flowing smoothly. “They were planning on doing quite a bit of entertaining and wanted a nice, big island,” Helgeson says.
Custom Shaker-style white oak cabinetry wraps the perimeter and the base of the island, finished in a natural stain and paired with knobs and pulls in a warm champagne tone. “We like to use white oak in homes because it’s a clean look and has a warm feeling without looking too orange,” Helgeson says. “It’s also a light wood with a rich grain to it. This area has lots of trees, and we wanted to try and do light and airy finishes in the space because of the shade from the trees.”
Polished quartz with a soft pearl undertone, hints of warm sand and an ivory marble pattern tops the island and perimeter counters. An engineered European oak floor in a light, wire-brushed finish adds another calming neutral. “We wanted to use actual wood for the floors,” Helgeson says. “But engineered wood gives them a sturdier finish because they have a dog. The light color was also a factor. The floor is a medium shade lighter than the cabinetry.”
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A matte white double oven range with an induction cooktop and brushed bronze handles adds style while giving the family a flexible cooking appliance. “That was one of the last selections they made,” Helgeson says. “They fell in love with this one. It’s a wider cooking space and that drew them to this unit. They enjoy cooking and wanted to be able to make lots of things at the same time.”
A large custom cabinetry hood houses a 40-inch liner with LED lighting and a powerful blower to keep smoke and odors in check. “We just wanted the hood to tie seamlessly into the cabinetry,” Helgeson says.
On an adjoining wall, a 33-inch white fireclay farmhouse sink offers a spacious single bowl for large pots, pans and dishes. Its single-handle pull-down faucet in champagne bronze features a magnetic docking system. “They wanted the island to be a big work surface, so the location of the sink was situated so they can look out the window and keep an eye on the kids outside,” Helgeson says. A 24-inch matte white dishwasher with brushed bronze hardware coordinates with the range. A paneled pullout trash and recycling center sits to its left.
Faucet: Trinsic in Champagne Bronze, Delta
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A backsplash of 2½-by-8-inch cream-colored artisan ceramic tiles extends to the ceiling and features subtle variations in tone and coordinating cream grout. “We were trying to keep things simple,” Helgeson says. “Bringing it up to the ceiling didn’t add much cost. I also think it gives it a richer look. We didn’t want a strong pattern there, but it has some texture to it. It creates a very toned-down pattern while still keeping it light and simple.”
Durable fiberglass casement windows let in fresh air and frame close-up views of the surrounding nature. “The property is quite large and fully wooded on a hill,” Helgeson says. “There’s also a wetland, a stream and steep slope on the property.” LED ceiling lights on dimmers provide general illumination while undercabinet LEDs brighten task areas.
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Four black spindle bar stools at the island blend classic style with comfort with their curved backs and integrated footrests. Three vintage-inspired brass pendant lights in a black finish illuminate the space. “We just wanted to get good task lighting there,” Helgeson says. “We wanted something that would cover the whole surface. The size and shape of these spread the light across the island. They have a transitional look with a bit of a rustic feel to them. Some of the items they selected leaned toward farmhouse style since their home is in the woods.”
Pendant lights: Agnes, Schoolhouse
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Built-in open shelves next to a paneled French door refrigerator hold the couple’s extensive cookbook collection. “They definitely wanted storage in the kitchen for cookbooks,” Helgeson says. “At one point, we thought about putting them at the end of the island but ultimately decided to put them there by the refrigerator.”
A built-in microwave that matches the dishwasher and range sits in the island, alongside numerous drawers for easy access to kitchen essentials. A pocket door at the back left opens to a butler’s pantry with extra workspace and storage. “It’s almost like a hidden pantry because it’s tucked there behind the door,” Helgeson says.
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Painted French doors just off the kitchen bring in natural light and expand views of the surrounding landscape, enhancing the room’s comfortable, airy feel. An easy connection to the living room adds to the kitchen’s versatility and reinforces its role as a social hub. “This kitchen is the central gathering area when they’re entertaining,” Helgeson says. “It’s open to the living room. Having the open flow for people in that whole space is what we wanted.”
Wall paint: Pearly White, Sherwin-Williams
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This article was originally published by a www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .
Photo by Joyelle West Photography
After: Reesey removed the fridge wall and flipped the locations of the kitchen and dining area, adding a 5-foot bump-out along the way. (For orientation, check out the white door in both photos; it leads to an outdoor walkway and stayed in the same place.) These moves more than doubled the size of the kitchen, to 313 square feet, and allowed for expansive storage, better flow and a pleasing openness.
Three kinds of wood bring warmth without feeling one-note: milled pine on the ceiling beams, maple on the island base and oak for the flooring. The dining furniture and a band on the range hood complement the other wood elements, while green cabinets (painted in Dried Thyme by Sherwin-Williams) and white walls, countertops and backsplash tile balance the color palette. Texture and movement come from the wood graining and the backsplash tiles’ scallop shapes.
Paint colors: Dried Thyme, Sherwin-Williams (cabinets); Wind’s Breath, Benjamin Moore (walls); Super White, Benjamin Moore (trim)
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After: The design team stripped the kitchen down to just two keepers: the red oak flooring and the beverage fridge. It replaced everything else with custom perimeter cabinets in a soft blue-gray specially matched to Benjamin Moore’s Boothbay Gray, a nod to the wife’s Maine roots. Depending on the light, the cabinets can read more blue or more gray, giving the space subtle, shifting depth.
A new paneled refrigerator flanked by pantry storage and matching cabinets creates a seamless, symmetrical wall that’s both beautiful and practical. The wet bar got its own spotlight, ideal for entertaining.
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After: The kitchen retains its original footprint, but custom inset cabinets in a smoky blue-gray (De Nimes by Farrow & Ball), paired with boldly veined marble countertops and backsplash, create a striking design statement. The floor, stained gray, grounds the space with subtle sophistication.
McQuaide wrapped the ceiling beam in reclaimed oak and flanked the matte plaster hood with matching wood shelves, adding warmth and texture. Playful nods to the island’s maritime past infuse character throughout the home, including a charming “porthole” on the galley door — actually a convex antique mirror wrapped in leather.
This article was originally published by a www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .
After: The kitchen retains its original footprint, but custom inset cabinets in a smoky blue-gray (De Nimes by Farrow & Ball), paired with boldly veined marble countertops and backsplash, create a striking design statement. The floor, stained gray, grounds the space with subtle sophistication.
McQuaide wrapped the ceiling beam in reclaimed oak and flanked the matte plaster hood with matching wood shelves, adding warmth and texture. Playful nods to the island’s maritime past infuse character throughout the home, including a charming “porthole” on the galley door — actually a convex antique mirror wrapped in leather.
This article was originally published by a www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .
After: The kitchen retains its original footprint, but custom inset cabinets in a smoky blue-gray (De Nimes by Farrow & Ball), paired with boldly veined marble countertops and backsplash, create a striking design statement. The floor, stained gray, grounds the space with subtle sophistication.
McQuaide wrapped the ceiling beam in reclaimed oak and flanked the matte plaster hood with matching wood shelves, adding warmth and texture. Playful nods to the island’s maritime past infuse character throughout the home, including a charming “porthole” on the galley door — actually a convex antique mirror wrapped in leather.
This article was originally published by a www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .
After: Copious white oak cabinetry forms a serene and unobtrusive backdrop, letting striking white marble with dramatic veining have its moment. Black hardware and other black details play supporting roles. The new kitchen’s color palette also includes dark lilac (the marble veining) and deep blue (the seat cushions and pendant lights) for added intrigue.
The designers also switched up the layout, including moving the fridge to the other side of the kitchen to make room for a pantry cabinet. And of course, the new sink faucet is perfectly centered under the window.
Backsplash and island top: Lilac marble, Integrated Resources Group; stools: Henry, Hedge House Furniture; seat fabric: Dot, Dot, Dot… in Vintage Blue, Perennials Fabrics; faucet: Odin in matte black, Brizo
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This article was originally published by a www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .
After purchasing this house in Henderson, Nevada, a couple with four young kids enlisted designer Christy Mancera of Cera Construction to make it better suit their lifestyle. Mancera, who used Houzz Pro software, reworked the entire floor plan to make the home more family-friendly.
In the kitchen, the designer focused on how the homeowners like to work and live. She created an efficient layout with a large island, a dedicated baking station and ample display space for personal collections. “My clients wanted to make the kitchen more functional for their family, create an open feel and bring in lots of natural light,” Mancera says.
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Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A retired couple
Location: Alameda, California
Size: 285 square feet (26 square meters)
Designer: William Adams Design
Before: The former 165-square-foot kitchen felt dated and inefficient with aging gray cabinets, mismatched white and black appliances, wood-look vinyl flooring and no island. A corner sink beneath two front-yard-facing windows anchored the layout. “I just felt like that corner sink was dated,” Adams says. “It also took up so much space by the way it was positioned.”
Without an island, storage and prep space were limited and the center of the room felt like wasted territory. An eating area with a large fireplace sat just off the kitchen. “Having that giant fireplace inside the kitchen made no sense at all,” Adams says.
White ceramic tile with dark grout wrapped the countertops and backsplash, creating a dingy look and maintenance the couple didn’t want. Lighting was also a problem: A single ceiling fixture plus a couple of fluorescent task lights left the space poorly illuminated. “The lack of light was not conducive for working in the kitchen or doing everyday tasks,” Adams says. “They enjoy cooking and entertaining and there wasn’t enough space in that footprint to contain what they needed. The cleanliness with those countertops was also an issue.”