They remodeled for efficiency … and a lot more color - kitchen remodeling

Sunset, Jan, 1991

If you're ready for some color in your kitchen, take a tip from two families who abandoned white-on-white for more expressive color schemes. As they remodeled to improve efficiency, comfort, and daylighting, they drew color inspiration from treasured possessions. Red pottery zaps well-ordered space A collection of old pottery inspired the color and style of Eileen and Bruce Drake's kitchen.

"We wanted to mesh modern materials and convenience with 1940s design elements," Mrs. Drake says. They enlisted the services of Portland architect John Hasenberg for the remodel. For views and more light, they added a pair of 3 1/2- by 5-foot windows. Overhead, the flat roof didn't allow for recessed lighting, so they mounted 6-inch surface can lights to the 9 1/2-foot-tall ceiling and hung a single pendent light over the eating area. Hasenberg opened up the floor plan by moving the stove to the closed end of the U-shaped 10- by 17-foot kitchen. The 4foot-wide peninsula triples as an informal dining, prep, and service area. Now helpers can share the sink and refrigerator without getting underfoot during cooking. Like the zippy red-and-black backsplash and geometric vinyl flooring, almost all materials were chosen to complement the pottery collection and to hark back to the era of its manufacture. The chrome-legged stools, custom stainless steel surround for a commercial range hood, and stainless pulls all pay homage to a postwar passion for chrome. Vintage stove inspired vibrant color Pat Coleman's wish was "to create a warm gathering place so family and friends can keep me company while I cook." The unconventional scheme of vivid accents was chosen to complement an old yellow (reconditioned) gas stove, the kitchen's functional hearth. The original kitchen was small, so Berkeley architect William Dutcher pooled it with a hall and the breakfast and laundry rooms. Locating appliances, storage, and a window seat around the perimeter of the space left the center clear for a large "family" table. To bring light into the center of the 14- by 21-foot room, Dutcher opened a 5- by 6foot light well above the table. The exposed rafters were clad and painted to give them a more finished appearance. Over the sink, double-hung windows tie into a band of high clerestory windows that capture morning light while editing views of the neighbor's house. The use of 8-inch-square panes throughout gives a cozy cottage feel. Arranging the appliances in an L-shaped configuration works well for multiple cooks. When needed, the table serves as a secondary preparation area. The cabinet height was kept low (Mrs. Coleman is just over 5 feet tall), leaving room for the ribbon of high windows above and establishing a horizontal line that's carried around to the sideboard and bookshelves. Orange-painted shelves and molding accentuate this line and visually raise the ceiling. Pale yellow is the neutral color in this room. According to Barbara Jording, who developed the clear wood finishes for cabinets and sideboard, "The accents work because orange complements the aqua as well as the green, and all three tones have about the same intensity."