Kitchen

After: By reorganizing the layout rather than expanding it, the redesign allows the open-plan room to function the way it always seemed intended.

Custom white oak cabinets with push latches provide plenty of storage 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.

Aleksandra shifted and shortened the window to pack in usable storage around it. The cabinets are painted Rainy Afternoon by Benjamin Moore, combined with white oak boxes for contrast. “We were also badly hit by the material price increases during Covid,” says Aleksandra, whether it was kitchen cabinets or framing lumber. The couple were receiving quotes that changed week to week.

The tiles continue up onto the vent hood to enhance the room's textured look.

Schoolhouse Luna Cord pendant lights hang above the square island in the kitchen.

A door system can turn the end of the living space with the Murphy bed into it’s own guest room.

In the open-plan kitchen, Knight combined green Ikea cabinets with an affordable leathered granite, along with Samsung appliances and Lumens sconces. “Having ample space for day-to-day activities was important, but so was having space that flows,” he says.

Honed marble counters sit atop custom walnut cabinets. The backsplash tile (Umi Calm in Rosemary from DDS Tile) is the first finish Chanel chose. "When I was trying to decide our direction for this house, that was really the first material that I came across that I was like, 'Okay, this is the vibe,'

The bulk of Chen's budget went to the new galley kitchen with Dekton Kelya engineered stone countertops and backsplash.

Now the kitchen opens to the living room and dining room in one open space.

The "appliance garage

The floors and casework are white oak, and the counters and backsplash are marble. The sconces are a custom design by Workaday, which is available through their Portland shop Daygoods.

By far the biggest transformation, the new kitchen enjoys high ceilings from the revamped roofline; all new casework, flooring, and finishes; and a large island. The stools are from 2xhome.

A stair from the lower level leads directly up to the covered porch, with the stair tucked behind the kitchen. The outdoor dining table is by Loll Designs and the chairs are from IKEA and Sundso.

The kitchen contains a hidden door leading to the primary suite.