Welcome to a new kind of project reveal for Molly Kidd Studio: a storytelling look at our Willamette project, where inspiration, place, and lived-in beauty guide the narrative. Consider this less a traditional unveiling and more a quiet story of how a remodel in the Willamette Valley slowly became a home, told through mood, memory, and material.
There’s a moment at the very beginning of every MKS project that quietly sets the tone for what’s to come: the bouquet. Before drawings, fabrics, or finishes, I choose a floral arrangement that acts as a living emotional compass — what we call our Floral Framework. This first, intuitive gesture captures the mood, palette, and spirit of a place long before a single design decision is made. For Willamette, that centerpiece anchor was a serene mélange of cream tulips and verdant grape vines, a nod to misty vineyards and rolling hills that define Oregon’s wine country and whisper of timeless romance.
Rooted in Place
Located in the heart of Oregon’s Willamette Valley, this 2010 home once felt stark, heavy, and surprisingly unremarkable. Our task wasn’t to overwrite the architecture, but to extract character — to strip back the chunky, black-windowed shell and reveal a place that feels grounded, soulful, and quietly elegant. Through a full-scale remodel, we reimagined every corner with materials, furnishings, and details that speak to both the landscape and the homeowners’ desire for warmth and continuity.
The overall aesthetic is refined yet lived-in: luminous plaster walls, a soft palette anchored in nature, and a considered mix of bespoke and vintage pieces chosen for patina and provenance. It’s a home that feels collected over time — one you want to linger in.
Our 50/50 Promise & Locality Mission
From the outset, this project was guided by our 50/50 promise — a commitment to balancing new, bespoke elements with vintage, antique, and salvaged pieces that carry history and soul. Equally important was our locality mission: sourcing as much as possible from Oregon makers, artisans, and suppliers, allowing the home to be shaped by its place rather than imposed upon it. Together, these principles ensured that the Willamette project feels both considered and deeply connected to its landscape and community.
Space by Space: Short Summaries
Entryway— What once lacked definition now welcomes with intentionality. By framing a cozy 8′ × 8′ foyer, we created a space that feels both humble and warm — a gentle invitation into the heart of the home, and a hint of the story to unfold.
Living Room
A grand vaulted space that needed softness as much as scale. Plastered walls, reclaimed beams, and colonial-style window grids diffuse light and temper volume, while rounded furnishings add comfort and gentle rhythm to every moment spent here. Fun fact: this rug was our largest ever made spanning over 20' long.
Kitchen & Pantry
Infused with European character and Pacific Northwest ease, the kitchen blends tradition with lived-in practicality — a place to cook, gather, and linger, balanced in light and texture. Throughout the home, the wood is sustainably harvested white oak sourced in Oregon; every piece of millwork, cabinetry, and custom furniture was crafted from fallen trees, giving the spaces sensible integrity.
Dining Room
Warm wood tones and minimalist styling create an environment that feels at once refined and familiar. Playful contrasts in joinery and furnishings reinforce a sense of history, simplicity, and ease, while the custom oversized artwork — inspired by the form and hue of a pinot noir grape — subtly echoes the land's vineyard that surrounds the property.
Home Office
Anchored by custom white oak joinery, this calm workspace balances heritage with function. Vintage elements and sustainable materials cultivate a serene environment for focus and creativity.
Primary Bedroom
A calm, enveloping retreat where soft draped cashmere, plaster walls, filtered light, and collected furnishings create a feeling of gentle respite. Layered linens, subtle vintage pieces, and quiet proportions make the room feel both timeless and deeply personal — a space designed for slow mornings and lingering evenings.
In every corner of this Willamette Valley home, our goal was simple: honor the landscape, listen to the architecture, and design with intention. Here, tradition meets warmth, vintage finds coexist with bespoke details, and every space whispers of restful days and slow, meaningful living. To see a full home tour with 40+ more images, click here.
Photographed by Tim Lenz. Featured in Homes & Gardens and Moda Operandi
