I have spent the last few months working on an exciting project in Lake Oswego. It's my first new construction project and it is a whole other beast - a large beast - but one that can be tamed. And how fun it has been to be a part of training!
I typically do a kitchen or a kitchen and a bath - but never a kitchen, mudroom, powder room, master bath, guest bath, laundry room - you get the picture! My clients Molly and Sebastian are stellar - organized, decisive and in sync (thank God!). They met in Texas (she is from Lake Oswego) and are transferring here from Austin so not only was this an enormous undertaking - we did most of it online.
Which brings me to
Pinterest. Molly introduced me to the site. Its a pinboard-style sharing site that gets 10 million unique monthly views - the fastest growing stand alone site in history. Well - it made this project possible!
We were able to share ideas so easily, efficiently and graphically - it was unreal. We would sit up nights sharing and commenting on everything from the
powder room sink to the
entry pendants - 3 hours apart. Seriously - Molly's energy is BOUNDLESS.
This series of posts will explore the process of designing a project this large. It needs to be methodical and as thorough as possible. As I said I have terrific clients - it helped that Bill Lorenz of
Palisade Homes was there to support the project. Bill is a great builder - his homes are quality and he understands the process. It was his first experience working with a designer and it is different - because the exploratory is much more widespread - we went to 4 lighting stores, 5 tile showrooms, 2 flooring showrooms. The final selections were from a vast array of sources. He has been open and supportive the whole way - thanks Bill!
It was a different approach for me as well The cabinet maker had taken a first shot at design. It was perfunctory at best. Nothing wrong with it - just a kitchen full of uppers to the 10 foot ceiling and lowers without much variation. Molly wanted what I call a 'cityscape' approach.
This is a project I did in West Linn as an example:
There is push and pull achieved through a variety of open spaces, height + depth differences and thinking of function. She is a petite creature - 5'2? I focused on bringing cabinets to the countertop, lots of drawers and pullouts for easy access and appliances at waist level.
We pulled off a desk area to die for. This was the inspiration:
Not just a countertop, some mail slots and drawers - but a wrapping station, craft area and open cubbies that can manage all that clutter we have stashed in closets, under beds and the garage of our houses
and show off our treasures. LOVE IT.
The master took a twist. Molly understands that your private space does not have to match your public. We started with a contemporary freestanding tub, and matched the cabinets with a very Asian, chunky style. Also freestanding - with dark wood, simple feet. It will be a Zen space with soothing neutral tones and a surprise of funky tile.
Next part: Materials selections!
