Kitchen Command Center - Design Bureau

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The kitchen, previously located in a dark corner in the back of the house, was moved to the middle of the floor plan and given a large central island with ample seating and a view of the yard. “It now functions as the command center for the entire house,” Leckie says.

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“The modern aesthetic of the kitchen millwork contrasts against the traditional built-in window bench and storage unit that sits opposite the island,” he says. A chalkboard wall and Woods Contemporary II wallpaper by Cole & Son add some fun and a regional touch. The larger appliances, including the refrigerator, washer, and dryer, are hidden within the large bank of cabinets. The smaller appliances are concealed in the kitchen island, where they are still easily accessible for daily use.

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IKEA Meets Kokeena 
To create a custom-looking kitchen without a big budget, Campos Leckie Studio turned to Kokeena, which sells doors made for IKEA’s Akurum modular kitchen system. “We’re big fans of the robustness and flexibility the IKEA system provides,” says founder/CEO Aaron Gray, “but we felt that the door options from IKEA are limiting for people who care deeply about style, fit, and finish. We offer a broader range of styles. Besides ultra-modern, we also provide great options for people doing more traditional kitchens.”

 

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Kitchen Command Center

Thursday, August 8th, 2013

By Margot Brody
Photos by Shawn Records

One of the oldest neighborhoods in Portland, the culturally rich Alberta Arts District, has witnessed a period of revitalization over the past two decades, making it a residential destination for both artist-types and young families. Inspired by the neighborhood’s eclectic mixture of old and new, Michael Leckie of Vancouver-based design firm Campos Leckie Studio converted space inside a traditional 1909 Portland cottage into an open-plan living area tailored to modern family life for his clients.

“We removed the partition walls and archways that had divided the main floor into several small rooms,” Leckie says. “The result is a long great room that opens the house up and allows light in on three sides.” Though the designer used a clean modernist aesthetic for the interior additions, Leckie deliberately retained the original detailing, such as window casings, baseboards, and crown moldings, to acknowledge the existing character of the house. And the finished product only looks like a million bucks. The project had to fit a very tight budget, so Leckie used an IKEA kitchen system for the cabinets and inserts. The visible door and drawer covers were custom-designed in collaboration with Kokeena, a Portland startup that specializes in custom-made panels for IKEA units.

“Ultimately,” says Leckie, “this project demonstrates the potential for ‘everyday’ modern family living within the older housing stock of the Pacific Northwest.”

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