Before & After: How a Portland Couple Took Their Midcentury Kitchen From Cramped to Chef’s Kiss
After a decade living in the 1965 house by a celebrated local architect, the pair tasked Risa Boyer Architecture with reconfiguring a few of its common spaces—which went a long way in rejuvenating the residence.
After a decade living in the 1965 house by a celebrated local architect, the pair tasked Risa Boyer Architecture with reconfiguring a few of its common spaces—which went a long way in rejuvenating the residence.
As soon as Jeff saw this midcentury-modern house by renowned architect John Storrs in Portland, Oregon, he knew it was the one.
Jeff, based in San Francisco, was being transferred to Portland for his job as a marketing executive in 2013, and his East Coast–based husband, Todd, was about to join him. Together, the couple planned to divide their time between Portland and Massachusetts.
After 10 years of living in this post-and-beam Portland house designed by celebrated local architect John Storrs, Jeff and Todd hired Risa Boyer Architecture to renovate. They knew they wanted to focus on opening up the kitchen.
Luke & Mallory
To prepare for the move, Jeff and a friend convened in Portland to scout 12 houses with his real estate agent in a single weekend. Their focus was mostly historic homes in walkable central-city enclaves—but then the car weaved upward into the Southwest Hills neighborhood and they reached this house at the end of a quiet street.
"My friend literally walked in the front door and she said, ‘We live here,’" Jeff recalls with a laugh. Todd had to make a leap of faith, not seeing the house in person before they made an offer, but he trusted Jeff and loved what he saw—first electronically, and then in person after the purchase.
Before: Kitchen
Before: The kitchen, as in many midcentury-modern homes, was relatively closed off from the dining area, but the hanging upper cabinets above the peninsula counter were not in the original plans.
Photo: Risa Boyer Architecture
Before: In the cramped kitchen, even some cupboards were hard to access without bumping into the fridge or knocking over the dog bowls.
Photo: Risa Boyer Architecture
See the full story on Dwell.com: Before & After: How a Portland Couple Took Their Midcentury Kitchen From Cramped to Chef’s Kiss
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