A Historic 1921 Kitchen Remodel in Portland's Parkrose Neighborhood 

When this Portland family reached out to remodel their kitchen, our team at Lamont Bros. Design & Construction had no idea what stories were waiting behind the walls. What started as a plan to open up a cramped, dated kitchen turned into a small excavation of the home's past, complete with a hidden chimney, a load-bearing surprise, and a few artifacts left behind by the people who lived here nearly a century ago. It became one of those projects that reminds us why we love working on older homes in Portland: every wall has a history, and you never quite know what you will find until you start opening things up.

 

This Parkrose Neighborhood Home

Portland, OR

Neighborhood Parkrose
Square Footage 1822 sqft
Year Built 1921
Estimated Home Value $440,900
Bedrooms 3 bd
Baths 2 ba
Lot Size .3 Acres
Architectural Style Craftsman Bungalow
Stories 2
Garage None
Estimated Home Value After Remodel $615,900

 

Kitchen island
Dining Room
kitchen sink
Outlet
Floor detail

Project Goals

Built in 1921, this Craftsman bungalow in Portland's Parkrose neighborhood had been remodeled several times over the previous hundred years. Even so, the kitchen still felt small and cramped, with a closed-off layout and very little natural light, and it was clearly overdue for a real renovation. The homeowners wanted a more open floor plan, better daylight, and a kitchen that worked for the way they actually live.

They had originally hired a general contractor chosen on the strength of a low initial bid. As the project went on, the cost kept climbing, and the homeowners decided to bring in Lamont Bros. Design & Construction to finish the work instead. Our plan for this Portland kitchen remodel called for removing two dividing walls to open the floor plan and connect the kitchen to the surrounding rooms.

Construction turned up a surprise. The wall between the kitchen and dining room was not only load-bearing, it also concealed an original brick chimney. With some last-minute structural engineering and the extra work of demolishing the chimney, we were able to hold to the original design and open the kitchen into the dining room as planned. The project also added a dedicated mudroom, giving the family a hardworking entry space with its own cabinetry, a tiled floor, and a new exterior door.

 

Kitchen and pantry

Unique Features

  • White Fabuwood Allure cabinets in a Frost finish set a bright, clean base throughout the kitchen, mudroom, and landing.

  • A new kitchen island in Galaxy Indigo adds a deep blue focal point and extra prep and gathering space at the center of the room.
  • PentalQuartz countertops in the Misterio color bring a durable, low-maintenance work surface with a soft, natural pattern.
  • Red oak hardwood flooring, laced into the home's existing floors and refinished, keeps the new kitchen continuous with the rest of the historic house.
  • White oak floating shelves stained to match the floor, paired with antique brass brackets, add open storage and warmth against the white cabinetry.
  • A herringbone slate tile floor in the mudroom and brass Rejuvenation lighting tie the new spaces back to the home's early-century character.
Lee After Web-25-1

A Piece of History Behind the Walls

While removing the wall, our crew uncovered a newspaper dated 1921, the year the home was built, along with a ticket to the Roseway Theater from 1932. We framed the find so the homeowners could keep a small piece of their home's history on display. The finished remodel brings a century-old kitchen firmly into the present, with white shaker cabinetry, the indigo island, stainless steel appliances, refinished hardwood floors, and a central vent hood, while still honoring the character of the original home.

 

 

Virtual Walkthrough