Property Watch: Why This Designer's House Sold in Four Days

"With its tall, sprawling grasses and naturalistic feel, it's like you're walking through a meadow, which it turns out, was the point. The home's owner is self-taught designer Robin Cornuelle, of the studio Jean Armour, and every square inch of her Northeast Portland property-from the landscaping to the historic main house to the newer ADU in the backyard-has been meticulously designed to highlight materials and artisan-made goods in all their natural glory."

"Let's start with the main house, an 1894 Dutch Colonial in Woodlawn that's purportedly one of the neighborhood's oldest. Cornuelle maintained its classic gambrel roofline over the front porch, while updating nearly everything else on the exterior, like the siding, trim, windows, light fixtures, and mailbox. A bespoke Douglas fir front door with a large circular window reads more modern than the rest of the traditional detailing, and hints at the interior approach."

"There, the palette is pared back, all the better to draw attention to the artisan details sprinkled throughout: think hand-forged hooks inside the entry, or the bathroom's fir mirror by Emily Johnson. The living room has a real analog feel, thanks to the freestanding wood-burning stove as a focal point at one end. Meanwhile, in the kitchen, gorgeous quarter sawn white oak cabinets from Eastside Woodworks and Carrara marble countertops sidle up beside more high-tech, professional-grade appliances, such as the Bertazzoni induction range."

A meadow-like landscape of tall, sprawling grasses leads to a meticulously redesigned 1894 Dutch Colonial in Woodlawn and a newer backyard ADU. The owner, self-taught designer Robin Cornuelle of Jean Armour, preserved the classic gambrel roofline while modernizing siding, trim, windows, and fixtures. A bespoke Douglas fir front door with a circular window introduces a pared-back interior palette that spotlights artisan details such as hand-forged hooks and an Emily Johnson fir mirror. The living room centers on a freestanding wood-burning stove. The kitchen pairs quarter-sawn white oak cabinets and Carrara marble with professional-grade appliances. The layout includes a main-floor bedroom and bath, two upstairs bedrooms plus an office with built-ins, and a two-story 850-square-foot ADU in the backyard. The property went pending after four days on the market.

Read at Portland Monthly