The Neil Kelly Co. is known for eco-friendly building as well as for a line of custom cabinets made from reclaimed and recycled materials. So it’s not surprising that a retreat for Tom Kelly, company president and founder Neil Kelly’s son, centers around a good-looking kitchen that’s extremely green. Tom Kelly credits his niece, Liz Olberding, for the design. The LEED-certified architect spends many vacations with her extended family. “We always hang out in the kitchen,” she says, “so there was no question that it had to be the center of living spaces.”
Dining and living areas spin off two sides of the open kitchen while a punched opening in the wall above the sink offers a glimpse of the lower level. That two-story concrete block wall was “conceived as the backbone of the house,” says Olberding, who chose thermal mass as the best method for regulating heating and cooling. The wall absorbs heat during the day and releases it as ambient temperatures drop. Other kitchen materials are reinvented “trash.” Drawer fronts and the island base are former 100-year-old vinegar vats. Newspapers bound in non-toxic acrylic serve as cabinet insets and bar. Kelly particularly likes the countertops, which feature crushed beer and wine bottles.
Builder/Interior designer: Neil Kelly Co., Portland, Ore.; Architect: Liz Olberding, AIA, Anchorage, Alaska; Structural engineer: Froelich Engineers, Portland; Photographer: Photo Design.
Resources: Countertops: Icestone and Paperstone; Dishwasher: Bosch; Ovens/range: Dacor.
