Outdoors

The 1958 home in Southwest Portland has an unassuming cedar-shingled exterior.

The restored home sits on a quiet, manicured lot filled with soaring trees and native plants.

Mabe Residence at Golden Hour

The simple wood deck features innovative cutouts that allow full-grown Yucca trees to peek through.

Filled with predominately Australian plants, the garden is easy to look after.

Landscape studio Moody Graham collaborated on the garden design, planting mostly edibles and a riot of flowers. The steel trellis crowns the built-in limestone bench and lavender-filled planters.

The previous homeowners had cultivated a large, Asian-inspired garden. The courtyard centers around this towering, bushy tree.

The dining table is vintage. Having a meal means you're surrounded by nature.

When the team presented the plans to the neighborhood historical society for approval, “everyone was thrilled,” says Martin Locraft, a member of the architecture team.

the Summerhus

the garden whit r natural rock

The rebuilt “Idea House,” designed by Holly Freres and David Horning of JHL design. The driveway is permeable to encourage good drainage: crushed granite gravel is installed over a stabilization mat. James Hardie exterior siding is painted in Benjamin Moore ‘White Dove,’ with reclaimed wood used for the entry and garage.

The new addition is spanned by a sliding glass door to the kitchen, bringing in much more natural light and creating easy flow between inside and out. The owners especially appreciate how the new deck is at grade with the exterior door for a seamless transition, making the kitchen feel “a part of the garden,” says the homeowner.

After staying in a tree house listed on Airbnb, Remo Kommnick and Emi Moore wanted their own getaway in the woods. "It was amazing being up in the trees,

The pool and surrounding landscape connect the architecture with the wooded park just beyond the yard. “We used the softer textures of ornamental grasses, Japanese maples, and perennial plantings to balance the rectilinear lines of the pool and the house,” says Josh Myers of Myers + Co. Landscape Architecture.

The rear facade is a complex articulation of angles and walkways.

The Cotage