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In Portland, Oregon, a culinary couple called on architect Michael Howells to raise the roof, revamp the floor plan, and spice up the kitchen.

Boyer relocated the laundry room and installed this cozy seating nook for the family in the old space. Occupants can interact with people in the kitchen, or appreciate the views into the front yard and mature trees.

New custom walnut cabinetry syncs with the rest of the built-ins throughout the home, to create a pleasing rhythm in the open plan. The backsplash is Heath Ceramics tile, and the counter is Pental Quartz. Open shelves at the rear overlook a cozy den, and allow sightlines out the new windows at the front of the home.

A midcentury-style walnut screen separates the entry from the living room, yet allows connection with its permeability.

"I get a lot of personal satisfaction from the stairs and continuous handrail that runs from the rooftop deck to the ground floor," says Adair. "The stairs and this handrail detail took quite some time to perfect before they were made."

The second floor is flooded with light; windows line the common corridor spaces.

The staircase was repositioned to create a skylight that floods the central spaces with soft light.

The design team subtly sculpted the wall around the top of the staircase. A CB2 Azalea Gray Mink chair sits in the hall.

"A steep or unstable site can make it difficult and costly to seismically retrofit a structure, or stabilize the site,” says Thomas Schaer at SHED Architecture and Design, a Seattle-based firm with extensive experience in adaptive reuse, as well as midcentury remodel. “There also may be land-use code provisions that limit or prevent development on the lot."

“We took a fair bit of influence from American Arts and Crafts houses, particularly in L.A., but with everything, I like to have a very Brisbane-centric end product,” says Wrightson.

Artwork by Octavia Tomyn adorns the living room, where Huggy faux-shearling chairs flank a Chub coffee table, both designed by Sarah Ellison. A neutral rug from Nikau ties the pieces together. The artwork is by Octavia Tomyn.

An expanded home office for Julie was a necessity in the latest renovation, and new skylights bring natural light throughout the day.

“Zarzales is a vacation home located in Valle de Bravo, whose architecture, simple and pure, gives the prominence it deserves tothe surrounding nature,” says the firm.

Sleek shelves and a wood accent wall warm the space, and Boyer specified exposed beams and an enlarged window.