When Portland–based Suraya and Jason Barbee were ready to give their kitchen a fresh makeover, they hired His Builders—a small, family-run firm headed by brothers Owen and Nathan Burkholder—to help them carry out the remodel.

Before:

“She wanted things to feel open, but not empty,” says Owen, who worked on the project with his brother, Nathan, and the help of their father, Leon.

After Suraya shared her vision for the kitchen with His Builders, Leon and Owen decided the best way to achieve her goals was to move the kitchen to the original dining space, which had a higher ceiling.

By moving the kitchen, the team was able to remove a wall, which created the desired open, airy feel the couple longed for. Yet, this turned out to be one of the biggest challenges with the project, as the removal of the wall meant the team would also need to install a new beam for support.

After:

“To maintain the ‘open’ feeling Suraya wanted, we reframed the wall behind the refrigerator so the front would sit flush with the 12-inch pantry cabinets surrounding it," says Nathan.

"We also custom built floating shelves in the corner rather than typical wall cabinets that might feel too large.”

The team welded the brackets for the shelves and secured them to the framing of the structure prior to putting the drywall up.

Shop the Look

New cabinets were also custom made with lightly stained beech wood, and the team installed engineered hardwood floors that were stained to compliment the color of the cabinetry.

His Builders also used subway tiles for a light and bright backsplash, and the range ventilation was cased in drywall to create the Scandinavian-inspired vibe that is clean, warm, and simple.