Before & After

In 2020, Isabel and David Yahng bought their Portland house, which was originally designed by architect Saul Zaik in 1963.

Before: The home was in extreme disrepair, but its form appealed to the family. “One of the things I love about it is it’s like how a kid would draw a house. It’s exactly 30 x 30 x 20 with a pitched roof that’s exactly 45% sloped,” Geoffrey says. “It’s perfectly symmetrical.”

The custom dining table—which was made by a local artisan—is located in front of west-facing windows that frame the sunset in the evenings. The table can be easily moved inside or out depending on the weather.

The black paint on the exterior timber cladding is similar to “falu red”, a permeable red paint commonly used on wooden cottages and barns in Sweden, Finland, and Norway. The paint consists of water, rye flour, linseed oil, silicates, iron oxides, copper compounds, and zinc. When it is time to repaint the house, the old paint is simply brushed or scrubbed away.

Floor Plan of Irish Bauhaus by Dermot Ryan

The interior is mostly painted white with vibrant pops of color adding a distinctive Bauhaus touch. In the kitchen, this is expressed through the mustard yellow cabinetry. "I really love Bauhaus and Mid-Century tones,

Marlatt built the cabinets in place from Russian Birch plywood, and the counters are a thin application of Neolith stone. The backsplash is glass, making for easy clean-up, and a few of the cabinet fronts are painted Masonite, for fun pops of color. The ceramics on the shelves are by Burgevin.

One of the bedrooms gets lots of California sun, and access to a small patio outside.

Bedrosians tile covers the walls and floor, with sconces by Kelly Wearstler for Visual Comfort and California Faucets.

Floor Plan of Perrier Residence by Cicada

The couple added the wainscot, installed by Seamus, and painted in Farrow & Ball Red Earth to continue the “color story” from the breakfast room. The white oak built-in has much needed storage behind the cane cabinet fronts and display. The Caitlin couch by Everygirl for Interior Define sits atop a vintage checkered rug with an Anthropologie coffee table and Hay Paper Shade overhead.

An arched opening was added to connect the kitchen and breakfast nook, and gain sightlines to the yard. Seamus refinished the fireplace mantle and added square zellige Zia tile in ‘Nana’s Lipstick’ to the surround. Gubi Semi Pendants hang over the island, and the sink has a Devol Ionian Bridge Tap.

The new powder room has Blackthorn wallpaper from Morris & Co, which was chosen for how its green and pink palette “bridges” the other spaces in the home, says Kara. Beckham Double Sconces from Visual Comfort flank a Tufa Modern Mirror from Scout and Nimble, over a marble sink.

The couple added curved cabinetry and a window seat to form a breakfast nook, painted in Farrow & Ball Red Earth. The table is discontinued from Anthropologie, where Kara previously worked as a display coordinator, and the overhead light is the Lambert & Fils Waldorf Double.

A guest suite was created from the space that was once a dilapidated screened-in porch, for the owners' in-laws to stay.

A new carport was constructed to accommodate a ramp on the interior.