In 2019, Fay Ou-Yang and Martin Sanmiguel bought a classic Rummer in Beaverton, Oregon, so-called because the 1960s home was built by famed local builder Robert Rummer. Described as “Oregon’s answer to Eichler,” Rummer was heavily influenced by the esteemed California developer and built about 750 post-and-beam houses in the Portland area between 1959 and the mid-1970s. In recent years, Rummers have become hot commodities on the local real estate market.

When Fay and Martin bought this 1968 residence, the midcentury structure had seen some striking modifications. For instance, the atrium just inside the entrance— which is a hallmark of Rummer’s designs—had been enclosed into a glazed vestibule of sorts, complete with a roof and wooden floors. “Our first undertaking was to restore the atrium,” says Fay, who liked how that space in particular evoked traditional indoor/outdoor Japanese architecture. Having lived in both New York City and Kyoto, Japan, the homeowners wanted to combine an industrial aesthetic with a Japanese influence, while also returning the Rummer back to its roots.

Once the atrium was done, the couple started stripping back layers of flooring to get to the original concrete. “Of course, if we were going to do that, we had to restore the roofline, just to get that value and the beauty back,” says Fay. The project soon snowballed into a full-scale remodel of the home. “We joke around with our friends about how it was a naive mistake to start the whole thing,” says Fay. But the more the homeowners intervened, the more they noticed when certain elements didn’t coalesce. “It’s like, okay, now this doesn’t look right. One bathroom is renovated, but the other isn’t," says Fay. “So, it was just one thing after another, after another.”

In the two-year overhaul of the residence, the current owners brought back the original structure’s bones, then instilled an understated palette that lets the classic Rummer architecture shine through. At the front facade, the duo removed a bulky storage space that had been created for an HVAC system in order to rescue the original roofline. Unnecessary walls in the living spaces came down to open up the floor plan and reinstate sight lines to the atrium throughout the home. The original tongue-and-groove ceilings were all refinished, and the interior courtyard now opens to the sky so that a lace leaf maple and black bamboo can grow.

The 2,062-square-foot residence incorporates three bedrooms and two bathrooms into its spacious, connected floor plan. Many of the cherished Rummer details—like the original floor-to-ceiling windows at the back of the house—comingle elegantly with the home’s updated features, such as the custom kitchen cabinetry, patterned bathroom tile, and new skylights peppered throughout.

As the renovation came to an end, the current owners enjoyed watching the new plantings flourish in the open-air atrium. “Sometimes we’d sit out with our scotch and enjoy how you can see all the stars on a clear night,” says Fay. “It’s the house’s soul.” Scroll ahead to see more of the renovated Rummer in Beaverton, Oregon, now listed for $925,000.

13210 SW Forest Glenn Ct in Beaverton, Oregon, is currently available for $925,000 by Marisa Swenson of Dwell Realty.

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Project Credits:

Builder: Robert Rummer

Stylist: Kristina Tuason of Jica Interiors