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Posts tagged ‘Kristyn Bester’

Aug 3

Designing an Adventure-Ready Home

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The weather is perfect for getting out of the house to explore the beauty of our fair state. Its also a great time to consider how your home can better support your family’s active and adventurous spirit.

Here are a few of our favorite active family design solutions:

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Designed by Arciform Senior Designer Kristyn Bester. Photo by Photo Art Portraits.

Biking may be a year-round sport in Portland, but with 8 months of rain it’s important to consider how to keep the bike dry and safe when you are not riding it. For this Portland client, we integrated bike storage into a basement mudroom to give the whole family a place to prep for the ride in comfort.

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Designed by Arciform Principal Designer Anne De Wolf. Photo by Photo Art Portraits.

The transition from home-time to adventure-time is more fun when everything you need is organized and ready to hand. A great mudroom keeps all of your outdoor gear right where you need it (and NOT on the kitchen table or in a pile in the corner of the basement).

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Designed by Arciform Principal Designer Anne De Wolf. Photo by Photo Art Portraits.

A bit of whimsy can make even the chore of loading out gear more of an adventure. This hidden door offers direct pass-through access to the mudroom for sports equipment, bikes, and other outdoor gear. It’s also spectacular for hide and seek with the new kids on the street.

MilliganUsher_1926_Basement_Entry_A_P_Pro (4)Designed by Arciform Senior Designer Kristyn Bester. Photo by Photo Art Portraits.

Another great option for stashing gear is to add lockers in your mudroom space. These were integrated into the space under the stairwell, making clever use of an otherwise wasted space in the home.

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Designed by Arciform Principal Designer Anne De Wolf. Photo by Photo Art Portraits.

Even in the glorious summer months, there will be rainy days that require at-home activity and adventure. Some activity-friendly finishes can turn your basement bonus room into a place for dancing, yoga, or even  an indoor soccer arena. The wraparound metal trim in this basement family room allows the kids to roll back the rug and push back the furniture for a little rainy day footie match when needed.

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Designed by Arciform Principal Designer Anne De Wolf. Photo by Photo Art Portraits.

All that adventure can really work up a muddy mess of sweat, and you probably don’t want your master bath to bear the brunt of the clean up. For this we recommend a wet room in your basement or adjacent to your mudroom that minimizes the distance your family has to travel to wash up after a day’s hike in Forest Park.

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Designed by Arciform Senior Designer Kristyn Bester. Photo by Photo Art Portraits.

Wet rooms are designed with floor-to-ceiling water safe finishes that are designed for maximum mess with minimal clean up. This basement wet room (above and below) takes a narrow space and gives it style and practicality with floor-to-ceiling subway tile and polished concrete floors.

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Designed by Arciform Senior Designer Kristyn Bester. Photo by Photo Art Portraits.

Last but not least, a weekend full of adventure often leads to a week full of laundry. Taking the time to design a thoughtful and convenient laundry space in your basement, mudroom or even upstairs like this family (below) can make preparing for your next adventure more pleasant.

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Designed by Arciform Principal Designer Anne De Wolf. Photo by Photo Art Portraits.

And then, when all the tromping and stomping and climbing and rolling and cleaning is complete, isn’t it time for a nice, relaxing soak in your outdoor spa? This family (below) tucked an elegant spa area in a wooded corner of their yard, creating a peaceful post-adventure oasis in the heart of their home.

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Designed by Arciform Principal Designer Anne De Wolf. Photo by Photo Art Portraits.

How can we help you make your home more adventure-ready? Explore our design galleries and get inspired for your next project here.

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Feb 22

Your Whole House Plan Part Two: A Plan for Every Floor

In the second part of our series on the whole house plan, we’ll share some step by step ideas and best practices for your internal renovation plan.

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This adventurous Victorian in Sellwood added clever features to each floor that were designed to inspire exploration, discovery and play. Designed by Arciform Principal Designer Anne De Wolf. Photo by Photo Art Portraits.

Start at the Top

As much as you may have been dying to tackle that kitchen renovation first, we usually recommend that you plan your renovations from the top down, starting with the roof (including dormer additions) and working your way to the basement.

This helps ensure that any new electric, plumbing or structural changes that may affect the lower floors will happen before you’ve done all the beautiful finish work on those floors.

Dormer Details

When developing your dormer design, you’ll want to weigh the interior practicalities (headroom, floor space) against the exterior aesthetics. Adding a dormer dramatically changes the look of your home and you’ll want to consider how the design looks from all angles to ensure a cohesive result.

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This shed dormer designed by Arciform Principal Designer Anne De Wolf continues the long, low lines of the house’s Mid-Century architecture and features a dramatic eight sash casement window custom built by Versatile Wood Products.

While developing the design for the exterior of your dormer, you will also want to ask:

  • How will rainwater be managed on the newly-proposed roofline?
  • Will the new siding, windows and roof elements be accessible and easy to maintain?

Building out a dormer is also a great time to consider insulating your attic crawlspaces to ensure that any new heating routed to the newly-finished rooms will function at peak efficiency.

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This master bath dormer addition tucks dual sinks and a luxurious walk in shower into a compact shed dormer footprint. Extra-deep medicine cabinets offer elegant, out-of-site storage for all the bathroom sundries. Designed by Arciform Senior Designer Chelly Wentworth. Photo by Photo Art Portraits.

The most common reason for a dormer addition is to add a bathroom upstairs. If a bath is on your wish list, your designer will consider:

  • Where is the existing main floor bathroom in relationship to the new proposed bath?
    Typically it will be less expensive to site a new bathroom above an existing bathroom to take advantage of the main plumbing stack.
  • Which direction do your floor joists run to prevent issues with the routing of the drain lines?
    Are they sized to support the increased weight of your proposed rooms and will the drain lines fit within the cavity?
    It’s worth opening a hole in the ceiling to take a look at your joists early in the design process since the size and direction of your joists will have a large impact on your project’s feasibility and cost.

Mastering the Main Floor

Modern preferences tend toward a more open floor plan for the main floor; removing walls and eliminating formal dining spaces is a common request.

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The central focus of this Mid-Century Modern whole house renovation was the creation of an open plan living, dining and kitchen area that made the most of the gorgeous views of Mt Hood in the home’s wraparound picture windows. Designed by Arciform Principal Designer Anne De Wolf. Photo by Photo Art Portraits.

Your designer will help you identify which walls in your home might be the best candidates for opening up the space and will help navigate potential structural reinforcements to the home that may become necessary.

Cost vs. Value

We typically recommend that you invest first in the main floor project that will have the largest positive impact on your home’s future value. This is usually the kitchen or a master suite bathroom.

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This kitchen renovation mixes an on-trend color palette with classic elements like subway tile and Carrara marble to create a timeless update that will improve the home’s value for decades to come. Designed by Arciform Senior Designer Kristyn Bester. Photo by Photo Art Portraits.

Little Spaces, Big Impact

While you are planning your main floor, don’t forget the little spaces that can have a big impact on your guests’ comfort.

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It may be a small space, but your powder room can offer the opportunity for a big design statement. This powder room (above) features a bold pop of color and a fun twist with a wallpaper called “Brooklyn Toile” designed by Mike Diamond of the Beastie Boys. Designed by Arciform Senior Designer Chelly Wentworth. Photo by Photo Art Portraits.

Consider:

    • Should you add or update a powder room for guests?
    • How will you tackle your mudroom needs?

Whether you design a full mudroom addition like the one below or simply designate an area adjacent to the back door, you’ll want to consider how the essential functions of capturing coats, keys, shoes and other items will be handled in your master plan.

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This mudroom addition to a Sellwood Victorian includes secret pass through doors to load athletic equipment through and an unusual ceiling assembled from salvage cabinet doors.
Designed by Arciform Principal Designer Anne De Wolf. Photo by Photo Art Portraits.

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This entry area tucks away mudroom storage behind a set of stylish built-ins beneath the stairs. A bench seat offers a handy spot for shedding rain boots and packages on the way in the door.
Designed by Arciform Principal Designer Anne De Wolf. Photo by Patrick Weishampel/BLANKEYE.

Next on the renovation list should be the basement. Whether you are building in an investment opportunity with an ADU or giving the kids room to spread out, the basement should be the last room on your to-do list.

Such a flexible and complicated space is worthy of its own post, so look to Part Three for details on making the most of your basement renovation.

Part Three: The Basement and Beyond

Previous Post: A Solid Foundation

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May 12

Case Study: A Historic Review Kitchen

We often get asked what kind of projects will trigger Portland’s Historic Review process and what can be done to help a project navigate smoothly through that process.

Here is Arciform Junior Designer Jeffrey Kelley’s experience working on a current Arciform project that passed Historic Review with flying colors and is now under construction:

  1. Tell me about your recent historic review project. What historic designations does the client’s home have?

The project was a kitchen renovation done on the Frank C. Stettler house, which was designed by Ellis Lawrence in 1914.  This home is designated as a Historic Landmark on the national registry.

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  1. What were the client’s goals for her renovation project?

She wanted to renovate the kitchen to make it more period appropriate while at the same time gaining space for a powder bath since there wasn’t a first floor bathroom.

Here are some BEFORE pictures of the existing kitchen:
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And here are some perspective renderings of the project design:

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YOO 1These perspective renderings show the concept for the new kitchen. Designed by Kristyn Bester.

  1. What aspect of the project required historic review?

Historic review deals with changes to the exterior of a home.  In this case we were removing an exterior access to the basement as well as reconfiguring some windows.

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  1. What design choices were made or modified with historic review in mind?

We had to make sure that the door and window choices we were making fit the style of the home and reflected the existing architecture.  So things like matching the divided light pattern [on the windows], rail and style dimensions [on the doors], millwork details, hardware, header height, etc.

  1. What kind of questions need to be answered for Historic Review?

Here’s an example:

“Historic changes. Most properties change over time. Those changes that have acquired historic significance will be preserved.

There will be no changes to areas that have acquired historic significance after the original construction of the house. The proposed remodel area, which was previously remodeled, has yet to be documented in the historic description of the house and was constructed sometime within the last twenty years. The materials and finishes in the current kitchen do not reflect the period in which the house was built and will, as much as possible, be replaced with more period appropriate choices.

The exterior basement entry at the side and West facing façade of the house is not mentioned in the National Register description of the house and serves as a secondary and rarely used point of access to the basement. The proposed remodel will replace this entrance and absorb the stairwell in favor of a kitchen and nook layout that will improve functionality, increase usable space and feature architectural details that will better reflect the home’s original intent. For example, new double hung windows will be installed at the West façade to replace the exterior basement door and closely match details of the adjacent double hung windows.   This will provide a more consistent architectural rhythm along this wall. The South façade will feature new French doors with a divided light configuration and sticking profiles to match the original West facing door which leads to the original porte-cochère.”

  1. What kind of documentation of those choices did the city require?

We submitted exterior elevations, window and door specs, floor plans, and a thorough explanation as to how and why we were going to match the existing architecture with materials that mimicked but did not match what was there. Historic review wants there to be designation between what was existing and what is new.

Yoo Review Documentation

  1. What concerns did you have about the review process- were there aspects of the project you were worried would face a review challenge?

Our biggest concern was whether or not the review was going to grant us permission to remove the exterior access to the basement.  Even though there is interior access to the basement this seemed like an area in which they could argue that it was part of the original function of the house.

  1. How long did the review process take?

We submitted the review on March 18th and we got the approval on May 1st pending a 14 day appeal period.

  1. What feedback (if any) did you get from the review team about the process? 

The only feedback we got was a question about the door configuration and why we chose to match the door at the porte cochere.  We explained that the home owner wanted to match the existing details of the original door rather than match the French door on the same façade which had been added much later.

  1. Any advice you would offer for a homeowner in a historic district looking to do a similar renovation?

I would say to do as much research on your home before you start designing as possible.  It is important to know as much about the home’s history as possible before considering how to alter it.  It is also important to understand what triggers a historic review and make sure that if you do trigger it the changes are all critical to the project.  If you can avoid changing the exterior of your home then you avoid the review all together.

  1.  10. Where would you recommend homeowners go to start their research?

There are great resources available through Portland’s Development Services website. I’d start there. Portland Maps can also be a great place to find out basic information about your home’s history and what renovations it has already received in its lifetime.

 

And of course the Arciform Design Team is always happy to help!

We look forward to posting completed images from this project later this summer.

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Apr 25

Client’s Eye View: Laurelhurst Cottage Remodel

We’re just breaking ground on a renovation of a 1928 Tudor cottage in Laurelhurst and delighted to discover that our clients have decided to start a blog to track their renovation experience from start to finish.

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How fun!

Check out their  first post here.  We’ll follow along from our blog as well. Here’s a few favorite tidbits from her first post:

In late October 2013 we purchased & moved into our home in the historic Laurelhurst neighborhood of Portland, OR.  Within the first week of moving in we met and started our journey with the talented peoples at Arciform to transform the outdated and dysfunctional kitchen and master bathroom into something great!

Day 3:
“Blue skies all around me, nothing but blue skies do i see…”  or it could just be a blue tarp covering the kitchen window.
JACKHAMMERING…
(do I need to say any more about that???)
to lay the foundation for the “nook” addition and the new slope of stairs from the main floor to the basement the existing concrete pad for the mud room was removed.

We can’t wait to see how it all comes together. Will you take the journey with us?

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Jan 28

Designer Profile: Meet Kristyn Bester

We’re delighted to announce that Arciform designer Kristyn Bester was recently promoted to Senior Designer.

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Arciform owner Anne De Wolf shares that, “Kristyn is a great match for Arciform because her first focus is to serve the client’s needs well. She is always cool under pressure and well informed about cutting edge design techniques. Her design aesthetic is young and fresh and mixed with a keen eye for practical solutions. She’s a talented designer and we are delighted to promote her to Senior Designer with the company.”

We interviewed Kristyn to gather some insights into her design process and how she helps clients mix form and function to create a cohesive and personal whole.

1.    When did you know you wanted to be an architectural designer? Tell us how you got inspired to do this work.

I spent a semester during college in Florence, studying fine art and graphic design.  I was so frustrated sitting at a desk tweaking images on Photoshop when I knew one of the most glorious cities was sitting just outside.  I may not have received very good grades that semester but it is when I truly discovered my passion for architecture.  I spent hours at a time wandering the city and surrounding areas photographing the magnificent architectural landscapes that surrounded me.  I changed majors the very first day of the next semester and I never looked back.

Kristyn_Florence_picHere’s a look at some of the architecture Kristyn found inspiring in Florence…

2.    Describe one of your favorite design projects. What were the challenges? What were some of the features that made it memorable?

I had the opportunity to design a major kitchen remodel for my parents’ 1925 Cape Code in West Moreland.  The greatest challenge was creating a separation between our working relationship and our day to day relationship so that our conversations would not be overrun by remodel talk for three months.  Our relationship was also the greatest advantage in the project because I was able to infuse details into their kitchen that made it uniquely personal to my parents.  Knowing the ins and outs of how they use their kitchen, as well as the functions that were missing, allowed me to pinpoint the areas in need of the most improvement.  My favorite features were a custom pullout butcher block counter for their simple eat-in dinners together, tripling the window area for a great view into their backyard and maximum light, and a dishwasher fitted with a cabinet panel for my mom who can’t stand fingerprints on stainless steel.  If only we had done the same thing for the fridge!

3.    Tell us what you consider the hallmarks of a well-designed project. How do you know when something is “right?”

I’m a believer in form AND function.  I think the two should exist side by side to create both a beautiful and practical space.  I like to identify problem areas from the beginning to solve the functionality aspect first, then I incorporate the details that make a space feel cohesive with the rest of the home, as well as personal to the homeowner.
When a space is “right” you can FEEL it.  When I walk into my home at the end of every day I have an “ahhhh” feeling because the way that it reflects my life and my family makes me happy.  That’s how I want my clients to feel when they walk into their new spaces.

4.    What’s your working style? How do you like to work with a client?

There are no two clients that are alike.  I think it’s important to be flexible and to listen each person’s learning style and incorporate that into the design experience.  Everything from imagery to convey an idea, having finish samples to touch and feel, and explaining really technical details – these are all aspects of the design process that speak to different clients.
I also like to put myself in my clients’ shoes to try to experience their home from their perspective and identify with their needs.  I may not have three young kids, be aging in place or run a business out of my home – but I am really good at pretending that I do!

5.    What are the top 3 things on your “bucket list?”

1. To be a competitor on Survivor – yes, the TV show.

2. Someday I would like to live in a barn.  I’m not sure when or where, but I would love to rescue one someday.
3. I have always wanted to learn the flying trapeze.

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