The light-filled stair wraps around a primitive factory elevator shaft.
The master bedroom opens up to the wraparound terrace. The Restoration Hardware bed is set against an accent wall that is painted Behr's Cracked Pepper.
A sliding fire door controlled by a pulley-and-weight system divides the communal living spaces from the bedroom.
To bring their adaptive-reuse abode to life, a pair of former New Yorkers tapped local studio Emerick Architects, which had completed similar renovations, such as the nearby rehabbed Ford Model-T Factory. "Marrying practicality with craftsmanship, almost everything for the project was handmade locally by Portland artisans including cabinetry, steel work, railings, doors, stairs, light fixtures, and plaster," adds the firm. Stainless steel has been used for the kitchen counters, cabinets, and backsplash.
The kitchen island is topped with a five-by-10-foot slab of Carrera marble.
The bathroom features a salvaged French urinal combined with Kohler fixtures; the couple purposefully left the patina intact.
Matte-black Tolix chairs surround a 14-foot harvest dining table that dates back to the 1800s.
A vintage post office desk anchors one end of the office that's fitted with built-in cabinetry with a 16-foot-long walnut top on the far wall.
To satisfy the 11-foot setback requirement, the architects have added a wraparound terrace and garden that helps handle stormwater runoff.
A massive concrete hearth, placed just off center, anchors the living room. The Douglas fir floors have been painted a creamy white.
Occupying a quarter block, the building had formerly housed a corner grocery, printing press, and mechanic’s shop.