West Hills Modern Kitchen Remodel

Bend, Oregon.

The West Hills Kitchen Remodel stands out as one of our most rewarding and comprehensive kitchen remodel projects to date. The homeowner — a passionate cook and host — had long dreamed of a kitchen that would serve as the true heart of her home, a place where family and friends could gather, and amazing food could be served and enjoyed. When the time finally came to make that dream a reality, she turned to Life Design Build to transform her vision into a space that was both functional and beautiful.

Taking on the task, a few key objectives guided the design:

Provide significantly more counter space and storage (most specifically for pantry and misc. appliances).
Provide dedicated coffee and drink/cocktail station with additional wine storage.
Bring abundant natural daylight into the space.
Create better visual connection to the backyard/deck.
Switch to all electric appliances.
Incorporate and embrace fun and playful colors while simplifying the material palette in the house.

Ultimately, the Life Design Build design team was able to create 43% more counter space (84 sf total vs. 58 sf originally), and 113% more storage volume (502 cu. ft. total vs. 235 originally). Three 2'×6' skylights, three full-height windows spanning counter to ceiling, and a new full-lite door flood the space with natural daylight. Combined with clear-coat refinished broad-plank salvaged ponderosa pine floors, the entire great room feels noticeably lighter and brighter. The custom hanging shelves provide storage/display space, while still allowing daylight and views to pass through them.

The owner's selection of playful aquamarine tile for the accent and recessed spaces set the tone for the overall color scheme. The great room's existing maple built-in media console inspired the newly introduced wood elements, while the owner's walnut furniture provided a warm, contrasting tone carried through in additional furniture and accents — including the light pendants, which feature stone reminiscent of local lava rock.