The first thing that architect Risa Boyer noticed upon walking through this Portland, Oregon, home wasn’t anything inside—but rather the outdoors. “What stood out to me the most, once you got through the maze of the entry, was the connection to the backyard,” says Boyer.

Located in the Dunthorpe neighborhood, the 1955 home sits on a rare, wooded city lot that clocks in at over an acre. Yet while Boyer appreciated the sliding glass doors and transom windows at the rear of the house, the architect knew the indoor/outdoor connection could be even stronger.

Before: Entry and Living Room

The homeowners bought the house in 2018, and they sought to improve the home’s outdoor connection and “create much better flow throughout,” says Boyer. As it was, a solid wall down the center of the living spaces segmented the backyard views, isolated the kitchen and dining room, and also produced some weird circulation jogs from the entry. The mix of finishes from different eras—including a patchwork assemblage of flooring and a cottage-style pink-and-blue kitchen—weren’t doing the classic midcentury any favors.

After: Entry, Dining Room, and Living Room

Boyer worked with contractor Hammer and Hand on the whole house remodel. They started by removing walls in the main living area, and installing more glazing and skylights. Fixed picture windows became sliding glass doors that open to the yard, and new triangular transoms in the den and main bedroom underscore the classic angled roofline.

Before: Fireplace

After: Fireplace

What’s perhaps not as obvious is how the team rebuilt the ceiling plane, as well as the roof. “One challenge, which is common when working with older houses, is that it wasn’t well insulated,” says Boyer. “The roof structure is made up of that tongue-and-groove wood, and there’s no insulation. Then the roofing’s right on top of it.”

That lack of insulation can have a negative impact on a home’s energy efficiency, and the lack of a ceiling cavity meant there wasn’t space to run wires for overhead lighting. “So, what we’ve been doing on our midcentury projects is having the contractor build up a second layer of framing above the ceiling…that we can pack in with rigid insulation and also provide room for running electrical, so we can get lighting where we need it,” says Boyer.

Before: Living Room

After: Living Room

At the rear, the design team extended the roof to create a generous covered patio area, accessed by a 23-foot-long glass door that pockets into the wall for a seamless indoor/outdoor flow. Skylights at the covered patio bring in natural light, and the fireplace there is clad in Norman brick from Mutual Materials—the same as the interior fireplace—for consistency.

Shop the Look

Before: Rear Exterior

After: Rear Exterior

Before: Kitchen

After: Kitchen

Boyer retained the home’s post-and-beam structure, as well as the tongue-and-groove treatment at the ceiling. Stacked tile backdrops from Heath Ceramics, wood screens, and custom flat-front, rift-sawn walnut cabinetry all strike just the right balance between midcentury and contemporary. “Our approach to the built-ins and screens is inspired by midcentury design,” says Boyer. But much like the whole home, they have been “updated to actually function for how people need to live now.”

Before: Laundry Room

After: Den

Before: Main Suite

After: Main Suite

After: Kids’ Bath

Before: Bedroom

After: Gym

After: Outbuildings

Related Reading:

Acclaimed Architect Risa Boyer Reinvents Indoor/Outdoor Living

Project Credits:

Architect: Risa Boyer Architecture / @risaboyerarchitecture

Builder: Hammer and Hand

Structural Engineer: Grummel Engineering

Landscape Design: Lilyvilla Gardens

Cabinetry Design and Installation: Big Branch Woodworking

Mason: Rael, Inc.

Appears In

Before & After: A Radiant Renovation Opens a Portland Midcentury to Its Forested Lot