AKL recently wrapped up a full-house remodel in the Irvington neighborhood of Northeast Portland for Cara Turano, President and Executive Director of Oregon Entrepreneurs Network. And while we could offer up an overview from our perspective, we thought it’d be a fresh twist to share thoughts from our client’s point of view. Spoiler alert: Cara loved working with us as much as we loved working with her!

Your home is 100 years old! Was it important to you to preserve certain historical aspects with this remodel?

Actually, it’s either 110 or 114 years old this year! There are conflicting primary construction dates in the historical records. We absolutely wanted to preserve pieces of the Arts-and-Crafts-meets-Tudor style, including the fireplaces, panelling, built-ins, woodwork, and doors. We knew we needed a team that could preserve these details and their original beauty while also making them functional for our family. This is something that Ashley’s team did exceptionally well. One example was an old exterior door. It had four panels and was primarily glass. Since it was on the outside of the house, replacing it with something new would mean we would have to go to a historical review. (Irvington is an historic neighborhood and you can’t do anything to the outside of your house without approval.) Ashley’s team saved us from having to do that by literally recreating the historic door. Not only is it stunning, but it keeps our kitchen warmer! It’s amazing.

What was your vision for this full-house remodel?

My husband and I got married in 2023 and it’s a second marriage for each of us. We each owned homes, so there was his style and stuff, and my style and stuff. We really wanted to create a home that was ours, incorporating both of our styles to create a warm and welcoming place to host friends and family for years to come. Plus, Jim (my husband) grew up with a father who was a general contractor so having a house that was functional and well-built was important.

What were you looking for in a contractor?

We were looking for someone that was a great communicator and had really good subcontractors. We won the lottery on both fronts with Ashley and her team! Communication was excellent, project management was great, and on-site experience was superb. We liked how responsive Ashley and her team were when we texted with a question (or a crisis of which there were very few!). She also put every bit of work that was going to happen on the calendar so we would know the schedule and who was going to be in on what day. I really wanted to be in the house for the Christmas holidays so we could celebrate with our young children. I was pretty clear on that front and Ashley’s team made it happen. We enjoyed working with AKL so much, we have contracted them for a small phase two!

How involved did you want to be in the remodel decisions?

We were pretty involved in the entire decision-making process. Jim was especially involved with his experience and background in home building. If changes arose, we really appreciated the feedback and input that Ashley and her team provided so that we could make quick decisions and keep the project moving forward.

What were some of the biggest design updates you made?

We wanted to finish the kitchen, which had been mostly updated. The pantry and butler’s pantry were in really bad shape. The drawers didn’t work, the shelves were sagging. They both needed to be demolished and rebuilt.
The aforementioned exterior door plus two additional exterior doors and all the interior doors were a big part of the project.
We moved the laundry room from the second floor to the basement and added tons of storage, an ice maker, and a recycling sorting center.
Gas inserts were added to both fireplaces along with a newly, beautifully tiled hearth for the living room fireplace.
We took out a small built-in bookcase in the back den area and inserted an electric space heater that looks like a fireplace to provide additional heat and warmth. We also added a stone slab to the wall to create a ‘chimney’ vibe. It turned out so well!
And we painted the house from top to bottom, as well as removed and installed new wallpaper, which was a massive undertaking.

Was there something unexpected that popped up that you feel Ashley and her team handled really well?

LOL! Yes. One of the few areas of the house we didn’t update was two small accent walls in the kitchen. After everything was painted and looked so perfect, I realized that the cute wallpaper on those accent walls looked dingy and gross. I wanted to replace it before we moved back in which Ashley and her team literally managed to make happen in the course of days. It was incredible and definitely the right last-minute design decision.

What’s your favorite part of the remodel?

For me, the laundry room. It is so beautiful that I find an excuse to do laundry every day. Jim would say the refurbished doors because he likes that they finally shut all the way!

Working with AKL from the Client Point of View