“We’re not cookie cutter—that’s why people come to Bright Designlab,” says principal designer and firm founder Alissa Pulcrano. The owners of this midcentury ranch in Southwest Portland knew the drill, as they’d worked with Pulcrano for twelve years on three different homes. Their latest project was “a rare time capsule,” says the owner, and it had not been touched for decades: “We saw so much potential. The vaulted ceilings, the backyard space...and the zigzag layout felt like the right flow for us.”

The couple, a music-loving engineer and a nurse, wanted to update the home for better function and feeling while shaping it into a place where they could relax away from the world. “This home whispered vintage camp vibes to us from the start,” says Pulcrano. “So, the story naturally became to create a highly curated and comfortable retreat for everyday life.”

With its split-level layout and kitschy original finishes (like the orange counters in the kitchen), “it was also a little bit Brady Bunch,” says Pulcrano. The new design would veer into a more playful domain: “One of the catchphrases we used to start the design language was ‘midsommar modern,’” she explains.

Their first area of focus was to rework the living areas by connecting the living room and kitchen and inserting a custom circular plaster fireplace to serve as a gathering spot between rooms. “We wanted a central place where you could actually sit,” says Pulcrano. “People tend to gather in the kitchen at the island, but we also wanted to draw people to the hearth.”

Before: Living Room

After: Living Room

The design team also added a dedicated record-listening station in one corner, complete with custom oak shelving and powder-coated perforated steel vinyl storage boxes fabricated by local studio Boy Boy. “The owners deeply care about supporting the local community, so we often design custom pieces for them, down to the hardware,” says Pulcrano.

Before: Fireplace

After: Fireplace

Take the kitchen, which they enlarged and topped with skylights. The custom perimeter cabinetry has a tinted paint wash to reveal the grain, as well as oversized pulls by James Gudat of Maple Key. “We deliberately made them oversized for dramatic effect,” says Pulcrano. “It’s like, what boundaries can you push in the design without going too far and making it look childlike?”

Before: Kitchen

After: Kitchen

Before: Dining Room

After: Dining Room

While the team toned down the camp vibes that emanated from the original Formica and knotty pine in the kitchen, they warmed up the primary bedroom with custom oak built-ins (including the the bed, nightstands, and closets) and a textured wall treatment.

They converted the semifinished basement into an independent suite that can serve as a getaway for guests, a hangout spot for the couple’s teenager, or a dark and quiet place for the nurse after completing a shift. “This house provides an escape from the world—and it is exactly what we wanted it to be,” says the owner. “We wanted it to feel like a moody sanctuary.”