What happens when you ask the whole team at Craftsman Design and Renovation to design a kitchen together?
This fall, we decided to find out by tapping into the CDR brain trust. Each team member was assigned a kitchen design element and asked to choose their favorite material or product for that category. Here’s what everyone selected and why. At the end, we’ll bring it all together to see how the final kitchen looks!
Cabinet Wood Species
By: Steph Capretto, Lead Designer
Selection: Cherry!
Why? “I love warm wood. It blends well with my favorite colors: green and red-orange.”
More about cherry for cabinets:
Cherry has long been prized for its workability and rich tone. Its pinkish hue, soft grain, and contrasting heartwood (darker) and sapwood (lighter) create a unique dual-tone effect. Over time, cherry darkens with UV exposure—a natural “tanning” process that adds character.
Tip: To see cherry’s transformation, expose a fresh cut to sunlight for a few weeks and compare the covered and exposed sections!
Source: www.wood-database.com
Here’s our 1916 Arts & Crafts Bungalow project with beautiful cherry cabinets:
Countertop
By: Suzanne Cathey, Production Manager
Selection: PaperStone, in a brown hue
Why? “It’s warm to the touch and easy to install – we can fabricate and install a countertop in-house with our carpentry tools.”
More about PaperStone for countertops: PaperStone is a durable, sustainable alternative to stone countertops. Made from recycled paper and resin, it’s food-safe, highly workable, and manufactured in Washington State. It comes in a variety of natural-looking colors, and can contribute to LEED certification.
From Paperstone’s website: “All of the paper used in our products is post-consumer recycled paper and old cardboard container paper. Layers of this paper are pressed into “stone” using resin made from industrial by-products that would otherwise go into the waste stream and have been specially designed to produce a hardwood-like, highly workable, non-brittle composite panel.”
Source: https://paperstoneproducts.com/
Here’s our office kitchen featuring paperstone. We’ve enjoyed it for its durability and ease of maintenance for years:
Backsplash
By: Kevin Bargay, Lead Carpenter
Selection: Tile, specifically in a color that contrasts with the countertop
Why? “Its versatility in installation makes it easy to plan into any kitchen.”
More about tile for backsplashes: Decorative tile has been a building block for the human environment for thousands of years. Glazed ceramic or porcelain tiles are practical, easy to clean, and adaptable to any design vision—from classic white subway tiles to hand-painted patterns.
Kevin’s right, their modular shape makes them an easy and practical choice for a backsplash, since they can be cut around outlets, shelves, window sills, and cabinets.
Our 1986 Lake Oswego New Traditional project has beautiful handmade tile installed over the range:
Wall Paint Color
By: Bill Myles, Owner
Selection: Light Green
Why? “Because I’m Irish!”
More about green for kitchen walls: Green’s calming, natural qualities make it a popular choice for kitchens. Its timeless versatility spans multiple design eras:
- Arts and Crafts: Sage and olive greens
- 20s & 30s: Spring greens
- Post-War: Mint greens
- Modernism: Lime greens
- 70s Retro: Avocado greens
- 90s Contemporary: Forest greens
For our clients, green is often the first choice for adding color while staying relatively neutral.
Our 1933 Hosford-Abernethy Kitchen has a nice calming green color:
Kitchen Sink
By: Ryan Murphy, Project Manager
Selection: Single bowl stainless steel undermount sink
Why? “Stainless is easy to clean and the single bowl provides lots of room for washing dishes.”
More about stainless for sinks: While metal is not a new material for kitchen sinks, stainless steel became popular in the 40s and 50s. Stainless steel combines the sanitary food safety of enameled cast iron with the practical durability of 19th century copper sinks (which were more forgiving on dishes than cast iron or stone alternatives).
The emergence of automatic dishwashers has reduced hand-washing significantly. Although divided sinks are still an option, many of our clients are opting for a single bowl for more room to spread out.
Source: https://restoringhistory.com/american-kitchen-sinks-a-snapshot-of-history/
Here’s our 1916 Richmond Craftsman kitchen with a beautiful and easy to clean stainless sink:
Decorative Light Fixture
Who: Nathan Maszy, Lead Carpenter
Selection: Single overhead light, no cans!
Why? “Traditional craftsman overhead lights have shades that are cool and ornate”
More about lighting in kitchens: Recessed cans weren’t ubiquitous in residential construction until the late 20th century. As a modern, practical, and streamlined lightsource, they’re not uncommon in our clients’ updated kitchens. With white lenses and trims, current recessed LED options don’t stand out in a ceiling as much as their incandescent predecessors.
However, Nate could do without them! Traditional light fixtures with ornate shades instantly add historic character. While recessed lighting is practical, combining it with decorative fixtures and under-cabinet LEDs strikes a balance between function and style.
Source: https://www.rejuvenation.com/products/rose-city-3-1-4-fitter-semi-flush-fixture/?position=1
Our 1912 Sellwood Kitchen is a great example of traditional overhead lighting:
Flooring
By: Pete Kelly, Lead Carpenter
Selection: Marmoleum
Why? “There are so many great color options, it’s easy to clean, and it’s soft.”
More about Marmoleum: A brand name of linoleum-like flooring, Marmoleum is composed of flax seed oil, wood flour, and pine resins, limestone, and pigments with a natural jute backing. Marmoleum, a natural linoleum, is durable, antimicrobial, and comfortable underfoot. Its variety of colors and patterns make it an excellent choice for creative designs.
Lineolum flooring was invented in the late 19th century and became common in home construction and furnishing not long after. That means Marmoleum’s modern products are right at home in many of our clients’ remodeled kitchens! The variety of colors, and the ability to create borders, checkerboard patterns, and beyond, allow for a creative approach to floorcovering!
Source: https://www.forbo.com/flooring/en-us/marmoleum/raw-materials/p3c9d1
Our 1928 Ladd’s Addition kitchen with two-toned marmoleum flooring:
Cabinet Hardware
Who: Erika Rice, Design Manager
Selection: Mission style pulls, like Rejuvenation’s Mission Drawer Pull in Burnished Antique finish
Why? “This is just my favorite finish and style combo! Classic, practical, and warm.”
More about Mission hardware: “Mission Style” is a term referring to the architecture of Spanish missions of the early American Southwest. The Craftsman style took inspiration partially from Mission style woodwork and hardware as a reaction to Victorian opulence. Mission-style hardware epitomizes Craftsman simplicity with its clean lines, natural materials, and subtle flair.
Sources: https://www.rejuvenation.com/products/mission-drawer-pull/?position=0,
https://dahp.wa.gov/historic-preservation/historic-buildings/architectural-style-guide/mission-revival
Here’s our 1933 Hosford-Abernethy bath with the Mission drawer pull (different finish):
So, how did our kitchen collaboration turn out?
Check out this material board we put together with our team’s input as our guide!
And finally, here’s how it all came together in an actual kitchen rendering!
Thanks for following along our project! It was a fun challenge for the whole CDR team.