Jenny and Asmund both work in the field of architecture and do freelance design work. Their kitchen balances function and form beautifully. It's compact, full of light, and a great example of renovation on a budget, $4,000 to be exact. Join me for a slice of pear galette and a tour of this inspired space and edible garden.
Jenny and Asmund make most of their meals from scratch, using much of the produce from their lovely backyard garden. They appreciate the moderate climate of the Pacific Northwest and grow edibles such as lettuce, turnips, carrots, leeks, beans as well as many other delicious crops to use in everyday cooking. Their garden is just as cared for and purposefully designed as their kitchen.
After purchasing their home in NE Portland after seeing an ad on Craigslist (hello ultimate Craigslist score, a house!), they quickly began the renovation of the kitchen and breakfast nook. They tore down track windows and installed a vertical window above the sink, allowing for more light and a view of the neighboring cherry tree. They used butcher block from Ikea to create more counter space, built open shelves to display their curated cookbook collection and ceramics, and most importantly, made room for a European–style fridge by ditching the dishwasher, opening up the light–drenched nook for eating. The previous owners had a large fridge occupying much of this desirable space.
This kitchen represents a lot of great ideas for those of us with small kitchens that get a lot of use — Great flow and extreme editing are the big issues here as well as working with what you've got (they just repainted existing cabinets with fantastic results) and removing clunky appliances to let the light in.
10 Questions for Jenny and Asmund (and their Kitchen)
1. What inspires your kitchen and your cooking?
The single greatest inspiration is our vegetable garden; choosing or creating a recipe around what is available, and often fleeting.
2. What is your favorite kitchen tool or element?
Good knives, a close second are good pots/pans.
3. What's the most memorable meal you've ever cooked in this kitchen?
Our kitchen renovation was completed in two phases, the first was focused on getting kitchen operational again, after a month of eating every meal out. The first meal we prepared after this milestone is the most memorable. We put together a special dinner for visiting family members. We made grilled pork chops, and from the garden: braised turnips greens and salad. Everything turned out delicious, and it was great to try out the semi-complete new kitchen.
4. The biggest challenge in your kitchen:
Layout was a challenge; our house was built in 1903, so not in anticipation of a kitchen as we would recognize. There was not an obvious location for the fridge, and including enough counter top space was definitely a challenge. The kitchen island work surface has been wonderful.
5. Is there anything you wish you had done differently? [if renovated]
For the most part it turned out just as we had hoped; we do wish we had spent a little more on a nicer 24-inch wide refrigerator.
6. Biggest indulgence or splurge in the kitchen:
Our biggest splurge would have been the sink. We made a choice to keep the kitchen as simple as possible, including omission of a dishwasher (we have had one for years and barely used it). The sink gets a lot of use, and with wood counters we felt we needed a sink with a drainboard. Good quality double sinks with drainboards are not cheap, and we were prepared to spend the money. Fortunately, Jenny found one on Craigslist for a steal, so it turned out not to be a splurge.
7. Is there anything you hope to add or improve in your kitchen?
Our original design included a row of hopper cabinets above the shelves for storage of less frequently used items. So far we haven't found a need for the extra storage. At some point we may find we need the cabinets and add them in. The other fantasy would be to upgrade stove to an AGA or WOLF range, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.
8. How would you describe your cooking style?
I've seen the expression peasant style cooking; I would say that fits our cooking style. We try to make everything from scratch, using the simplest methods and ingredients, with focus on proper but not fussy techniques.
9. Best cooking advice or tip you ever received:
Grow some of your own food — I am not sure was ever formal advice or a tip, but I would say it is the most important piece of my progression.
10. What are you cooking this week?
We are traveling for two months at the end of this week, so the focus is to use everything we have that won't keep, including vegetables from the garden. This week we made a delicata squash risotto, a vegetable hash, a minestrone soup, a stir fry, also planning to make a vegetable/potato frittata tonight.
Resources
• Stove: Whirpool (found on Craigslist)
• Refrigerator: LG
• Sink: Elkay (found on Craigslist)
• Faucet: Grochet
• Hood: Braun
• See Jenny's Etsy Shop: Leigh Made
We're always looking for real kitchens from real cooks.
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I love it! You must have had good cabinets to begin with and you're so lucky that only painting them did the trick ;)
I love the white tiles and wood countertop and moving that enormous fridge was key! OMG I can't believe it was previously between these beautiful windows - yuck! That is another beautiful feature - your windows and french doors ~ love 'em ;)
(we are currently going with phase two in our kitchen ~ it's functional after a reno but shelving and drawer pulls need to go up) - it is a lot of work - so a big Congrats!
Why does someone always feel the need to be negative?!
A kitchen remodel is a daunting and expensive task... we couldn't tackle ours until we had lived in our home for 8 years. I think they have done a wonderful job of making this kitchen their own while adhering to a limited budget. Kudos! And the garden... inspirational!
Agreed. Really, some people are so negative! It's cute. I
Kitchen looks great -- congratulations on having a great new space to work. What is the white/grey color you used for the walls in the kitchen? Did you find a good source for the white subway tiles for the backsplash? I'm planning a light renovation of our odd little kitchen and gathering tips from others' successes. Thank you!
No doubt the finished project looks nice, but aside from closing up 2/3rds of the window (really??), new stove and counters, this is not a mind-blowing change.
Not that it is "bad", I like it, but not the way I personally would have spent $4k
I like the color of the cabinets, how bright the kitchen looks and moving the fridge was a great idea. The only thing that made my twitch kick in was the photo of the drawer with all the loose tupperware lids. I am not looking for House Beautiful, but when you go out of your way to renovate & organize...ahh hell, I will need to embrace wabi sabi better.
I love the color combination-on the cabinets of light and dark grey cabinetwork base but what color is on the walls?
So very nice! They took good bones and enhanced them with classic design and color decisions.
My only quibble is their choice of a such a small replacement window over the sink. Granted, the old window was inappropriate and the new one is lovely and allows more shelves, but the homeowners lost a lot of light in a functional area of the kitchen by using such a small window; that's a decision they may regret on those dark Portland winter days (like today!)
Hello! This is a gorgeous kitchen! Wow! Can you tell me where the butcher block table came from? I've got serious space issues and this would be perfect for my tiny kitchen. Thanks!
$4000? for this? and they're architects? what a laugh. i guess they paid themselves! the only real problem they had to solve was the fridge. the rest is redecoration. And in what sparsely populated state is this a "small kitchen"?
It looks very nice in the after photos but really not that different.
Staceyann Dolenti
The new butcher block looks good and I like the cabinet paint color. I always find double hung windows over sinks to be really problematic, I can't ever seem to get the open without climbing up into the sink!
I probably would have saved a bit of the budget to fix the missing crown in the 'dining' area.
I really don't understand the negativity, I think the reno is lovely!
@Salt Water - did you ever think that maybe not all women want to "pop out" a kid or two? A how is that any of your business? What a bizarre and inappropriate thing to say.
i think this kitchen is bright and open and i like it!! :) my only qualm is removing the dishwasher. i think its a nice thing to have, even if not used on a regular basis. plus, its good for resale ;)
I wish my kitchen was as nice as the before OR the after!
I love that you got rid of the dishwasher! We have looked at homes that don't have room for an oven, dishwasher and fridge! I would rather have the open space!
I love the kitchen and windows/door/nook separately, but the difference in wood finishes makes them look like they don't belong together. Like if maybe the island and/or window above the sink were dark it would tie the two spaces together better. Either way, love the windows/door area and that floor.
LOVE it! love the open shelving (gorgeous health cups and plates, and simple glasses, etc), love the new eat-in area, love that you made do with less (smaller-fridge, no dishwasher) yet made it feel like so much more. your garden is heavenly and cooking in that kitchen must be a daily joy! the only thing I don't like are the spices above the cabinets. heat and light are not friends to spices-- but hey-- maybe you use them up fast? kudos for an amazing job done on a shoe-string budget!
Dollar wise rehab for a kitchen.Very useful and realistic post for this day and age.Most people would do well to pay attention to this post because the 'big time' kitchen reno,when your carrying a mortgage, is ridiculous.Frivolous spending for no rhyme or reason.AT has has some excellent kitchens posted lately and all have been wise spending inspired.Keep it up AT!
Love the grey, love the tiles. Cozy, warm and bright all at the same time. For the record, we have white cupboards, no dishwasher, and a toddler. Somehow we manage... As did our parents. :)
I wish I could see that crown molding up close! I love all the warm woods in the kitchen.
Your kitchen turned out beautifully. I love your island where did you find it?
Thanks for the comments.
The wall paint color is Benjamin Moore Pale Oak.
The cabinet color is Benjamin Moore Galveston Gray.
We made the butcher block table in the nook from leftover countertop - purchased from IKEA.
The island is IKEA as well.
The ceiling in the nook is our next project for 2012 as well as painting the brown wainscot and trim to be white.
We understood that a dishwasher might be desired for the next owner, so the cabinet next to the sink can be replaced with a dishwasher. (there is power behind).
Admire your sense of style, taste, skills. (full disclosure: been there before & after). Others do, too. You created a comfortable, functional, useable space on a budget. Created it in an historic house, older than your parents. On a budget, in a summer in Portland.
Thought the "negative" comments were pretty dumb. If the complainers visited the blog, they would see things like older "add on" windows with no headers that needed replacement to meet code & historic style. Fixing a good, old house with an eye to now and then... Wow!
This kitchen looks like a place to get away and enjoy simple pleasures - breakfasts & dinners
I love a personalized, fresh-looking space as much as anyone else. But sometimes, as in this case, I look at the 'before' photo and think, it's really perfectly fine and the changes are primarily aesthetic. I'd take a mismatched window that let in a lot of light over a new smaller one anyday, whether or not it was historically correct. I don't mean to be negative, but sometimes there seems to be a shared 'minimalist' aesthetic in some of these features, as if that is an improvement over a space that's filled with things people like that aren't as photogenic. Moving the fridge was a no brainer, but you know, with the older dogs I have, I had to configure my kitchen a little awkwardly to give them a place to eat from a raised surface comfortably. My kitchen would 'flow' better if I didn't have to do this, but it's ok. I'll take the awkwardly configured before space while they're still alive over the consequent better-looking space after they're gone any day. I guess I find some before and after features a bit self-congratulatory with no respect for the financial or life obligations and limitations and personal preferences the 'before' photos may have created. I love seeing inside homes, and this is a lovely space. I could just do without the implied criticism toward what was there before ("the previous owners had a large fridge occupying...this desirable space"...."clunky appliances"). And what the heck is a 'curated cookbook collection'? Better than non-photogenic heavily used books acquired at random which are falling apart, taped and rubber-banded?
Wow. Having just finished a kitchen project myself, I am really impressed. I love the color you chose for the cabinets - all in all really lovely. I don't understand the negative comments (some posts just seem to attract cranky people, with no obvious rhyme or reason) as this is a nice project for a reasonable amount of money. I look forward to seeing what you guys do with the house in the future. Enjoy your 2 months of travel. Thanks for sharing!
Hmm... IKEA countertops...they are beautiful. I can budget IKEA :-)
And I agree with so many others- the garden is inspirational! And I LOVE the creativity of the exhaust pipe running along the wall!
Also love the color of the walls. But I'm *sure* I could do better, be better and actually my house would pay me to reno it. (lol, jk, some of the bizarre criticism cracks me up! Filter your thoughts, people, FILTER). My Dad always used to say if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. Wise words.
I love the painted cabinets. I painted mine years ago and was surprised how long the paint held up. I used to have open shelving, but that only works if you can keep things neat. Great idea moving the frig. It was awful taking up that beautiful space with the pretty windows. Speaking of windows, what happened to the big long window over the sink? Unless the view was bad, I would never want to give up prescious sunlight. Like the island.
I think you did well on your kitchen remodel. I have priced cabinet refinishing....if you have a pro come in, sand down your cabinets, paint them, and replace the hardware, that in itself can cost from 3 to 5 thousand, depending on the size of the kitchen...plus a counter top and a new window, and a new sink! and fridge? you did very well. I like your small island too....well done.
Love it! Simple changes with big impact, that fridge NEEDED to be moved! I also like that they had no qualms about losing the dishwasher, I always handwash dishes and use mine for a drying rack:( It would be so much better to free that space up for something more useful. The garden is lovely and very inspiring!
I think it's a lovely kitchen. I would have kept those huge windows but other than that I love it all.
Beautiful kitchen!!
So 'after the fact' but I’m compelled to comment.
The ‘before’ is not so bad, but the renovated version is fantastic. And I’m impressed that you did this on $4K (even if you are architects). This kitchen really underscores the value of dollarwise design -- knowing where to put your efforts for the biggest payback.
I’m stunned by the comments suggesting it doesn’t look very different, or those expressing disbelief that such a “huge” expenditure had such little payoff. Chalk it up to ignorance.