|
| | OCTOBER 2026 - PROJECT SPOTLIGHT |
|
|
| | WEST LINN WHOLE HOUSE TRANSFORMATION |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Built in 1992, this West Linn home had everything going for it, on the outside. A beautiful, spacious property tucked away with a feel of a remote getaway. It wasn’t hard to envision a Pacific Northwest wonderland. Inside was a different story. It had everything from the ‘90s that we'd like to leave there: builder grade finishes, golden oak everywhere, tile and grout countertops, and a primary bath with some questionable decisions. The only updates it had seen in more than three decades were some tub fitter style coverups and an inexpensive kitchen refresh that looked like it was ordered at the counter of your local home improvement store. For a luxury property in West Linn, that wasn't going to cut it. The clients purchased the home before relocating to Oregon and wanted the interior to match what had drawn them here in the first place. A Pacific Northwest retreat that felt as beautiful as the landscape surrounding it. What followed was a complete transformation, including a kitchen, primary bath, library, additional bathrooms, Jack-and-Jill closet, laundry room, entry, staircase, speakeasy, home gym, and a new elevator. A project of this scope called for two lead designers, and Crystal and Jenny more than delivered. The photography speaks for itself, and there is more to come. |
|
| | |
Warm, Sophisticated, and Completely at Home
The previous kitchen told a familiar story. A narrow island with a cooktop that left little room for anything else. An awkward step down to the adjacent sunken family room. Open shelving on one wall giving way to a makeshift desk area within the kitchen. A strange landing zone in a strange location, the kind of thing that happens when space needs to be filled without a real plan for filling it. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The new kitchen is everything the original wasn't. The layout was completely reimagined to create a kitchen that is functional, intentional and beautiful. The island is now a true gathering point, generous in scale and topped with Taj Mahal quartzite that brings warmth and movement without overpowering the space. |
|
|
| |
Two-tone cabinetry pairs rich dark stained lowers with cream uppers, grounded and refined brining light and balance to the space. A custom range hood with a mixed metal finish sets the tone for the entire room, a sophisticated combination that carries through intentionally in the hardware, fixtures, and appliances. Nothing here feels like an afterthought. The result is a kitchen that feels like the Pacific Northwest without feeling like a lodge. Warm and sophisticated. Timeless but current. The kind of space that makes you exhale the moment you walk into it. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | |
From Questionable to Exceptional We'll be honest: the original primary bathroom gave us a lot to work with. And not in the good way. The centerpiece was an elevated pink deck mounted tub. Directly above it was a large unobscured window. Directly outside that window was a second floor deck, accessible from the family room and from an exterior staircase that anyone could walk up from the yard. So if you were enjoying a relaxing bath, someone could’ve intentionally or unintentionally be enjoying it with you. If that wasn't enough, glass French doors from the primary bedroom into the bathroom added a little extra unwanted transparency to the situation. We have seen some things in our years of remodeling, but this one earned a special mention. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Then there was the carpet. Bathroom carpet. We'll give you a moment with that. Between the tile and grout countertops and the wall to wall carpet, the ease of cleaning this space wasn't just nonexistent, it was a health concern. Who knows what was living in there undisturbed. Pink sinks, unintentional mixed metals, angled walls for no apparent reason, and leftover cabinets that followed from the previous owner’s home improvement store kitchen update. Not to mention, from the bed, your view was most likely directly into the former toilet room. It was becoming pretty clear that the original layout had prioritized fitting everything in over how the spaces would actually be used. |
|
|
|
The new primary bath is a different universe entirely. Our clients weren't bath people, and a tub was not just the wrong fit, it was a large use of space and budget for something that would likely never be touched. Instead, the entire former footprint of the tub and shower was reimagined as a large curb-less shower that feels less like a shower and more like a |
|
|
shower room. Jade marble, reeded wood look tile, and a generous built in bench feed into a tranquil spa feel while mirroring the colors and textures of the landscape. We also reconfigured the deck, so that it can now only be accessed from shared spaces, creating a much more intentional separation between guest and private spaces. The clerestory windows bring in natural light and provide privacy. A solid warm dark wood door, consistent with the tone carried throughout the home, replaced the glass French doors. His and her vanities, a private toilet room, and countertops that connect this space to the rest of the house. |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gone: the pink tub, carpet, tile countertops, unintentional mixed metals, glass bathroom doors, and whatever was living in that carpet and grout. Here to stay: warmth, intention, and a bathroom that finally lives up to the home surrounding it and invites you to relax and never want to leave. |
|
| | | Behind the Design
Crystal + Jenny | Lead Designers Every project at Metke is a team effort, but every once in a while, a project comes along that calls for two lead designers. This was one of them. Crystal and Jenny didn’t just step up. They knocked it out of the park. They loved working together, from visiting showrooms and gathering samples to spreading everything out across the table and bouncing ideas off one another. Each brought a different perspective, making it easier to narrow down options, find inspiration, and push the design further. That collaboration is part of what makes this home feel so cohesive. Every detail had to work on its own while still feeling connected to the bigger picture. |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | | WHAT WHOLE HOME REALLY MEANS |
|
| A whole home remodel is a different kind of project. It's not about solving one problem or transforming one space. It's about looking at an entire house and understanding how every decision connects to the next. Sequencing matters because trades have to move through the home in the right order. Material selections have to speak to each other across rooms. The design has to hold together as a cohesive vision from the entry to the primary suite. It requires more planning upfront, more coordination throughout, and a team that can hold the big picture while managing every detail along the way. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | WORKING WITH WHAT'S THERE |
|
| Every renovation reveals something. During the demo phase, significant wood rot was discovered in the front entry, the result of a poorly designed gutter above that had been sending water exactly where it shouldn't go for years. The easy fix would have been to repair and replace the damaged material. But easy fixes that don't address the underlying problem aren't fixes at all. They're delays. Crystal and Jenny developed several design solutions that would correct the roof and drainage configuration properly. Some of those options would have changed the look of the entry, and the clients considered them |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
carefully. Ultimately they wanted to preserve the original exterior entry that had drawn them to the home in the first place. So Crystal and Jenny went back to work and found a solution that honored the original design while correcting the problem at its source. The entry looks the way the clients wanted. The water goes where it should. |
|
| | | We're not done yet. Keep an eye out for more highlights from this project coming soon. |
|
| | | |
|
|
|
| |
|
