My Houzz: Salvage Meets Chic in an Oregon Fixer-Upper

Brandt and Chelsea Kaemingk bought a dilapidated home on the Oregon Coast, intending to do a cheap fix-up before renting it out. But the Kaemingks, real estate professionals who run Chic Design Investments, ended up moving in instead. Along the way they began to hone a signature look, using repurposed wood, secondhand finds and lots of DIY details to produce a style that's eclectic with industrial touches.

"Originally, we salvaged things to save money," says Brandt. "But we just grew to love it."

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Brandt and Chelsea Kaemingk
Location: Lincoln City, Oregon
Size: 2,000 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Year built: 1946

This is the original kitchen, with dated cabinetry, countertops and floors. The couple transformed the space with new appliances, lighting and finishes, and a more neutral palette.





AFTER: Old cabinets were replaced with maple ones from The ReBuilding Center and painted a neutral gray. "They were a perfect fit," says Chelsea.

The original vinyl flooring was replaced with a secondhand vertical-grain fir floor that the couple treated with an ebony stain. The Kaemingks installed the countertops themselves using prefabricated slabs of granite.

Chelsea loved some kitchen tile at The ReBuilding Center, but there were only a few pieces. She bought them anyway and broke them up to create a mosaic over the stove.


Upper cabinets were replaced with open shelves; the wood came from an old bunk bed found in a city Dumpster. Brandt made the brackets using wood salvaged from the home's remodel.

The kitchen faucet was purchased for $25 at Goodwill, which was also the source for all of the silver pieces on display. "If you go to Goodwill often enough, you will find some great stuff," says Chelsea. "We have found so many treasures there."

Pendant lights: The ReBuilding Center


The architecture didn't have a lot of character, so the Kaemingks introduced their own, finding beauty in the dilapidated and discarded.

Most of the furnishings in the house are secondhand pieces, including the file cabinet. "It's the thrill of the hunt," says Chelsea.

Skull: Little Antique Mall


Brandt made the upholstered headboard in the master bedroom, covering it with a canvas drop cloth from the hardware store. The nightstand to the left of the bed was a lucky $5 find at Goodwill. Brandt added a base to the piece to make it the right height for a bedside table, and spray painted it a glossy white.

The wallpaper behind the bed is sold at Target, but the Kaemingks found theirs at Goodwill.


Brandt made a bed for the guest room out of two salvaged doors. He cut one door in half and used each half for side rails. He used the other door as a headboard, adding decorative trim to the top.

The vintage sign is a $5 estate sale find.

Pendant light: Overstock.com


Chelsea covered a small shelf they weren't using with a full-length mirror in the guest room. The shelf above the mirror holds meaningful memorabilia and bottles Chelsea has collected over the years.


Another guest room had dated wallpaper and carpeting.


AFTER: The Kaemingks refreshed the old guest room cabinets with new paint and hardware, and removed the shag carpeting and floral wallpaper.


A salvaged sliding barn door encloses the couple's "theater room." The handle was made from a towel rod the couple found at Goodwill.


Brandt designed and built this entryway storage unit using reclaimed wood from the house. The back of the unit is covered with wood salvaged from old pallets, and is fitted with four different coat hooks from Anthropologie. Pullout drawers from Ikea add extra storage at the base of the unit, while various found baskets above hold items like scarves and hats.


Chelsea made an entryway shoe mat by filling a cookie sheet from Goodwill with rocks she collected.


The bathroom was refurbished and refreshed with classic neutral colors and a generous shower.


An open shelf maximizes space under the sink, and keeps necessities close at hand.


Trim from Aurora Mills frames a large mirror in the upstairs hallway. The vertical-grain fir floor is original; the Kaemingks stained it ebony.


A daybed anchors the upstairs landing. Brandt designed and built the piece using wood salvaged from a neighbor's deck.


"Our style has developed so much since we worked on this house four years ago, but we still love it," says Brandt. He and Chelsea, shown here, now live in Portland and say that big-city life has definitely influenced their aesthetic.

"I would say our style today pushes boundaries more than it used to," remarks Chelsea. "It was safer, and now we are doing things a little bit edgy. We like things unique and a little bit funky, with a dark side to them."

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