Kitchen of the Week: Associated

This formerly closed off and obsolete kitchen just wasn’t working for a family of five in Portland, Oregon. With three home-schooled kids in the home most days, they had a space that was open and connected to the rest of the house. Designer Michael Howells of Howells Architecture + Design desired to provide the household a room that was timeless, durable and functional.

“My aim is always the same with kitchen remodels: to design a kitchen that will be a lasting victory,” he states. “It’s simple to design something that looks good and works well today, but can it also look good and work well for 50 decades?” A simple palette, period reproduction accents and connected dining spaces gave this household the design and practicality they were looking for.

Howells Architecture + Design, LLC

The layout of this renovated kitchen is basically a refinement of the previous kitchen floor plan. The distance remains galley design, set off in the dining space, and runs through to the back of the home. Including the breakfast space, the entire kitchen is about 225 square feet.

Gray-blue Heath Ceramics tile and recycled glass countertops add visual texture to the otherwise compact space. Durable oak flooring was selected to match the existing floor in the rest of the home.

Cabinetry: custom cherry, designed by the architect, made by Wolf & Son; backsplash: Blue Tooth, Heath Ceramics; countertop: IceStone

Howells Architecture + Design, LLC

A custom diner-style Formica table adopts the kitchen’s retro roots. Direct access to the outdoors adopts the family’s active lifestyle and opens the room up to natural lighting. To take full advantage of this storage space along the galley kitchen walls, Howells took out the soffits in the kitchen and extended the cabinetry all of the way up to the ceiling.

Table: Bars & Booths; chairs: Fritz Hansen; light: Rejuvenation

Howells Architecture + Design, LLC

The cherrywood cabinetry was selected based on a beautiful cherry cupboard in the owners’ living space along with the rich colors of the musical instrument set. A mild countertop contrasts the dark wood. “Plus, food always looks good against a white surface,” says Howells. The tile color blends with all the hot walls for subtle color.

Sink: Shaws; faucet: Rohls

Before Photo

Howells Architecture + Design, LLC

BEFORE: Originally, there was a chimney place from the wall between the kitchen and the dining space, restricting the size of the door. Howells and his team eliminated the chimney to start up the distance — a larger challenge than they anticipated.

Howells Architecture + Design, LLC

AFTER: Now both spaces are completely available, yet independent, from each other. “I like you could work anywhere in it, and maintain simple dialogue and touch with someone sitting in the breakfast table or dining table,” says Howells.

Range, hood: Thermador; fridge, dishwasher: KitchenAid

Before Photo

Howells Architecture + Design, LLC

BEFORE: The breakfast nook was awkwardly separated in the kitchen as well. A partial wall and a cupboard separated the dining area from the kitchen and limited the flow of light in the back door.

Howells Architecture + Design, LLC

AFTER: Integrating cabinetry that extends all the way to the ceiling improved storage space, allowing Howells to take out the half-cabinet along with the countertop that were obstructing the breakfast area. An integrated cherry bench keeps the flow from the eating area to the cooking area entirely smooth. “The bench really transforms what was a very poky, poorly functioning part of the space,” says Howells.

Contractor: Recraft

More: How to Remodel Your Kitchen

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