As they assessed the 7,000-square-foot property, which spans two combined row houses and includes six bedrooms and bathrooms, one thing was certain: the challenge wasn't starting from scratch, but refining what was already there. Early on, Buxbaum Gordon and the clients agreed that replacing new materials felt wasteful. Instead, the focus became layering in warmth and personality through finishes and furnishings. The guiding principle was to refine, not rebuild.
Here at Property Watch, we love Portland's "everyday houses": the common foursquares, ranches, and bungalows that line our streets and make up much of the city's housing stock. While they tend to be less showy and ornate, they're no less important, says architectural historian Thomas Hubka, for "their significant contribution to the over-all quality of our city's quality of life." Even more so when they become the subject of a creative makeover, like this jewel box of a bungalow in the Roseway neighborhood.
