MARROWSTONE ISLAND — A kitchen isn’t just a place to cook; it’s an extension of the self, according to Kathleen Waldron, owner of one of eight homes on the 18th annual Kitchen Tour on Saturday.
“I kept the cabin as is, but I remade the house for me,” and the kitchen was a big part of the changes she made after she inherited property with two structures on it.
The self-guided $15 tour hosted by the Port Townsend branch of the American Association of University Women will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
The new or remodeled kitchens are in a variety of styles and tastes, from country to sleek modern to over-the-top elegance.
Proceeds from the tour will benefit education programs for women and girls.
Inherited property
Waldron said that after she inherited her parents’ property on Marrowstone Island, she found that the house reflected her parents’ tastes rather than being a place of her own.
The property is a family gathering place with a house and a cabin, so there were other people to consider, Waldron said, explaining why she left the cabin as it had always been.
Natural materials and green construction became the theme of the kitchen, including bamboo floors — a renewable source.
“I found this green serpentine [stone countertops]. It looks like the planet Earth,” Waldron said.
Waldron restored the kitchen table and chairs — a family heirloom.
Materials came from close to home and also from distance places such as Bali and Japan.
When the kitchen was finished, it reflected a rainforest feel with Indonesian art that reminds her of living in Indonesia as a child, Waldron said.
Tickets
Other kitchens on the tour, and their addresses, will be listed on the tickets.
Advance tickets can be purchased today at Chimacum Corner Farmstand in Chimacum, Dana Pointe Interiors in Port Ludlow and the Green Eyeshade and Quimper Mercantile in Port Townsend, as well as at Over the Fence in Sequim and Fiddleheads in Port Angeles.
Tickets also will be available Saturday at a hospitality center at the Nordland Garden Club, 126 Garden Club Road.
Refreshments, raffle tickets and seminars on the latest kitchen trends also are planned at the hospitality center.
Parking for the tour will be on roadsides, and comfortable walking shoes are recommended, Waldron said.
Those who have mobility issues should request assistance from an attendant, she said.
Common thread
Sustainable woods such as matched Australian lace wood and African sapele are a common thread in the kitchens, said Grace Roe, the association’s publicity chairwoman for the tour.
Wood grains are placed vertically, creating an eye-catching, unique pattern, she said.
Other features commonly seen in the homes include reclaimed wood or flooring updated with new finishes.
Many of the kitchens demonstrate state-of-the-art appliances such as professional stovetops, upright freezers separate from the refrigerator and double dishwashers.
Some appliances are hidden behind wood cabinets.
Tour proceeds
Through the University Women’s Foundation of Jefferson County, the Port Townsend branch of the American Association of University Women’s 501(c)(3) philanthropic arm, tour proceeds will fund college scholarships and educational projects in East Jefferson County.
The organization’s educational programs include annual Career Day presentations in local middle schools, a high school scholarship recognition program, elementary school literacy and math programs, and Tech Trek, a weeklong science, technology, engineering and math summer camp at Pacific Lutheran University for qualified school girls.
In 2014, the tour raised $15,000 for the programs.
Direct donations to support scholarships and educational programs are accepted.
Checks should be written to “UWF Kitchen Tour Donation” and mailed to UWF, P.O. Box 644, Port Townsend, WA 98368.
Donations are tax-deductible.
________
Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.
