Better Homes & Gardens

Better Homes & Gardens
November 2007
Real-Life Rescue Indoor

Marian Berger sits at the table in her Portland, Oregon, kitchen grading papers from her ninth graders, with baby Grant by her side. Her husband, Rob Morrison, is at the stove preparing dinner, dog Lola has claimed her usual sunny spot in the center of the room, and all seems right with the world. “Our kitchen is like a family room,” Rob says. And, Marian adds, it seems twice as large as the old kitchen even though the couple didn’t add on. “We just needed to maximize the potential,” she says.

The Challenge The couple’s vision for their kitchen seemed full of contradictions. They wanted better flow, more storage, and a larger-feeling space while keeping the same 230 feet. They were prepared to splurge in places, but they planned to salvage as much as possible. “More than anything, we wanted the kitchen to look like it belonged in the 1922 house,” Marian says.

The Solution Two interior demolition projects – moving a door and removing the breakfast nook wall – improved the flow and opened the kitchen. Appliances are now efficiently grouped on one side of the room. A mix of vintage and reproduction touches make the new kitchen seem authentic. “It’s a much better fit with the old house than the old kitchen, which probably had been remodeled in the 1940s,” says Rob. “The house feels like a complete package now.”