A plush sectional with several textured pillows sits under two windows, next to a standing lamp in a room with a round wooden coffee table with books.

Searching for their forever home our newly retired clients purchased this 1917 Laurelhurst fixer as a way to transition from busy careers as scientists in Indianapolis to a combined home in Portland. They were drawn to the home’s high ceilings, large windows and traditional details but disliked the inefficient kitchen, small primary bath and dark rooms.

The sitting room had the ideal indoor-outdoor connection to the back yard through glass french doors that were centered on the room. But the centered doors made it impossible for furniture to fit without blocking the door. The skylights were existing but the window above the sectional was not. The room was big but furniture wouldn’t fit without blocking something. We moved the doors to create a better line of sight from the dining room out to the yard and make room for a more comfortable seating area complete with an L-shaped sectional.

Casework_Sept20Two leather bar stools sit beneath a marble kitchen counter with a loaf of bread on a cutting board and floating shelves with bowls and mugs above. 19_037b_photocredit_CarlyDiaz.jpg

Keywords

TogetherNESS

Comfortable

Tailored

WAS THE NOOK PRESENT WHEN THE HOME WAS PURCHASED?

The nook was previously a rarely used exterior door and storage cabinet. We removed the door and replaced it with a window and built in bench to create a space to dine informally or relax while someone else is working in the kitchen.

A breakfast nook with a custom bench with drawers, a cushion and pillows, a wooden dining chair, and a wood and metal table with a bowl of fruit,

A single banksia stem sits in a glass vase half-filled with water resting on a wood table alongside a bowl of pears and a textured kitchen towel.

A dutch oven rests on a cooking range with bottles of cooking oils, a wooden cutting board, a pear sliced in half, and a bowl of pears on a marble counter.

A vase of fresh flowers sits on a wine bar next to two wine glasses and a bottle of wine on a wood pedestal beneath a glass cabinet full of drinkware.

CUSTOM CABINETRY

Casey and team worked closely with the clients to take their traditional style to a more personal level and also honor the history of the home. The existing dining room cabinet’s leaded glass panels were saved and incorporated into a new custom wine cabinet. The trim, casing and moulding details were matched to the existing original details of the home.

A flashing gif alternating between the floor plan of the home before and after its renovation and remodel.

Why get rid of original cabinets from the 1900’s?

While the bones of the home were great, the interior layout was awkward. The kitchen was updated in a previous remodel but incredibly inefficient. Casework incorporated a new kitchen peninsula for added prep space and storage but also to create a way to connect with someone while working in the kitchen. One of the smallest moves with the biggest impact in the kitchen was removing the unusable fireplace chase. This made for a more squared off room and equal counter space on each side of the range.

A porcelain apron sink sits beneath two windows, shaker cabinets with marble counters on either side, chrome hardware, with an oriental rug below.

A closeup shot of several bottles of wine resting on custom wooden shelves with bottle-shaped grooves that the bottles perfectly fit into.

A detailed photo of wood floating shelves with ceramic bowls, mugs, and plates, glass canisters with grains, and a framed drawing of a monstera leaf.

A closeup photo of banksia plant stems with their zig-zag shaped leaves and fuzzy tufted flowers on a marble countertop.+2.jpg

A deep porcelain soaking tub sits in the middle of a room beneath a skylight with a steel faucet and nozzle and a bath towel draped over its side.copy.jpg

Hand soap and a cup with toothbrushes sits on a bathroom vanity with shaker cabinets, nickel hardware and quartz countertops under a square mirror.+%281%29+copy.jpg

WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST transformation DURING THIS REMODEL?

The upstairs bathroom is the biggest transformation of the home. Once a pedestal sink with no storage and tub only bathroom, Casework expanded the footprint of the bath and added a full walk in shower as well as a custom vanity with storage.

A shower with a dual head and nozzle, tile walls, and a clear glass enclosure next to a small wooden table on marble tiles arranged in a chevron pattern.

A closeup shot of a wooden body brush, an aerial plant, a jar of bath salts, and body wash resting on a built-in shower bench made of marble tile.

A detailed photo of the shaker doors and drawers of a vanity with a bathtub, rug, bath towel, and hamper with towels in the background.

A series of framed drawings of leaves sits on a wall above a towel hanging on a rack above a small potted plant next to a glass shower.

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Credits

Thanks to Daryll, Adrian and the team at Hammer & Hand for the attention to detail and communication it takes to transform a home from the early 1900s. Rockwood for the gorgeous cabinetry, wine storage details and working with us to save the original leaded glass from the dining room cabinet. To the design team, Casey Keasler, Miranda Williams and Haley Voght.

Photos by Carly Diaz and Lana Boelter

Video and styling by Casework’s own, Lana Boelter.