Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Artful Update for a 1980s Postmodern Gem in Oregon
A new double-height fireplace, glass-enclosed sunroom and open staircase help update an architectural lakeside home
The front entry opens into a dramatic double-height living space and dining room, with Douglas fir-trimmed windows overlooking Lake Oswego. The new two-story fireplace is made of black marble that has been honed to look almost gray. A midcentury artichoke lamp over the dining table demarcates the dining area. Boyer Leritz refinished the original white oak floors in an ebony stain.
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Before. The original staircase was closed in and carpeted. The architect opened the staircase to create a dramatic and airy living space.
A new steel stringer staircase with floating wood treads opens up the space. Boyer added a large window on the gray-painted wall in the dining room to frame a vine-entwined shade tree and a new patio.
Boyer transformed a dark library with one tiny window into a glass sunroom that bumps out to overlook Lake Oswego. She also designed the new sunroom to showcase a large work of stained glass with irises and greenery that the homeowners created themselves.
The new sunroom was “an opportunity to take the steel-and-glass style from the front of the house and bring it around to the side,” Boyer says. “The glass block is manufactured in Italy and is trapezoidal in shape, so it’s not a perfect rectangle and creates a lovely scalloped effect.”
The master bedroom on the house’s third floor features a new “headboard” alcove of textured wood with cove lighting. A wall of custom built-in cabinets provides ample storage space.
In the master bathroom, Boyer installed a skylight to bring in natural light over the floating vanity with integral sinks. The vanity cabinetry is Douglas fir that’s topped with a charcoal gray Caesarstone. The slender, built-in sconces alongside the mirrors feature LED trim lights.
The shower wall is covered in Marone Toscano travertine tile from Ann Sacks. The shower floor features hexagonal tiles from United Tile. The bathroom floor is rift quarter-sawn white oak stained black.
The design team enclosed the path from the house to the detached garage with floor-to-ceiling glass, which maintains the outdoor connection while shielding the owners from the elements as they go back and forth between the structures. The new breezeway offers a shady respite, while providing access to the original kitchen and outdoor eating area.
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Find architects and building designers near you
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A married couple with two grown sons
Size: 3,400 square feet (315.9 square meters)
Location: Lake Oswego, Oregon
Architect: Risa Boyer Leritz, Risa Boyer Architecture
A former Nike designer and his wife purchased this 1980s postmodern house outside Portland, Oregon. They loved the home’s open layout and many of its original details but wanted to update it with some contemporary fixtures and finishes.
The home features an exterior of stucco and glass block. Architect Risa Boyer Leritz connected the existing garage to the house with a new steel-and-glass enclosure. To balance the sleek materials, Boyer Leritz added a vertical-grain Douglas fir front door and beam for a rustic touch.