Kitchen

&Tradition's Verner Panton's "Flowerpot

The island, topped with a marble slab bought at a discount, anchors the space.

Homeowners Heather Thompson, a literary specialist in Lake Oswego School District, and Sam Gaty, executive director at a nonprofit that supports documentary filmmakers, loved almost everything about their spacious, light-filled 1965 ranch house in Portland, Oregon’s West Haven neighborhood. But the one pain point was the kitchen, a cramped, dark space with a bad layout.

Suzanne’s bridge and book clubs meet around the dining table in the cottage instead of in the larger house, whose open layout makes such gatherings problematic. “There was no place where I could seal us off,” Suzanne says. “So now I use the cottage for game playing, and we can enjoy ourselves and know that we’re not inconveniencing Brooks.”

Mint green-painted ironwork and tiles connect the indoors to the outside more fluidly.

The residents, Marjon Helder and Martin Blankendaal, salvaged wood from the previous house that stood on the lot and used it to craft the cabinetry in the kitchen. In the adjacent living room, oversize wood spools, once used to hold cable wire, serve as coffee tables. The Skyflyer pendants were designed in 1960 by Yki Nummi.

"Everyone who visits speaks of the warmth created by the timber lining boards and the interest of the raked ceiling in the kitchen,” says homeowner Sarah.

Not every client-designer relationship would have thrived under such extreme circumstances, but Dovey credits Sarah and Ben’s attitude for the project’s success. “They were observant and thoughtful, and really took the time to ask all the right questions,” says Dovey. “In the end, it went so well just because of the great relationships.”

In their query letter, Ben and Sarah were clear that they wanted a home that could accommodate all of life’s messes. “We don't want a white display kitchen that only looks good when it's clean and not in use. We want our kitchen to be able to work hard. We love to cook and when we do, there are usually lots of things on the go and a mess being made.”

The all-black kitchen adds stark contrast to the crisp white walls and ceilings. A long island provides ample space to meal-prep while the custom cabinetry offers plenty of storage.

The main house presents a sleek kitchen, complete with black quartz countertops, all new appliances, and a large central island.

Adding storage under the new stair maximizes the kitchen's footprint. Hemlock wood on the stair was stained to complement the casework. The faucet is from Brizo and the green backsplash tile is Heath.

Travertine and copper Meta Ochre suspension lamps from David Pompa add some shine and texture into the interior.

The study room's malleable screens is a novel way to give privacy to the study room without closing it up completely.