A Portland Suburb Budget Rental Renovation

This renovation is near and dear to my heart. I was asked to assist with the remodel of the ADU on my dad’s property. My sister Lara, her husband Nick and puppy Lucy moved into it to rent from him when they moved back to Oregon from Nevada in 2022. My dad was looking to give it a refresh and bring it up to modern standards and provide them with a home they could be comfortable in for a while. While I love working on large scale new construction and remodel projects with expansive budgets, I enjoy the challenge of redesigning a small space with a tight budget when the opportunity to improve functionality is so dramatic.

THE HISTORY

The property has been in my family for nearly 75 years. Built in the 1930s, my grandparents purchased the property in the 1950s when my dad was very young. The ADU was originally a garage that my dad converted to a living space in the early 1970s before he moved to Alaska to start a family. The ADU had been a guest house then rental property off and on since the 1980s. My grandmother lived in the main house until her death in 2007. I lived in the main house while attending college from 2005 to 2010. I have fond memories of my friends from Alaska renting the guest house for a year in 2008. My parents moved back to Gresham and into the main house in 2009 after my dad retired from his job in Alaska. Over the course of the last 50 years, only minor cosmetic updates have been completed on the guest house. Around 2009, the last long-term tenant moved in. She lived there for 12 years and kept it up as best as she could before my sister moved in 2022.

An aerial photo of the house back in 1957 is shown below. Back in those days, the home was surrounded by farmland. If you visit the area today, it’s completely built up around it and developers are just waiting to snatch up this property and turn it into apartments or townhouses. We wanted to update the rental to make it functional and beautiful, but not over-invest due to not knowing how long my parents will stay in the area and knowing it will probably be torn down eventually by developers if they sell.

Once we got into the space and began to assess the actual storage and functionality, we realized there was a lot that could be done. The existing space was not conducive to cooking with little prep space, limited storage and outdated appliances. We wanted to upgrade the appliances, so upgrading the electrical panel to support the updated kitchen was a must. The bathroom also needed updating to add more storage for better functionality.

Before I came in to help, my dad had already stripped and re-finished the hardwood floors in the main living space upstairs and given the whole place a fresh coat of paint. He had done general repairs and cosmetic updates that were needed throughout after having a 12-year renter. Due to the location and being a rental, we designed everything in the kitchen as budget-friendly as possible. We didn’t want to make any changes to the structure or eliminate any views or daylight, so we had three windows to work around.

The electrical panel upgrade and kitchen rewiring was hired out to the professionals and the new kitchen is completely up to code and can support the load of the new appliances. Due to our install team being unable to make the trip to Oregon, I managed the cabinet and countertop install myself and made the three-hour drive to Gresham from Kirkland every weekend for a month. We intentionally chose materials that would be relatively easy for my dad and brothers to install on their own with my guidance. Tools were generously lent to the project by Ashis Bhakta of Elite Construction Contractors LLC and the bathroom quartz countertop and sink was generously donated by Elite Construction Contractors LLC and fabricator Executive Interiors LLC.

BEFORE + AFTER COMPARISON

Moving the refrigerator allowed us to incorporate more cabinetry, including adding a large pantry to the back corner. This allowed us to create more work zones with additional countertop prep space.

BEFORE PHOTOS

THE HOUSE TODAY

THE DESIGN

We relocated a new counter-depth refrigerator between the windows and filled in additional cabinets and counter space. We utilized open shelves to add upper storage so that the space didn’t feel too closed off with upper cabinetry. Creating a U-shape galley kitchen effectively doubled the amount of storage and countertop space. Building the cabinetry around the fridge with full height panels makes it feel more finished.

THE APPLIANCES

The new design incorporated a dishwasher, which the kitchen previously did not have and is a complete game changer when you’ve lived without. A new slide-in range makes the space feel more open with its’ backless design. The over the range microwave/hood really updated the look and functionality by getting the microwave up and out of the way. The new range has Wi-Fi capability, so the oven can be turned on remotely from your phone via an app if you need to pre-heat your pizza on the way home. This was a splurge item that I gifted to the project since my sister is living there and I knew we would be using her kitchen a lot during the holidays when the whole family is in town. I used one of my favorite small kitchen refrigerators, a 33″ Haier counter-depth model that doesn’t take up too much space in the walkway with its shallow depth and handleless design.

THE CABINETRY

We utilized the Bellmont 1300 series for its’ quick turn around and entry-level price point. We chose the white shaker door style so that the kitchen doesn’t feel out of place in a nearly 100-year-old home. The new cabinetry features a lazy susan organizer as well as a trash and recycle pull out next to the refrigerator. The large pantry tucked in the corner allows for tons of storage.

THE COUNTERTOP

We used butcher block countertops with a chevron pattern from Home Depot. A track saw allowed us to cut the top to size, create a miter for the corner and cut all the shelves. A router allowed us to round all the exposed edges for a nice clean finish, including the cutout for the undermount sink. My brother-in-law Nick really took the time to figure out the tools and cut each piece really nicely. The sink we purchased is a dual mount style so it can be dropped in or undermounted; we knew that if we royally screwed up the cut out, we could default to drop in. Thankfully, we were able to get a clean cutout with some extra attention to detail and it turned out beautiful. We got a beautiful matte sealer for the countertop that keeps the raw look we liked while protecting the wood. A lot of people are turned off by butcher block countertops due to their maintenance, but a good sealer and daily upkeep will keep it looking its best. We used a white stain first so that the color wouldn’t darken when the sealer was applied. We used three coats of Waterlox matte sealer. Once cured, the wood top is completely food safe and water resistant.

THE OPEN SHELVES + BACKSPLASH

We used the leftover cut pieces from the countertops to create custom shelves with iron brackets. These shelves are perfect for plants, everyday pantry staples, cookbooks and decor. The backsplash on the sink side is sheet laminate with a marble-look. It gives an easy-to-clean surface while giving it an elevated look.

CREATING CONTINUITY

We blended the existing laminate floor color into the design by choosing a butcher block countertop that coordinates with it. Carrying that wood into the floating shelves also tied in the wood panel accent wall and makes everything feel cohesive for a rustic-modern cottage feel.

LIGHTING

Lighting can completely make or break a space. We updated the look with a flush-mount LED surface light and an ultra-thin recessed can light that we incorporated into the cabinetry above the sink. Due to budget, rewiring to add new sconce lights was not in the budget, so we added some plug-in sconces above the windows that are operated by Alexa with smart home plugs. Now the space feels warm and inviting and each zone is adequately lit with warm white 3000k LED lights.

THE BATHROOM

The bathroom floor had already been replaced with a vinyl plank floor recently, so we focused on the vanity area only. We extended the new cabinetry to the wall and integrated more drawers into the configuration. The quartz top also now extends to the wall, which gives additional counter space. We replaced the floating shelves with some modern glass shelves, integrating the towel bar to free up additional counter space. Since the light and sink are off-center, we centered a new pill shaped black mirror between the faucet and light and added a second mirror to balance it. The new light is black and satin nickel, so it ties in the existing nickel fixtures with the new black fixtures.

The vanity feels very clean and contemporary now.

Overall, this was a somewhat challenging project as it was semi-DIY. The butcher block countertop in the kitchen was an especially challenging but rewarding aspect of the project. I’ll do a future post on installing the countertop since we learned a lot we could share.

Here are some of the process photos from the installation:

Photos by Olivia Horine Design and Lara Rumley.

If you are located in the Bellevue, Kirkland or surrounding areas and interested in remodeling your kitchen or bathroom with us, please feel free to contact us below.

SHOP THE LOOK

Decorative Lights:

1. Plug In Wall Sconces
2. Ultra Thin LED Recessed Light
3. Three Light Vanity Sconce
4. Metal Pendant

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