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Interior view of the master bedroom

Dining nook

Kitchen counter

A woodstove by Stuv is anchored by a bookshelf and firewood storage.

Stairs leading up to workshop space

The upper floor layout was rejiggered so that the kids' bedroom could be relocated, and now a cantilevered addition at the back of the house hosts a library space with full-height glass capturing a view to the backyard. The built-in shelving has a rich blue laminate, and the tiled wall to the left denotes the light well into the kitchen.

This reconfigured Craftsman home in Portland, Oregon, designed by Beebe Skidmore Architects, includes a highly functional mudroom. The exterior siding and windows were kept in place to reference the house’s previous incarnation. Built-in cabinetry with exposed plywood edges and laminate fronts are now up to the task of handling the family’s gear. The mudroom has sight lines to the family nook at the back corner.

Before: The architects co-opted five feet of an unused side yard to create a new entrance at the driveway that leads into a hyper-functional mudroom.

A cantilevered addition creates more space for the kitchen and pantry, as well as this cozy new family nook.

A view of the dormer from the upper level.

Now the facade is distinguished by bright yellow and soft gray paint, and oversize windows.

SHED embraced the angled corners with custom cabinetry. According to Hale, the inspiration images that the couple chose were “less American Midwest farmhouse, and more contemporary Scandinavian farmhouse,” which inspired the design team to consult Scandinavian farm layouts for the master plan.

Not every client-designer relationship would have thrived under such extreme circumstances, but Dovey credits Sarah and Ben’s attitude for the project’s success. “They were observant and thoughtful, and really took the time to ask all the right questions,” says Dovey. “In the end, it went so well just because of the great relationships.”