Recent Projects

McLaughlin Kitchen

Complete kitchen remodel.
Project time to complete:  10 weeks from start to finish.

 

Nora Mclaughlin’s home was built in about 1890. The kitchen was probably very small and in the interior of the home when built. Someone moved it onto an existing back porch later in the life of the house. It also was very small with very little counter space. Nora does a lot of cooking for large groups of people through her church and other affiliations. She donates dinners sometimes through the college she works for to raise money for the college and does the same for her church. It was a real challenge to pull this off. Also her utilities were in the unfinished basement and the bedrooms on the second floor.

We tore off the whole back of the house to the original outside wall. Expanded the footprint of the house by about 400 sq. ft. Everything brought up to today’s codes. We added a mud room from the backyard and a utility room now on the main level off of the kitchen. All new windows and everything brought up to todays codes. We used a striated porcelain tile for the countertops, solid granite for the island and 4” Oak floors. We hand painted all of the cabinets and woodwork in place to give them a look that fit the era of the home. What a transformation, it is truly a kitchen anyone would be proud of and love to work in. Pamela Fletcher our resident interior designer and my wife helped choose almost everything that went into the kitchen to give it a unified look. Two and one half months from demolition to cooking in the kitchen WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Thurman Bathrooms and Family Room

New master bath, hall bathroom and family room.
Project time to complete:  6 weeks start to finish.

 

Kathy Thurman has been a customer for almost 25 years. We have worked in two homes for her and are presently working in her home in Sun River. Her home in Portland was built about 20 years ago. Things were ready to be redone. We had worked in the kitchen about 5 years ago and updated that. Now we tackled the family room, master bathroom and the hall bathroom. We started with a clean slate in all three cases. In the family room we had a blank flat wall. We installed a fake wall to put our fireplace in and installed a gas fireplace with a tile surround and hearth. We put in a complete entertainment and bookcase unit. A Sony flat screen TV was added. We finished the whole thing off with a new couch and two new chairs. In the master bathroom and the hall bathroom we took everything out down to the studs. We did the hall bathroom first so that she would always have one working bathroom. We put everything new in the hall bathroom except for the existing vanity. In the master bathroom it was much more extensive. The toilet was in an extremely small room by itself and we took out that wall so it became part of the bigger room. All new tile heated floor, new windows, tile shower and new tub. We installed a Cherry cabinet with granite countertop and under mount sinks. Two matching mirrored medicine cabinets with sconces. It is like being at a “5 Star” resort. Kathy is very happy with the results and would not change one thing.

 

Vallette

New addition and Master bathroom
Project time to complete:  13 weeks start to finish.

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Yvonne and her husband Bill have a 1920’s bungalow in the Laurelhurst historic district of Portland Oregon. The upper floor had gone from probably storage only at one time to a converted master bedroom. Low ceilings and not too much room. A very odd arrangement for the master bathroom and an overall dated look. With architect Peter Grimm we bumped out the entire 2nd floor rear section with a dormer. This gave us 8’ ceilings and an additional very useful 450 sq/ft. We added a huge master bathroom with linen closet and heated floor. Walk in shower with pebble floor and a great vanity with double sinks and mirrors. The separation of the upstairs hallway and the master bedroom is actually a two sided cabinet wall. This allowed them great storage and a great back drop for their bed. All new Oak hardwood floors were added, his and hers closets, his and hers built in dressers with bench seats. All HVAC was handled with split ductless heater/air conditioners. There is a nice size sitting area with a flat screen TV. This is truly a “to die for” area anyone would be proud to say is their master suite. A “5 Star” experience.

 

Greenwald Kitchen and Master Bathroom

New master bath suite on second floor.
Project time to complete:  10 weeks from start to finish.

 

Marta Greenwald kitchen and master bath update: This was an update we did in the spring of 2009. The customer was going to be away for an extended amount of time and wanted the work started and completed while she was gone. We completely remodeled the kitchen and master bath during that time. Everything was chosen ahead of time and we were done one week before she returned. We put everything back in her kitchen, cleaned the whole house inside and when she walked back in all she could say was WOW. She commented she would have not done one thing different and she has had us back to look at doing more work.

The master bath was the most dramatic. It had a fiberglass shower jammed onto a side wall, we built in a new tub and tile shower at the end of the bathroom. The window looks out at the Fremont Bridge in Portland. New double vanity was put in and made to look like it fits the period of the house (1920). We also put in two skylights in a slanted ceiling and new tile floor. It is gorgeous!!! Her husband, who seldom comments on decorating items, can’t stop talking about the bathroom and how much he loves it.

 

Welter Bathroom

New master bath suite on second floor.
Project time to complete:  8 weeks from start to finish.

 

The homeowner for this project lacked a suitable master bath on the second floor of his home. The existing bathroom was quite small and cramped, so we were asked to help find a solution to make the space larger, with better functionality.

Our solution was to eliminate a very small, unusable room situated next to the existing bathroom to add that space to the bathroom area. We removed the walls separating the two rooms, immediately giving the existing bath much more open space.

We designed a separate tiled shower and hot-soak soaking tub (which maintains a constant 202 degree temperature), and installed a custom-made vanity of mahogany-stained hardwoods, topped with clean, white marble. The tiled floor and richly-painted walls help maintain the traditional feel of this Tudor-style home, while still keeping the overall look modern and up to date.

Finally, we installed a stacking washer and dryer in a built-in closet as the finishing touch in this new space on the second floor. The homeowner previously only had access to a washer and dryer in the basement of the home. With the new addition of the stackables in the upstairs bath, the homeowner now has the option of doing laundry either in the basement or on the second floor, thus eliminating the need to carry baskets of laundry up two flights of stairs.

 

McKillip Kitchen

Complete kitchen remodel.
Project time to complete:  6 weeks from start to finish.

 

When this family decided to re-model their kitchen, there were several major design flaws we realized we needed to tackle right from the beginning.

Primarily, it was impossible to stand at the kitchen sink and work while the dishwasher door was open. There was also a lack of counter space, and the appliances, cabinetry, countertops and flooring were all out of date, and had lost much of their functionality.

At the top of this family's "wish list" was a desire to have multiple work stations, so everyone could work comfortably in the kitchen together. We accomplished this by shifting the positions of the major appliances to create a smooth flow throughout the kitchen, and adding a microwave range hood to free up valuable countertop space. Adding a separate prep sink in addition to the new oversized farmhouse sink also helped create more elbow room for everybody.

Updated lighting design, including overhead and under cabinet lights illuminate the space better, while all new appliances, new hardwood floors, and custom cabinetry made this kitchen feel brand-new.

The crowning glory on this gorgeous new kitchen are the iridescent tiles on the backsplash giving the entire space a touch of elegant, yet subtle sparkle. Brightly polished slab granite countertops also help balance casual style with updated sophistication.

 

Krebs Bathroom

Complete bathroom remodel.
Project time to complete: 6 weeks from start to finish.

 

This couple was tired of their old, outdated bathroom. The tiny, 4' wide shower was among their top complaints about this space. A seldom-used Jacuzzi tub and toilet which was located in a tiny, walled room added to their displeasure. Finally, the dark vanity looked out of date and had poor functionality.

Our solution was to completely re-invent this space, resulting in a magnificent new spa-like master bathroom. We decided the best course of action would be to remove all the interior walls from the existing space and start from scratch.

Our top priority was replacing the old, cramped shower with a new, spacious one. We accomplished this by moving the location of the new shower to the place where the Jacuzzi tub had originally been located. A clear glass door and ceramic tiles in soothing, neutral shades add to the sense of open space.

Next, we added a large, luxurious new soaking tub and opened up the space around the toilet, to eliminate the claustrophobic feeling it had before. Modern light fixtures and easy-care tile floor are the icing on the cake in this gleaming, up-to-date new space.

Finally, our team of expert cabinet makers created a new vanity for our homeowners. The dark, rich wood tones of the cabinetry play off the sleek, polished slab granite countertops. Dual "his and hers" under mount sinks and shiny new knobs and faucets add functionality and modern good looks.

 

Mace Kitchen

Complete Kitchen Remodel
Project time to complete: 6 weeks from start to finish..

 

"Small" and "cramped" would be the best way to describe this kitchen in its "before" state. The lack of counter space, poor work flow through the kitchen and a need for more storage were the major design issues we knew we had to tackle.

We began addressing these problems by first removing the wall which originally existed between the dining room and the kitchen. The decision was made to "trade spaces" to increase the amount of square footage for the kitchen. We turned the old dining room into the new dinette area, and the previously existing, seldom-used family room became the new dining room.

After creating the updated floor plan, it was on to the exciting job of installing all-new custom made upper and lower cabinetry along with a new kitchen island. Polished slab-granite countertops in warm, neutral tones blend beautifully with the natural wood cabinetry. The ceramic tile backsplash adds a subtle hint of color, yet remains elegant and understated. To complete the updated kitchen, brand-new state of the art appliances provide extra functionality and convenience.

In the dinette area, we added a beautiful new custom-designed hutch with glass shelves, which our homeowner uses to store her table linens and display fine collectables. An additional china cabinet was added in the main kitchen area, which is accessible from either side, in both the kitchen and dining room. This is a very unique and convenient way for her to store and access dishes and serving ware.

The homeowners decided to have our craftsmen install brand-new hardwood floors and stairs, resulting in an updated and cohesive look for their entire space. As the finishing touch, crown molding was added to all rooms, lending a look of classic timelessness.