Portland remodel: modern in function, "period" in feel - kitchen remodeling

Sunset, May, 1990

She had to invent a compound word to do it, but Portland homeowner Thayer Willis described what she did to her kitchen as renovation-restoration-rejuvenation. The former owner had gutted and left unfinished the kitchen of the 50-year-old house. The Willises started from scratch, envisioning a kitchen modern in function but period in feel.

Olson and Jones Construction was brought in to make that vision a reality. Work began with careful study of the original blueprints and of detailed elevations showing cabinet millwork. Other period touches include rounded soffits and cabinet corners, and vinyl flooring that wraps up onto the wall. To open up the room, the contractor removed a wall between the butler's pantry and the kitchen. To create space for a breakfast table, the back wall pushed out 3 feet and broken up with windows. A new back door provides access to a formal garden at the rear of the house. Little touches make the kitchen efficient for cooks: easy-care materials used throughout, thoughtful arrangement of work areas and appliances, plenty of counter space on both sides of the cooktop in the new angled peninsula. Black granite counters accent the kitchen's white wood cabinets and white-faced ovens.