Irvington Historic Kitchen Remodel

After a successful basement remodel with Lamont Bros. in 2023, the owners of this beautiful 1908 home in Portland’s historic Irvington district decided it was time to tackle their kitchen. They dreamed of a larger, more user-friendly kitchen with plenty of room to cook and entertain.

Their old kitchen had several issues. Both the cooktop and the refrigerator were positioned awkwardly, disrupting the flow of cooking within the space.

Because it was built in the 20th century, the amount of countertop and storage space was too small for the needs of the modern homeowner. The kitchen also lacked adequate ventilation, filling the room with smoke and fumes every time somebody tried to cook with heat.

To solve these challenges, we undertook a significant redesign of the entire kitchen. This not only included moving appliances to more convenient locations, but also expanding the kitchen into other parts of the home.

We converted a 6×6 covered deck into additional kitchen space and further expanded into an existing full bathroom, downsizing it into a half bath. By doing so, we were able to incorporate additional cabinetry and countertop space to solve many of the usability issues.

Remodeling an old home in a historic district also comes with its own set of unique challenges. In Portland, historic preservation laws govern what types of changes are and aren’t allowed on historic homes.

During construction, our team had to plan for asbestos abatement due to contamination in the piping and flooring. It also became clear very early on that this project would require substantial plumbing rework.

The new kitchen features white quartz countertops and matching backsplash, premium custom cabinets by Knight Cabinetry, and a new gas range by Thor Appliances. The herringbone floor tile adds a touch of elegance and style to the space, and a newly installed range hood provides some much-needed ventilation to the space.

Now, the homeowners can add a larger, more functional kitchen to their growing list of completed improvement projects with Lamont Bros. The brighter, more open space offers a better flow for cooking and has significantly improved the way they interact with their kitchen space on a day-to-day basis.