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May 13

Adventures in Remodeling, Part 3: The Kitchen

If you imagine your ideal kitchen, do you dream of a spacious room connected to the outdoors through a sunny breezeway that provides lots of storage?

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In this 3rd chapter about our 1920 bungalow project, Arciform’s lead carpenters Jamie Whittaker & Eric Delph share stories about the kitchen addition, with all of its special touches.

Jamie tell us that this kitchen is the hub & heart of the home, a space for living & creating. It’s full of ideas from the whole team that became reality, but not without challenges.

Some of his favorite features: the two beautiful dutch doors, one leading to the new covered back porch & the other to the the side yard.

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The custom kitchen table, which provides space for eating or lounging while watching a TV that can be concealed behind a drop-down panel in the wall.

Another favorite piece is the fridge. It started as a big, modern appliance & we “dressed it up” like a vintage cooler you might see in an old general store.

The spacious salvaged island provides plenty of room for family time, & the built-in storage has a pressed tin door panel to resemble a pie safe.

Eric lists the 1929 Magic Chef range as a gem. Our client bought it online from some distant state & had the seller store it while we remodeled. When our client called for delivery, he learned that the seller had passed away & the range could not be found! Our client had to fly someone down to find it & bring it home.

He also lists the large vintage sink as a favorite element, with its built-in double drainboards and legs.

We turned the original kitchen into a little walk-through library

Jamie installing the cabinetry in the breezeway

& PM Adam enjoying a hard day at work

Arciform & Versatile Wood Products Teams on this project included:

  • Brad Horne, senior drafter, responsible for documentation & working with the city of Lake Oswego. We could not have done this without him.
  • Marty Hegg did all the fixture & finish specifications.
  • Principal Designer Anne De Wolf worked closely with the creative clients.
  • PM Adam Schoeffel led the construction team, helped with detail development & found treasures like the kitchen island.
  • Devin Morrow assisted with project logistics.
  • Dave Thomas managed deconstruction, salvaged material organization & labeling, which was crucial.
  • Eric Delph was our primary site lead! Among many contributions he personally co-designed (with the client) & constructed the garage storage & its icebox doors, & kept the crew on track.
  • Jamie Whittaker was our co-site lead, chief of special projects & master of craftsmanship.
  • David Gamble built the cabinetry, walnut kitchen table & worked on the salvaged table & fridge panels.
  • Dan Brindusesc & Eric Voss built the exterior doors & did sash work on the stained glass windows.
  • Rene Flannigan & Brent Dickey did all specialty finishes on the salvaged table, wine cellar door & panels in the garage.

Thanks to our wonderful, creative & inspiring clients, we were all able to do what we love to do!

If you missed part 1 or 2 of this series, check them out here.

Professional photos by Photo Art Portraits & Blankeye.

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May 5

Adventures in Remodeling Part 2: the Garage

The new garage was built to closely match the original structure

When you hear the word garage, adventure doesn’t usually come to mind. Garages are supposed to be functional and practical.

But our clients at the 1920 bungalow in First Addition, Lake Oswego have a pretty special garage. Arciform‘s talented craftsmen created the structure just for them, and it had stories to tell before it was even completed. It’s sure to be the setting of many future memories.

There was a carport before we started the project

Project Manager Adam Schoeffel shares 4 reasons this garage is such a special place:

#1: Roof Trusses & Interior Paneling

Adam redesigned the trusses to accommodate a grading issue which caused the garage door to impede the plane of conventional truss design. He upsized framing members and ordered a vaulted scissor truss for a more hand-framed look. The trusses were painted to contrast with the aged patina of the salvaged lap board which clads the walls and ceiling.

Adam’s scissor trusses look sharp!

 #2: Storage with Icebox Panel Doors

Adam and Site Co-Lead Eric Delph (the bearded one above) collaborated on this project, but the idea came from the client. Eric co-designed and constructed the unique storage with its icebox doors, and it looks as if it’s always been there. It is a real conversation piece, and everyone wants to open and close those doors.

Douglas Fir shiplap on walls and ceiling were sourced from local homes being demolished and from Portland area reclaimed wood vendors

#3: The Seed Cabinet

Our client found a handsome antique seed cabinet and knew it would provide great storage. It sat in the garage for many months while Arciform worked on other parts of the home.

One day, four of the cabinet drawers vanished! Without hesitation, Site Co-Lead Jamie Whittaker took charge of creating replicas. The old walnut was tough to match, but Adam found an alternate species that was very close and poked around several salvage shops to find the right hardware. They even matched the original drawer boxes, using flat-sawn fir. Jamie’s four drawers were so convincing, it was hard to tell which ones were new.

About six months after the project was completed, the four missing drawers were returned with an apology note attached to them!

 

#4: The Rodeo Sign

This is no small souvenir, but a family heirloom which holds years of memories. Our client has roots in St. Paul, OR, and has remained involved in the St Paul Rodeo for years.

The sign is made up of planks bolted together, then carved and painted. It needed stabilizing, so our crew disassembled it, stored it and later installed new pipe through it, slowly compressing the boards. They took great care to keep the words and images in alignment and looking crisp.  Our clients intended it to be hung on a basement wall, but it was way too big, and looks truly at-home in the garage!

There are still more stories to tell about this project! Don’t miss our final post in the series next week: Adventures in Remodeling, Part 3: the Kitchen.

Professional photos by BlankEye and Photo Art Portraits