A Dated “Balmy Mess” of a Kitchen Gets a Dramatic Vintage-Inspired Makeover

Eight years ago, interior designer Emilia Callero and her husband moved into their 2,200-square-foot bungalow in Portland, Oregon. It was an invigorating move that meant far more space than their previous 700-square-foot home, but although the fresh pad was bigger, some rooms didn’t necessarily feel that way — especially the kitchen. 

“It was a warm mess! It had a petite nook with cabinets, which was set up more like a butler’s pantry,” Emilia says of the existing kitchen. “The outer area of the kitchen has a door to the outside, a door to the hallway, and a door to the dining room. It has low windows, so cabinetry would be a challenge. In addition, it had zero appliances. On one hand, this was great because we had a really blank slate.” 

When they moved in, it was just the two of them, but they wanted to reimagine their home to be a space that would be family-friendly for their future children — and their first project in the home was tackling their dated kitchen. 

The couple was eager to say goodbye to the existing kitchen and took on the demolition themselves. “Then the ‘oh shit’ happened, where I was like, we need to make decisions,” Emilia says. In addition to the teardown, they made some major structural changes, including opening the wall (and adding beam framing, which came from a home in their neighborhood that was being torn down), adding a window where the door to the outside was.

She used SketchUp, software for creating 3D layouts of spaces, to envision a fresh floor plan for the room. Choosing the right spots for their sink (plus their prep sink), oven, and refrigerator was key for the fresh layout. After choosing those locations, Callero worked with professionals to design their custom cabinets, painted in a shadowy teal (Benjamin Moore’s Newburg Green). 

“We tried to marry my husband’s Oklahoma roots with my love for the landscapes of my ancestors’ villages in Italy, with the function of a chef’s kitchen in the Pacific Northwest,” Emilia says of her design inspo.

Instead of upper cabinets, Emilia and opted for open shelving. But these aren’t your ordinary shelves — they can still hide clutter, thanks to gorgeous fabric curtains that slide across. The pattern on the fabric ties in fabulously with the other colors in the space, which was an significant part of the design process. 

The kitchen renovation cost around $20,000 and took eight months to complete (the couple worked every evening after work plus weekends). The room was definitely a labor of love. The most special part of the space? “That we did this ourselves! Sweat equity with a capital ‘S,’” Emilia says. “And we stayed married! LOL.” 

Eight years ago, interior designer Emilia Callero and her husband moved into their 2,200-square-foot bungalow in Portland, Oregon. It was an invigorating move that meant far more space than their previous 700-square-foot home, but although the fresh pad was bigger, some rooms didn’t necessarily feel that way — especially the kitchen. 

“It was a warm mess! It had a petite nook with cabinets, which was set up more like a butler’s pantry,” Emilia says of the existing kitchen. “The outer area of the kitchen has a door to the outside, a door to the hallway, and a door to the dining room. It has low windows, so cabinetry would be a challenge. In addition, it had zero appliances. On one hand, this was great because we had a really blank slate.” 

When they moved in, it was just the two of them, but they wanted to reimagine their home to be a space that would be family-friendly for their future children — and their first project in the home was tackling their dated kitchen. 

The couple was eager to say goodbye to the existing kitchen and took on the demolition themselves. “Then the ‘oh shit’ happened, where I was like, we need to make decisions,” Emilia says. In addition to the teardown, they made some major structural changes, including opening the wall (and adding beam framing, which came from a home in their neighborhood that was being torn down), adding a window where the door to the outside was.

She used SketchUp, software for creating 3D layouts of spaces, to envision a fresh floor plan for the room. Choosing the right spots for their sink (plus their prep sink), oven, and refrigerator was key for the fresh layout. After choosing those locations, Callero worked with professionals to design their custom cabinets, painted in a shadowy teal (Benjamin Moore’s Newburg Green). 

“We tried to marry my husband’s Oklahoma roots with my love for the landscapes of my ancestors’ villages in Italy, with the function of a chef’s kitchen in the Pacific Northwest,” Emilia says of her design inspo.

Instead of upper cabinets, Emilia and opted for open shelving. But these aren’t your ordinary shelves — they can still hide clutter, thanks to gorgeous fabric curtains that slide across. The pattern on the fabric ties in fabulously with the other colors in the space, which was an significant part of the design process. 

The kitchen renovation cost around $20,000 and took eight months to complete (the couple worked every evening after work plus weekends). The room was definitely a labor of love. The most special part of the space? “That we did this ourselves! Sweat equity with a capital ‘S,’” Emilia says. “And we stayed married! LOL.” 

Eight years ago, interior designer Emilia Callero and her husband moved into their 2,200-square-foot bungalow in Portland, Oregon. It was an invigorating move that meant far more space than their previous 700-square-foot home, but although the fresh pad was bigger, some rooms didn’t necessarily feel that way — especially the kitchen. 

“It was a warm mess! It had a petite nook with cabinets, which was set up more like a butler’s pantry,” Emilia says of the existing kitchen. “The outer area of the kitchen has a door to the outside, a door to the hallway, and a door to the dining room. It has low windows, so cabinetry would be a challenge. In addition, it had zero appliances. On one hand, this was great because we had a really blank slate.” 

When they moved in, it was just the two of them, but they wanted to reimagine their home to be a space that would be family-friendly for their future children — and their first project in the home was tackling their dated kitchen. 

The couple was eager to say goodbye to the existing kitchen and took on the demolition themselves. “Then the ‘oh shit’ happened, where I was like, we need to make decisions,” Emilia says. In addition to the teardown, they made some major structural changes, including opening the wall (and adding beam framing, which came from a home in their neighborhood that was being torn down), adding a window where the door to the outside was.

She used SketchUp, software for creating 3D layouts of spaces, to envision a fresh floor plan for the room. Choosing the right spots for their sink (plus their prep sink), oven, and refrigerator was key for the fresh layout. After choosing those locations, Callero worked with professionals to design their custom cabinets, painted in a shadowy teal (Benjamin Moore’s Newburg Green). 

“We tried to marry my husband’s Oklahoma roots with my love for the landscapes of my ancestors’ villages in Italy, with the function of a chef’s kitchen in the Pacific Northwest,” Emilia says of her design inspo.

Instead of upper cabinets, Emilia and opted for open shelving. But these aren’t your ordinary shelves — they can still hide clutter, thanks to gorgeous fabric curtains that slide across. The pattern on the fabric ties in fabulously with the other colors in the space, which was an significant part of the design process. 

The kitchen renovation cost around $20,000 and took eight months to complete (the couple worked every evening after work plus weekends). The room was definitely a labor of love. The most special part of the space? “That we did this ourselves! Sweat equity with a capital ‘S,’” Emilia says. “And we stayed married! LOL.”