COTY Awards Magazine

Region VI Northwest
Olsen Homes & Renovation LLC
Keizer, Ore.
www.olsenrenovation.com

This kitchen, in a home originally built in the 1980s, was small and compartmentalized because of the placement of the second-floor bearing points. With the help of a structural engineer, steel I-beams were set in place to span the entire space and carry the weight of the second floor. The amount of usable counter space of the original kitchen was lacking, and the location of the dishwasher, when open, blocked off the space around it. The kitchen also didn’t take advantage of the park-like views surrounding the home or the natural lighting such openness would create.

It was important to the homeowners to create an organic feel using local products, so Basalt stone was used on the island, which was shaped in the form of a local river. Honed granite countertops and tiger wood floors also were used throughout. To allow the owners to remain in the home while they age, large ergonomic drawer pulls and full extension pullout drawers—with soft-close hinges—were used in the lower cabinets and pantry cabinets.