This project was an down-to-the-studs remodel of a classic Mid-Century home in Portland's SW Hillsdale neighborhood; situated on a large parcel with expansive territorial views to the West this home had not been updated in more than 60 years.  Our goals were to remove walls to create light and airy open spaces, enlarge windows for additional natural light and encourage a strong indoor/outdoor connection.  This busy family of 4 wanted an easy house to maintain:  materials and finishes were chosen for their durability and ease of maintenance.  We created a bright and airy kitchen using maple cabinets, light counters and introduced large windows to take advantage of the views.  The original home felt somewhat like a fishbowl - there were views the backyard, but like many mid century homes, there was almost no access to the outdoors.  We added a 16' sliding door and a large deck off the living areas to make a wonderful indoor-outdoor connection.  To further bring the outdoors inside we used a minimalist glass guardrail system and chose low and sleek deck furniture. 

The house is designed to be easy to maintain for years to come:  concrete pavers means no decks to re-seal yearly, easy to clean caesartsone counters handle anything the kids dish up and because of all the large windows and new skylights, the lights rarely need to be turned on - even on Portland's gloomiest days. 

We created a colorful bathroom for the kids with double sinks, fun tile and marmoleum flooring. A new large bath in the master wing has durable porcelain tile and a serene spa-like feel.

Environmentally conscious, durable & low maintenance: marmoleum flooring, low voc paint, the new large windows and skylights provide lots of natural light and greatly reduces the need for electric lighting in this home.  The house creates more energy than it uses - selling the excess back to the grid.