
My client, a retired California contractor, bought this 1970s rental home at the base of Mt. Hood because he loves outdoor activities with his two dogs. His #1 priority was to make the home brighter and more cheerful, while updating everything. What follows is a description of the challenges we encountered and the solutions that make this home unique.
CHALLENGE #1, LIVING ROOM: A long, slender room, aka “the bowling alley,” that was dark even on bright days.
SOLUTION: Add two “trayed” ceiling coffers so dimmable indirect LED lighting could break up the “bowling alley” look. It provided the right amount of ambiance for reading, watching TV, or enjoying the warmth of the wood-burning stove. Carefully-placed dimmable LED recessed lighting makes use of this room more flexible. A custom bookshelf and storage cabinet was designed to replace a bargain-furniture purchase when the gentleman bought the home.
*DESIGN ADVICE: A solution used to change apparent proportion of odd-sized rectangular rooms is to paint the end walls a darker, warmer color because these colors appear to advance. The contrast doesn’t have to be drastic – one or two shades will make a big difference. It has been popular off and on to choose one wall to be an artificial focal point by painting it a wildly-contrasting color. Be very careful if you’re thinking about doing this in your home, unless you’re prepared to paint your walls frequently. Fortunately, this trend never stays around very long.
CHALLENGE #2, KITCHEN: The existing kitchen had red laminate countertops, inexpensive appliances, and dark oak “builder” cabinets. The window over the sink faced the side of a neighbor’s home — ugly!
SOLUTIONS: The sink was moved to the new peninsula, which provided a great view of the front garden, and allowed a large countertop for food preparation. The homeowner fell in love with natural birch, a combination of heartwood and sapwood. He selected a Cambria engineered-stone countertop. The backsplash and floors are the same tile, with an accent of natural river rock behind the range. For architectural continuity, the same river rock was used for the entry hall flooring.
CHALLENGE #3, BATHROOMS: Both bathrooms showed years of wear and tear by renters, and desperately needed updating. The guest bathroom was cobbled together by a previous owner, who framed an area for a small one-piece shower using fake paneleing attached directly to the studs, with no drywall. It was no surprise that the project manager ran into a massive amount of dry rot in the guest bathroom.
SOLUTIONS, MASTER BATHROOM: The homeowner selected blue for the master bathroom. His eyes lit up when I showed him a sample of Vetrazzo “Float Blue” glass countertop and a unique blue glass mosaic tile for the backsplash and shower accent. He selected a large rectangular porcelain tile with a soft mixed gray stripe for the shower walls and the floor; the same tile in a 2×2 mosaic was used for the shower floor. A pale blue was used for the walls, and all bathroom fittings are polished chrome. The custom cabinets are natural birch, with two pull-out pantries for personal-care products.
SOLUTIONS, GUEST BATHROOM: The homeowner wanted bright yellow and orange for the color scheme. I suggested a creamy pale yellow for the engineered-stone countertop and the tile used in the shower and on the floors. Bright yellow tile was chosen for the backsplash field tile, with a 1/2” stripe of bright orange tile at the top and bottom of the accent stripe. Custom natural birch cabinets blend with the color scheme beautifully, and polished-chrome plumbing fittings are like jewelry for this stunningly-beautiful bathroom.
The homeowner got everything he asked for: a bright and cheerful new home with custom touches that exemplify his unique personality and taste. There’s no way to tell that this was ever a rental property!
Do you have a hard time visualizing what remodeling results are best for you? Are you paralyzed with fear about selecting the right products for your home and lifestyle? I can help you! Contact me today!
PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS:
KITCHEN
Countertops: Cambria “Buckingham”
Backsplash: Marazzi “Marfil Cream” 3”x6”
Backsplash behind range: Emser “River Pebbles,” 4-color blend
Floor: Marazzi “Marfil Cream” 12”x12”
Cabinets: Custom, Natural Birch
Appliances:
Range: Jenn-Air all electric
Refrigerator: Kitchenaid (french door)
Dishwasher: Kitchenaid
Microwave: Frigidaire (installed below countertop)
MASTER BATHROOM
Shower walls field tile: Surface Art Blu Stone ”Silver Gray” 12”x24” (horizontal stacked)
Accent tiles and backsplash: Lunada Bay “Umbria” 1”x1” mosaic
Countertop: Vetrazzo “Float Blue”
Floor tile: Surface Art Blu Stone “Silver Gray” 12”x24”
Shower floor tile: Surface Art Blu Stone “Silver Gray” 2”x2” mosaic
Cabinets: Custom, Natural Birch (includes 2 base pantry pullouts)
Plumbing Fixtures:
Toilet: Toto “Drake”
Lavatory sink: Kohler “Caxton” undermount
Lavatory faucet and Shower: Delta
GUEST BATHROOM
Shower walls field tile: Florida Tile “Botticcino” 18”x18”
Countertop: Silestone “Tigris Sand”
Accent tiles: DalTile “Totally Tangerine” 1/2”x4” and “Sunflorwer” 4”x4”
Floor tile: Florida Tile “Botticcino” 18”x18”
Shower floor tile: Florida Tile “Botticcino” 2-1/2”x2-1/2” mosaic
Cabinets: Custom, Natural Birch (includes 1 base pantry pullout)
Plumbing Fixtures:
Toilet: Toto “Drake”
Lavatory sink: Kohler “Caxton” undermount
Lavatory faucet and Shower: Delta