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Jul 08 2017

If these old walls could speak – designer Vicki Simon reveals secrets to unveiling the soul of a Portland Foursquare on this year’s Irvington Home Tour

An American Foursquare with classical influences, the Bradshaw house was built in 1910 at a cost of $6,000

If you walked into the 1910 Bradshaw house featured on this year’s Irvington Home Tour, you might imagine that it’s little changed since namesake owners, Charles and Helen, moved in. Atmospheric, gracious, and lived-in, its rooms seem to be the work of generations – as though a succession of family members had stewarded the house gently into the 21st century.

In fact, the current owners bought it just 2+ years ago – for 246 times its original cost of $6,000. Having moved from a small contemporary loft in San Francisco, they brought no furniture to their 4889 square foot Foursquare in Portland. And though they appreciated its “vintage style,” they were, in their own words, “novices.”

Designer Vicki Simon doubled as a tour docent at the house

But they had the good luck to find local interior designer Vicki Simon’s profile on houzz.com. With a passion for old houses and 30 years’ experience, she designs unique spaces that respect period architecture and details; modern-day functionality; and clients’ tastes, treasures and history.

That’s not an easy balance to strike, but for Vicki, “The beauty’s in the mix.” She spares no effort to achieve storied and eclectic interiors that hang together in a seemingly effortless and inevitable way.

Case in point: the downstairs powder room. Originally a telephone room, it had already been converted in a nod to modern-day function. But the results were clumsy and workaday – with a lilac and green color scheme grounded in the oversized hexagonal floor tiles, a dropped ceiling and trim that didn’t play nicely with the original window frame, and a sink vanity that was too large for the space.

The powder room before...
...and after (David Papazian)

With architecture in her background, Vicki hand drew the design for a coffered ceiling. It still conceals structural beams inside the staircase, but adds height to the space, is well-integrated with the window frame, and echoes the historic character of the adjoining rooms.

She found an antique table for the sink vanity on one of many shopping trips. Unlike a bulky cupboard, its open legs create the illusion of more space while still offering storage. A bowl of hand towels rests in the stretchers near the floor, which is now resurfaced in discreet white 1-inch hex tiles.

A family hobby yields the finishing touch — a restored antique punch clock (David Papazian)

She was just as unstinting in other rooms. For the den beyond pocket doors, Vicki suggested a dark color scheme. It contrasts with the bright, reflective walls of the sitting room, marks off the area as a cozy retreat, and minimizes glare on the wall-mounted tv screen. A grey archival lotus print from Farrow and Ball covers the walls and tin tiles in a deep copper line the ceiling. The complex blue-black paint on the wainscoting and window and door frames was a hard-won success. When the first attempt turned out too blue, Vicki absorbed the cost of remixing and repainting. The space is finished with an antique punch clock. Restoring vintage pieces is a hobby in the clients’ family.

As part of the creative brief, they had asked for feminine curves to offset the Foursquare’s masculine angles. Vicki delivered in full measure – with an oval dining table and round coffee and breakfast tables, the swooping lines of armchairs and sofas, and lighting with curvy silhouettes. She scoured antique shops as far away as Seattle to find vintage fixtures and named each to ease communication with her clients and contractors. A metal lotus with a golden sheen, “Flor” illuminates the entry hall, for example.

Swoops and curves in the bright sitting room... (David Papazian)
...and in the dusky den (David Papazian)

Looking back on the 10-month experience, Vicki’s clients couldn’t be happier in their home. They credit her not only with “bringing out its soul,” but also with turning them into vintage design “aficionados.”

Want to see vintage homes on the market in Irvington and the rest of 97212? Just click here.

“Flor” lights the way in the entry hall (David Papazian)

Written by Catherine Quoyeser · Categorized: design, lifestyles, neighborhoods · Tagged: design, Foursquare, Irvington, Irvington Home Tour, Irvington neighborhood, lifestyles, neighborhoods, Portland neighborhoods, Vicki Simon

Dec 09 2016

Are you dreaming of a bathroom that cleanses body and soul? West Portland designer Caryl Hoffman can deliver

cherylHow do you turn a dated bathroom into a temple of well-being? Caryl Hoffman has the design chops, practical know-how and project portfolio to answer the question with ease and in photographic detail. For almost 20 years, she has run CK Hoffman Design from her Forest Heights home, helping families and businesses across the west side create inspiring environments that work.

“Most of my residential clients live in homes that are 10-25 years old and need cosmetic updates. Many have already remodeled their kitchens. Bathrooms are the next piece.”

Before
Before

Even repeat customers can be surprised by the cost.

“Bathrooms are small but complex. There’s a lot of plumbing, for example. So they run more per square foot than kitchens.”

In Caryl’s practice, the average bathroom remodel ranges from $30,000-40,000. That’s a hefty price tag considering that you can expect to recoup only about 63-74 percent of your investment in resale value, depending on whether the project is upscale or midrange. (For a “cost vs value” report with 2016 data for Portland, click here.)

But can you put a price on a “spa-like retreat” in your own home? Those words are most often used by Caryl’s clients to describe the look and feel of an ideal bathroom. “Fresh” and “relaxing” also come up frequently.

A recent project in Forest Heights lives up to all those descriptors. Though in good condition, the existing fiberglass shower, bold teal accent wall and seafoam blue ceramic tile reflected the home’s age (1994) and a workaday approach to personal hygiene. Caryl transformed the space with a thoughtful mix of trends, inexpensive standbys, some pricy materials and timeless workmanship.

After
After
  • The taupe and cream palette is sophisticated and restful
  • Handsome and high-end, mosaic tile accents and quartz counters add texture, contrast and personality
  • As do handy tile niches, glass shelves, matte stainless steel fixtures, a framed mirror and pops of color
  • Large-format field tiles and a frameless glass door give the walk-in shower a calm and spacious look, though only a few inches were added to its footprint
  • The sink and tub are standard issue, but dressed up with under-mounting and an elegant surround
  • The fold-up teak bench, grab bar and spray hose in the shower will allow the owners to age in place
Storage niches
Storage niches

Caryl has a strong record of completing projects on time, on budget and to high quality standards. Having bought and remodeled many rental properties with her husband, a mortgage banker, she is a veteran contractor. Careful planning and excellent, hands-on relationships with subcontractors carry the day.

“Each member of my team has expertise to share and contributes to the project’s success – not least my clients. I’m focused on their needs and wishes from start to finish.”

With an eye for the big picture and all the details, Caryl thinks of everything. For example, here’s her recipe for an aromatherapy salt bath. Enjoy!

  • 10 drops of essential oil e.g., lavender, rosemary or eucalyptus
  • 1/4 cup sea salt or Himalayan salt
  • 1/4 cup Epsom salt
  • 1/4 cup baking soda
  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
Age-in-place shower
Age-in-place shower

 

Written by Catherine Quoyeser · Categorized: design, home improvement, lifestyles · Tagged: design, home improvement, lifestyles

Oct 22 2016

Charm and history with your java? Cornell Farm opens café in 1926 family home

West Haven-Sylvan has a new, one-of-a-kind café. The gabled, yellow farmhouse at the corner of SW Barnes and 82nd has stood on the site since 1926.

That’s the year Swiss immigrant Wilhelm Blatter bought it and the surrounding 5 acres as a dairy farm. Three generations on, the dairy has become a destination nursery. In addition to growing and selling over 800 types of plants and a wide variety of garden supplies, Cornell Farm hosts classes and events, publishes a newsletter and – since July of this year – serves quality espresso with breakfast, lunch and baked goods.

The road to the café has been long and winding.

“Many customers have asked to tour the house over the years and some suggested a café,” says Zoe Blatter, who handles marketing, IT and deliveries for the family business.

Given the Blatters’ commitment to customer service, it’s not surprising that they took on what would become a 3-year project. One major hurdle was getting commercial zoning for the house, which Zoe’s grandfather Ted lived in until his death in 2008. A yearlong study was required to gauge the impact of a café on traffic along Barnes Road. The Blatters also succeeded in registering the house as a historic building in Washington County.

cornell-farm-3
Monkey Puzzle Tree

Renovations were another chapter in the process. The best features of the house have been preserved. It was designed and built by a local architect whose wife decided against moving in because she didn’t want to live in the country. The fireplace, built-ins, windows, hardwood floors (protected for around 60 years by wall-to-wall carpeting) and even the entry hall light fixture are original. Now open to the public, the territorial view from the sun room and back garden are as arresting as ever. And the front yard is still shaded by a luxuriant Monkey Puzzle tree that was brought to Portland from Chile for the Lewis & Clark Exposition of 1905.

“The biggest task was putting in a commercial kitchen,” Zoe says.

A well-known specialist on the local restaurant scene, Sean Herron of Big Idea Group helped with planning and managing the renovation. A graduate of the New England Culinary Institute, cafe manager and executive chef Sara Strong created the Northwest-inspired seasonal menu.

Of course, the café is an investment as well as a labor of love.

Berkeley Blatter

“The nursery business is highly seasonal, peaking in April and May,” Zoe explains.

A steady, year-round revenue stream, the café draws people to the nursery while enhancing the customer experience and company brand. This latest foray into the experience economy builds on the established strengths of Cornell Farm – a local, family-owned business focused on quality and customer service and located on a main road in a close-in residential area.

Along with his parents, Ed and Deby, and sisters, Berkeley and Ranann, Zoe is carrying forward a tradition of neighborliness. The nursery brings life, history and community to West Sylvan-Haven while helping to grow the local economy, jobs and property values.

Located at 8212 SW Barnes Rd, Cornell Farm is open 7 days a week 9am – 6pm. Café hours are 7am – 6pm daily.

 

Written by Catherine Quoyeser · Categorized: lifestyles, neighborhoods · Tagged: lifestyles, neighborhoods

Jun 03 2015

Want to learn about Portland neighborhoods? Take an architectural history walking tour

On tour with Eric Wheeler
On tour with Eric Wheeler

Want to learn more about Portland and its neighborhoods in good company? Architectural historian, Eric Wheeler, leads Meetup walking tours of the city along all compass points. With a long career in historic preservation and heritage tourism, he relocated from the Midwest about 6 years ago after falling for – in his words – “this unique, world-class city.”

Q: What makes Portland unique and world-class in your view?

A. Simply, the natural and human landscape. It’s a West Coast city not bound by the traditions or “shoulds” that prevail in the East and Midwest. And in recent years, Portland’s inventive spirit has attracted cultural creatives in the fine and performing arts, architectural design and urban livability.

Q: What’s your favorite building or architectural style in the city?

A: I love the residential, commercial and public buildings influenced by the Arts and Crafts Movement of the early 20th century. In America we call this the Craftsman Style and it had a major impact on architectural design here from the 1890s to the 1930s, the period when Portland experienced a building and population boom.

Q: How did you get into the walking tour business?

A: I’ve spent much of my career as an architectural historian researching and writing reports, surveys and National Register nominations. But I’ve found even more satisfaction in leading walking tours. They give people an immediate and personal connection with the built environment. It makes my day when people say something like “Oh, so that’s what an American Foursquare looks like! Now I’ll notice that style every time I walk in my neighborhood.”

Q: How many different tours have you created and how do you go about it?

A: I just reorganized my file cabinet the other day and realized that I have over 50 different local walking tours I can pull “off the shelf.” Most are in downtown and the historic inner eastside and westside neighborhoods, but they range from Forest Grove to Gresham and Vancouver to Oregon City. I often say that every neighborhood and town has some buildings of historic and architectural interest.

As a relative newcomer to the area, I usually start with my own curiosity about a neighborhood. I find a centrally located spot and go from there. I take my camera and shoot photos of buildings and sites I want to include on the tour. I make some notes in the field and then go back home to my computer. Though I like old-fashioned archival research, so much is available online nowadays.

Q: It’s easy to see why newcomers and visitors to Portland sign up for walking tours. What brings long-time residents out?

A: Some of my most faithful customers are natives or near-natives who enjoy seeing their hometown from the perspective of a trained architectural historian and recovering Midwesterner. Often they say that tours help them to see the city with “new eyes” – a huge compliment! And, of course, neighborhoods are changing in this early 21st-century Portland boom.

Q: Do you have a top touring memory?

A:  I would have to call them “serendipitous” moments – the homeowner who invites us in for an impromptu tour, or the participant who shares that their grandfather built the landmark we’re standing in front of. So it’s the personal connections between people and places that make this work fascinating and memorable.

To learn more about Eric’s walking tours, visit Positively Portland.

Written by Catherine Quoyeser · Categorized: buyers, events, lifestyles, neighborhoods · Tagged: buyers, events, lifestyles, neighborhoods

Apr 27 2015

Up-and-coming Cully could be the right neighborhood for you

4628 NE Wygant (Steve Haning)
4628 NE Wygant (Steve Haning)

Northeast Portland’s Cully was in the spotlight last week. The neighborhood received a grant of half a million dollars from the federal government to develop a 25-acre park on a former landfill. And a new home on NE Wygant was among 8 featured in the Modern Home Tour I attended on April 25th.

These events may seem unrelated. But they are part of a larger trend. If this large, diverse and historically low-income neighborhood were a stock, analysts would surely give it a “buy” rating.

Three census tracts covering most of Cully were gentrified between 2000 and 2015, according to a study by Governing, a Washington DC-based magazine targeting state and local officials. In fact, Portland was found to lead the national pack in this regard, with the highest rate (58 percent) of gentrification of any major city reviewed.

As Cully gentrifies, it has attracted new investment and in-fill like the home on Wygant. The 2,800+ square foot property resembles a Craftsman on the outside, but its interior space offers high-quality modern design and materials. Portland developer/builder Brent Keys has listed it for sale at $725,000.

Meanwhile, green social investment will likely take area property values higher. A well-maintained public park or recreational area can boost the value of nearby homes by 8-20 percent. Cully saw its first developed park open on April 24. Set on 2.4 acres and serving about 1,500 families, Khunamokwst Park features a playground, nature and water play areas, a picnic shelter, a small skateboard park and paths for walking and jogging.

The 25 acres set aside for Thomas Cully Park are already home to a 35-plot community garden designed by local middle school students. Further development is a joint venture of the City of Portland, the non-profit organization Verde, and private partners. With funding from these players and the new federal grant, the Park is expected to feature restored habitat, a playground and soccer field, a walking trail with exercise equipment, scenic overlooks, an off leash dog area, and a Native American garden.

In short, Cully is an ideal neighborhood if you value:

  • a location close to downtown and to hip commercial hubs like Fremont Street and Alberta Arts
  • diversity
  • lower home prices or more bang for the buck than many other eastside neighborhoods
  • new or developing green spaces
  • the prospect of further gains in property values

Written by Catherine Quoyeser · Categorized: buyers, gentrification, lifestyles, neighborhoods · Tagged: buyers, gentrification, lifestyles, neighborhoods