Before & After: A Thorough Renovation Primes a Portland Home for Aging in Place

Cary Hixon and her husband, Barrett Jackson, originally purchased their four-bedroom, one-bath Craftsman-style bungalow in Portland, Oregon’s North Tabor neighborhood because they wanted a home with extra space for their "boomerang children." But after 20 years, the children had grown and now had families and houses of their own—and the couple realized that their needs had changed.  Their upstairs was, for the most part, unused and the first floor had its challenges. "I think if you stay in a house long enough, at some point, it won't fit your needs anymore, and that is certainly what happened to us," explains Hixon. Rather than move, the couple decided to renovate.