In this project, Portland, Ore.-based Studio Garrison worked to preserve the character of this 1930s classic home and the care invested by previous owners while resolving the circulation problems that had built up over decades of remodels.
While the architectural essence of the building was intact and worth honoring, the layout and finishes were dated and out of step with how the current occupants live. Successive renovations had eroded the original floor plan: the original formal dining room had been demoted to a TV room, leaving nowhere proper to gather, and the kitchen and adjoining mudroom no longer supported the daily flow of a young family.
By weighing the significance of each original element, the design team blended old and new in ways that help the home serve the family’s current requirements and their evolving needs for generations to come.
Kitchen Improvements
For this space, Studio Garrison leaned into reuse, retaining the kitchen’s existing high-end appliance package and perimeter cabinets rather than re-sourcing these items during a constrained supply period.
The original island read as a barrier, as it was physically too tall for the family to gather around with their young kids. The island was reimagined as the social heart of the kitchen: now, a L-shape banquette carved from a cramped corner and fitted with integrated electrical outlets and USB ports, it supports homework, prep and gathering and immediately became the family’s favorite spot in the home. Keeping the perimeter cabinetry intact let the design energy go straight into the social core of the room, proof that smart planning multiplies usable, gather-first space without moving a single wall.
Of the new island/banquette, firm principal Garrison Hullinger said, “It’s the clearest expression of the whole project: honor the vintage bones, solve for how the family really lives.”
Bathroom Refinements
In the primary bath, the goal was to strike a harmonious blend of old and new that lifted function without discarding what already worked.
The designers deliberately kept the existing shower, retaining its partial-height side walls, and reworked the room around it, adding new vanity cabinetry and counters, honed Carrara marble floors and walls, a Riobel shower system with a ceiling-mounted rain head and a layered lighting scheme. The adjacent closet was reconfigured into a his-and-hers layout with additional drawers that nearly double its storage capacity. A new dedicated makeup vanity with easy-clean cosmetic inserts and a hair dryer docking drawer stretches the utility of the space even further.
The upshot? A calming bath that feels fresh and deeply personal, and is aesthetically compatible with the overall design of the classic home.
Sources for Updating a Classic Home for Family Living
Design: Garrison Hullinger (principal), Lindsey Griffin, (lead interior designer), Studio Garrison (Garrison Hullinger Interior Design) FF&E: Kalie Austin, (sr. interior designer) General Contractor: Patrick Richardson, Murrayhill Remodeling Consultants: Vieng Oudom (wine cellar storage) Photography: Venjhamin Reyes KITCHEN Cabinets: Paint-grade, built by GC to match existing perimeter Northwood Cabinets Cabinet Hardware: Emtek Countertops: Caesarstone Faucets: California Faucets Lighting: Hudson Valley, Visual Comfort Paint: Sherwin-Williams Sinks: Kohler Warming Drawer: Thermador PRIMARY BATHROOM Cabinets: Custom Cabinet Hardware: Jeffrey Alexander Countertops: Wilsonart Faucets, Shower Fittings: Riobel Lighting: Circa, Visual Comfort, Hudson Valley Sinks: Kohler Tile: United Tile MUDROOM Cabinet Hardware: Top Knobs Cabinet Insert: Docking Drawer Flooring: Thompson Tile & Stone Refrigerator: Fisher & Paykel
