THE ASSEMBLY | #3 | Nov 2023
Hello!
Happy to sneak into your inbox during this hectic holiday season!
I hope you enjoyed this past week’s Thanksgiving pause and had the opportunity to spend time with family & friends. Or at least took a break for a leisurely walk to admire those amazing fall colors. Right?!
In our household, my husband is the primary cook and I’m the primary cleaner-upper. As we each assume our positions, him in front of the induction range and me perched between the double sink and the dishwasher, we each have our own systems to make our role efficient and enjoyable.
The things that make me happy are a big window to look out of, easy access to trash, recycling & compost, good lighting, and a solid (& pretty) faucet. For my husband, it’s easy access to the spice drawer, knives & various cooking utensils, a wide area for food prep, good lighting, and a solid (& pretty) range. These elements didn’t happen by chance, especially the good lighting & easy access, this was all deliberately planned as we worked through our kitchen remodel, investigated how everyone interacts with the kitchen (including the dogs & the kids), and made strategic choices. Our kitchen is far from big, and other than repurposing a decorative corner shelf into a hardworking storage & coffee station, we kept the existing layout and tweaked the elements. All this to say, early planning and careful listening are keys to any successful design big or small, and why working with an architect is essential to nail down all those necessary details!
Is your kitchen a joy to cook or clean up in? You know, the real heart of the home? If not, drop me a note and we can chat about what your kitchen (or any other under-functioning room) could transform into by this time next year!
INSPIRATION, NEWS & COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS
Be an amazing host :: For many of us, the holidays are a time we welcome out-of-town guests. Making plans to show them around the City and show them a good time. How about some creative multi-tasking by planning activities at a variety of places highlighting Portland’s five quadrants:
NE Portland - Make your own unique candle at The Candle Creation Bar
N Portland - Lean into your crafty side while you drink a (craft)beer at DIY Bar
NW Portland - Take a tour of Freeland Spirits, a woman-owned distillery crafting small batch artisanal gin and whiskey.
SW Portland - Happy Birthday Tay! Celebrate your inner Swiftie by painting your own pottery at Taylor Swift Pottery Night on December 13th at Butterfly Effect
SE Portland - Choose from a variety of workshops or shop from a host of local makers at Makerspace Sellwood
Embrace your colorful side :: Trends show that the American consumer is starting to move away from grays & neutrals in favor of more color in their homes. Yay!! Whether it’s paint, wallpaper, pillows, or cabinetry - adding color is a time-tested way to change your mood and boost productivity. Maybe after our COVID hibernation, we’re all craving a brighter environment! If you’re interested in how color affects your psyche and emotions, check out this article I wrote awhile back for dwell:
The Power of Color and What Each Shade is Best For
Giving back :: Although November 28th is traditionally Giving Tuesday, a day created over a decade ago to take a break from the spending frenzy of Black Friday & Cyber Monday and give back to our communities, radical generosity is appreciated anytime. Locally Willamette Week’s Annual Give Guide is a fantastic place to find 100’s of non-profits seeking support. Ten main categories help you select efforts that you might connect with most dearly - like Animals, Hunger, or Education. One of my favorite non-profits is Restore Oregon, the only statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing preservation and reuse. Not only do they save historic places and centers of cultural importance, but prioritizing reuse saves between 50-75% of embodied carbon emissions compared to new builds. So you can advance preservation and reduce your carbon footprint. A great example is pictured above, a 1940’s roller rink In Philomath, Oregon which had been vacant since the 1990’s was repurposed as the Softstars Shoes Workshop. Support reuse
“There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.”
- Margaret Wheatley, Writer & teacher
