Mid Century Hilltop Haven

THIS VAN EVERA BAILEY HOME AND GARDEN RENOVATION FEATURES LARGE WINDOWS, GLASS WALLS, EXPANSIVE VIEWS AND AN OPEN COURTYARD TO CREATE A BEAUTIFUL AND PEACEFUL GETAWAY FROM THE CITY.

Nestled in the hills of southwest Portland,

this grand 1957 home designed by Northwest architect Van Evera Bailey seems to melt into the surrounding scenery and boasts incredible views of the city and landscape. For project manager Jake Weber and project architect Tim Schouten of Giulietti Schouten Weber Architects, every design project is individualized to the needs of the client as well as the location and context of the house. “A lot of our work can be considered modern, but at the root we simply are guided by our clients and listening to their needs, envisioning their dreams so they are realized,” Tim says. Utilizing many of the original design features, Jake and Tim formed an exterior design that met the homeowner’s needs, as well as created a cohesive flow and unity between indoor and outdoor spaces.

THE REDESIGN

One of the challenges with Mid Century Modern style is finding a balance between preserving the original design, realizing the homeowner’s goals and making functional updates. “True preservation is often difficult on the houses we have worked on, mainly because there is often no record of information or design intent from the original architect,” Jake says. In spite of this, Jake and Tim focused on bringing out the features that drew the homeowners to the house in the first place. “We always strive to maintain the unique characteristics of the home while bringing energy efficiency and certain amenities into the 21st century,” Jake says.

The house was built in 1957 and designed by Northwest architect Van Evera Bailey, who was known for building in steep, hilly locations. A guest house was added in 1987, but other prior remodels to the house and exterior are unknown. The original floor plan included only one bedroom, and the homeowner wanted more to accommodate his family. This presented a difficulty, as the house sits on a plateau and up against a steep slope, making it impossible to extend the square footage on the same level. “The challenge was to maintain the large iconic gable front with floor- to- ceiling views of the city with the addition of the new bedrooms,” Tim says. Additionally, the original roof design presented another barrier. “It featured low and sleek rooflines with large, thin gables, making a second- level addition a challenging design problem,” Jake says.

To overcome these architectural obstacles, Jake and Tim reworked the plan to keep the original roof design while also adding in a second floor. “In discovering a tapered upper- level floor plan, we were able to diminish the scale of the addition while pulling the exterior wall inward, centering the city views,” Jake says. “The result is a large, modern dormer with a low sweeping roof that opens up to an amazing view of Portland, the Willamette River and the Cascades beyond.”

EXTERIOR REFRESH

In addition to these changes to the architectural design, Jake and Tim worked to refresh the exterior so that it reflected a more modern feel while remaining true to the mid century style. “In general, the house was worn and a drabby taupe and blue color, and it needed a fair amount of heavy maintenance as we would discover in the construction of the remodel,” Jake says. This involved repairing the original laminate wood roof framing where it sagged, installing insulation and electrical, as well as adding extra windows and replacing the old ones for efficiency reasons.

The palette and materials used received an update as well, for stylistic and functional purposes. For the second floor exterior, they used hand- troweled plaster. “We looked for a way to differentiate the new addition from the existing form,” Jake says. They also replaced the original tongue- andgroove cedar exterior of the rest of the house with the same material. Lastly, they swapped the original wood- shingle roofing for asphalt as a low maintenance option that still pays homage to the mid century style.

IMMERSION

As in any renovation project, the location of this house provided much of the inspiration for the changes. “Working in the Pacific Northwest, we often find ourselves designing homes in spectacular locations with beautiful environments the homeowners want to immerse themselves in,” Jake says. In this project, they added several windows to connect the house with the surrounding context. “We’re taking advantage of views of nature but also extending the interior spaces outside and blurring the line of indoor and outdoor to achieve that immersive quality.”

One of the ways Jake and Tim achieved this was by updating the landscaping to better reflect the redesign of the home. Overgrown and even obstructing some of the incredible views of the home, many plants had to be cut back, moved or completely taken out. Similarly, hardscape was added to break up some of the foliage and bring continuity between the interior and exterior spaces. At the center is the courtyard, which gained more surface area when Jake and Tim reduced the guest house size by half. “The courtyard is probably our favorite exterior space because it is the central focus of the new design, shielded from the public but an extension of the main house, guest house and carport,” Tim says.

THE COURTYARD FIRE PIT SITS JUST OFF THE GUEST HOUSE. “WE ADDED SMALL AGGREGATE CONCRETE STEPS THAT GET YOU DOWN TO THE COURTYARD FROM THE GUEST HOUSE LIVING SPACE, AND THE HOMEOWNER ADDED FLORALS FOR POPS OF COLOR,” JAKE SAYS. THE LANDSCAPING REDESIGN ALSO INVOLVED REMOVING SOME LARGE BUSHES THAT HID AND BLOCKED THE HOUSE OFF FROM THE COURTYARD.

HERE, THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE FACES THE END OF THE DRIVEWAY. ON THE LEFT IS THE GLASS- DOOR GARAGE AND OPEN CARPORT, A SPECIFIC REQUEST OF THE HOMEOWNER. “HE WAS IN THE CAR INDUSTRY AND HAD AN AMAZING CAR COLLECTION THAT HE WANTED ON DISPLAY,” JAKE SAYS. THE HOMEOWNER WORKED DIRECTLY WITH THE LANDSCAPER TO BRING IN FLOWERS FOR A COLORFUL ADDITION, AS WELL AS SHRUBS AND TREES THAT REFLECT AND BLEND IN WITH THE SURROUNDING FLORA.

JAKE AND TIM WORKED TO FIND WAYS TO INCORPORATE ELEMENTS INTO THE DESIGN TO MAKE IT FEEL PERSONALIZED. THE NEW CUSTOM DOOR REFLECTS A UNIQUE ASPECT OF THE HOMEOWNER’S LIFE. “THE ENTRY DOOR COLOR PAID HOMAGE TO HIS CAR COLLECTION AND WAS MATCHED TO FERRARI’S ICONIC RED PAINT COLOR,” JAKE SAYS.

IN THE MAIN HOUSE KITCHEN, JAKE AND TIM MODIFIED THE ORIGINAL DESIGN TO CREATE A BRIGHTER AND MORE OPEN FEEL TO THE SPACE. “THE EXISTING KITCHEN SHARED SPACE WITH A SMALL, NONFUNCTIONAL FAMILY ROOM, AND THE OVERALL AREA WAS WALLED OFF FROM THE REST OF THE LIVING SPACE, MAKING IT FEEL DARK AND CRAMPED,” JAKE SAYS. “WE REMOVED THE DIVIDING WALLS AND A BUTLER’S PANTRY TO BETTER CONNECT THE KITCHEN TO THE DINING AND LIVING SPACES, WHICH ALSO HELPED BRING MORE LIGHT INTO THE KITCHEN AND OPEN UP THE ADJACENT FRONT ENTRY.”

THE COURTYARD SERVES AS THE PERFECT TEMPLATE FOR BRINGING TOGETHER INDOOR AND OUTDOOR DESIGN. “BOTH THE MAIN HOUSE AND GUEST HOUSE OPEN UP INTO IT, AND THE CARPORT PROVIDES AN OPEN LINK TO THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE AS WELL,” JAKE SAYS. THEY INSTALLED POCKETED SLIDING GLASS DOORS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OUTSIDE VIEWS AND TO PROVIDE A SMOOTH TRANSITION FROM INTERIOR TO EXTERIOR SPACES. “THESE WERE ESPECIALLY KEY TO HELP BRING IN MUCH NEEDED DAYLIGHT, DUE TO THE WIDE AND LOW EXISTING ROOF EAVES,” TIM SAYS. HARDSCAPES ADD TO THE OVERALL FINISH OF THE LANDSCAPE. “WE USED SMALL AGGREGATE CONCRETE WITH A FLAGSTONE BORDER TO MATCH SOME OF THE EXISTING PATIOS AND WALKWAYS AROUND THE HOUSE, WHICH ALSO WAS IN KEEPING WITH THE MID CENTURY STYLE,” JAKE SAYS.

ARI THE DOG TAKES SHELTER UNDER THE EXTENDED TONGUE- AND- GROOVE CEDAR EAVES THAT CONTINUE ALL AROUND THE PERIMETER OF THE HOUSE. “THE REST OF THE HOUSE IS CLAD IN TONGUEAND- GROOVE CEDAR THAT MATCHED THE EXISTING WOOD AND IS PAINTED A BOLD BUT TIMELESS COLOR,” JAKE SAYS. THE ORIGINAL DESIGN INCLUDED CEDAR EXTERIORS, A HALLMARK OF BAILEY’S STYLE. “HE RELIED ON THE SIMPLICITY OF CEDAR AS AN EXPOSED FINISH ON INTERIOR WALLS, EAVES AND SIDING, AS WELL AS BEAMS AND POSTS,” TIM SAYS. A SCULPTURE BY C. JERÉ ADORNS THE WALL AND GIVES THE SPACE A PERSONALIZED TOUCH.

ONE OF THE CHALLENGES OF RENOVATING AN OLDER HOME IS DETERMINING WHAT NEEDS TO BE UPDATED AND HOW BEST TO INTEGRATE THE UPDATES INTO THE ORIGINAL DESIGN. OF THE HOUSE, THE ORIGINAL WINDOWS WERE SUCCUMBING TO THE PASSAGE OF TIME AND WERE NOT EFFICIENT. JAKE AND TIM DECIDED TO UPDATE THE WINDOWS WHILE KEEPING THE ORIGINAL OPENINGS, AS THEY PROVIDE ONE OF THE MOST STUNNING VIEWS OF THE CITY ON THE PROPERTY. “NEW MODERN THERMALLY BROKEN INSULATED ALUMINUM WINDOWS WERE INSTALLED THAT MIMICKED THE EXISTING SLENDER WINDOW FRAMES BUT PROVIDED MUCH BETTER ENERGY EFFICIENCY,” JAKE SAYS.

IN THE MAIN HOUSE LIVING ROOM, THE SPACE IS UNCHANGED FROM THE ORIGINAL LAYOUT, WITH UPDATES TO THE WINDOWS AND FINISHINGS. “THE FIREPLACE IS ORIGINAL, BUT A GAS BURNER WAS INSTALLED FOR EASE OF USE,” JAKE SAYS. MARBLE FROM ITALY, CHOSEN BY THE HOMEOWNER, REPLACES THE ORIGINAL BRICK. THE FURNITURE IS A PART OF THE HOMEOWNER’S VINTAGE COLLECTION THAT HE FOUND AND REUPHOLSTERED.