Early in the design process, Diane had considered a dropped ceiling over the kitchen to distinguish it from the living/dining area. “Our builder Trevor said he liked the feel of the interior space and advised against it,” reveals Diane. “We’re so glad he did!” He also made other small suggestions, including the stepped trim around the door frames. A piece of the original boxcar was salvaged by Diane’s son and daughter-in-law and turned into a key rack hanging by the main door.
"We made a number of low-design-impact improvements to the existing part of the house as the contractors found some alarming errors in previous remodels," reveals Davis. "The house now feels ready for the next century."
Lever set the pavilion a few feet away from the sliding glass Fleetwood doors to make sure that natural light could still enter the home. The pavilion features a Havsten sofa and lounge by IKEA, along with a Finn coffee table by Norm Architects for Design Within Reach.
The master bedroom is furnished with a rug from IKEA and a Mysa bedframe from Chilton Furniture Co.
"The house is designed to change with the family's needs and weather with the elements,
“We pulled apart one volume and staggered it along the buildable area of the property,” says architect Matthew Ahlberg of Portland firm Barrett Made. The home is clad in unfinished cedar, meant to weather over time.
A staircase in the entryway leads down to the basement level, which comes with a home office and family room.
The skylight continues into the family room, which features a fireplace and access to a deck overlooking the front of the home.
The streamlined kitchen cabinetry is accented by Gaggenau appliances and Basaltina stone countertops. Another skylight runs above the kitchen.
Stairs in the kitchen lead up to a motorized skylight and the roof. Both the staircase design and an adjacent screen filter natural light entering from above.
The space also features built-in seating along one side. Wide-plank European oak floors run throughout the home's three levels.
A large island grounds the kitchen in the middle of the space.