Dream houses

The original fireplace was kept, as was the interior clerestory windows that divide the main living area from the hall and master suite. The floors were replaced with red oak to align with preserved red oak flooring in the bedroom.

In the shower, handmade Bubble Hex tile from the Futura collection at the Portland–based company Clayhaus Tile makes a stunning statement.

Jessica Helgerson Interior Design, with project manager and lead designer Emily Kudsen Leland at the helm, remade a Portland abode with a crisp paint palette: Benjamin Moore’s Wrought Iron for the cladding and Venetian Gold for the front door. The home was originally designed by Saul Zaik in Southwest Portland, complete with a wood-clad exterior, in 1956. As part of the renovation, landscape design was completed by Lilyvilla Gardens.

At a 1954 midcentury home in the West hills of Portland, Penny Black Interiors deftly updated the residence with standout cabinetry, carefully-selected tile, and wallpaper galore. The renovation balanced preserving the home's innate character and updating its function for modern life.

Built in 1962, the four-bedroom, two-bath home has already been spruced up with modern features that respect the home’s original midcentury modern character. Highlights include updated bathrooms with Carrara marble and walnut cabinetry, a private backyard, and a renovated kitchen with a pretty impressive "edible garden" off the side.

This three-bedroom, three-bath home was given a makeover by artist and designer Lindsay Hollinger. The 1,116-square-foot residence sits on a five-acre lot, and the interior is swathed in natural light. While the space is almost entirely updated, there are remnants of the original house—including an original stone wall that stands as a focal point.

“We pulled apart one volume and staggered it along the buildable area of the property,” says architect Matthew Ahlberg of Portland firm Barrett Made. The home is clad in unfinished cedar, meant to weather over time.

HabHouse discovered that the home originally featured an earthy color palette of browns, grays, and greens. The home's current colors are inspired by another Straub design, The Thompson House on Poppy Peak Street in Pasadena.

Klopf Architecture's modest 72-square-foot addition at the front of the home blends in with the original structure while giving the owners a greater sense of openness in the master and hall bathrooms. Inside, the re-imagined great room now features dining space.

In southern Osaka, Japan, Horibe Associates designed a 911-square foot house that directs views outwards towards rice fields and woods beyond. However, at the center of the home is an open-air atrium with access from multiple rooms, creating garden-facing rooms that give a serene and nature-focused backdrop that changes with the seasons.

At the rear of the house, the garage and the adjacent warehouse form a secluded courtyard the owners enjoy as an extension of the dining room.

The mirror was replaced with a long window. The buffet moved with the owner from her childhood home. Black Eames chairs surround a generous wood table sourced by Annie Wise.

The home has 1,506 square feet of living space and a beautifully landscaped backyard, which features one of the home's highlights—a detached, 120-square-foot studio designed to match the main house.

This classic Eichler may not have an atrium, but it's priced slightly lower as a result.

Designed by architect Claude Oakland, this 1969 home is one of just a handful of the Gallery Eichlers—which are also known as the "Super-Eichlers." It's located in Walnut Creek’s Northgate enclave, which is the last tract of Eichler homes to be built in the East Bay. These models are coveted for their generous and well-designed floor plans—and 252 Clyde Drive is no different.

In the South Bay, San Jose–based BLAINE Architects expanded this Eichler by transforming the old carport into an atrium. A folding glass NanaWall system allows the owners to watch their kids in the playroom from the kitchen.

The home's post-and-beam construction leads the eye straight from the central atrium to the backyard on the opposite side.