Welcome to The Pink House Kitchen—a mid-century home in Southeast Portland full of creativity, culture, and community. This vibrant home is known for its original brass fireplace, warm wood details, and of course, its iconic pink exterior.

Inside, life is just as colorful for this dynamic, artistic couple, their young children and their large extended family. Their home hums with imagination, art supplies, big flavors, and memorable gatherings—and the kitchen sits at the heart of it all.

The kitchen space was outdated with poor flow, failing appliances, inferior storage and outlived materials. It needed a transformation to support real, daily life: major holiday feasts, wok cooking, endless jars of spices and sauces, recreational rollerskating (it’s true!) and the flow of two cooks moving seamlessly through the space together.

Through a thoughtful design plan focused on bringing structure and intention to this modern family’s kitchen, the space evolved from dysfunctional to highly personal, purposeful and expressive—part cultural connection, part entertaining hub, and part creative incubator. It now stands as a joyful extension of a truly one-of-a-kind Portland family.

Design considerations included:

• A focus on accessibility, comfort and flow for a large extended family

• Creative solutions around a structural wing wall

• A multi-functional island space to serve daily life, workshops and holiday entertaining

• Adding banquette seating with hidden storage in addition to island seating

• Upgraded appliances with a new gas range with a wok attachment for every day wok-cooking

• Dedicated dry bar area

• Multiple appliance garages and customized storage solutions

• A smart reimagining of a defunct closet (think: real pantry!)

Collaborators:

GC: Tortoise Construction LLC
Photography: Zee Wendell