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Houzz Tour: An Old Oregon Library Starts a New Chapter
With an addition and some renovation love, a neglected Craftsman building becomes a comfortable home and studio
This 1915 Craftsman cottage in Sellwood, Oregon, has a storied history: It originally served as a library. When the branch moved to larger digs, the building was used as a community center and a church, but then it sat empty for several years before a couple of New York voiceover artists saw past its dilapidated state and fell in love with it.
The structure was mostly just one large room, but a sensitive renovation and small addition transformed it into a modest residential cottage complete with a recording studio. Working with the design team at Jessica Helgerson Interior Design, contractor Gregor Mitchell of The Works completed the renovation in about 10 months. Here are the captivating results.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple of voiceover artists
Location: Just outside Portland, Oregon
Size: About 1,560 square feet on the main floor and 340 square feet in the basement; 2 bedrooms, 1½ bathrooms
Remodel budget: $450,000, including fees
Photography by Lincoln Barbour
The structure was mostly just one large room, but a sensitive renovation and small addition transformed it into a modest residential cottage complete with a recording studio. Working with the design team at Jessica Helgerson Interior Design, contractor Gregor Mitchell of The Works completed the renovation in about 10 months. Here are the captivating results.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple of voiceover artists
Location: Just outside Portland, Oregon
Size: About 1,560 square feet on the main floor and 340 square feet in the basement; 2 bedrooms, 1½ bathrooms
Remodel budget: $450,000, including fees
Photography by Lincoln Barbour
AFTER: The interior is still mostly one large room. The suspended ceiling and fluorescent lights were removed, opening the space to its full height. "Once the dropped ceilings were gone, the design team thought the space felt like the underside of a boat," Mitchell recalls. They enhanced this look by adding fake boxed beams. "By using the boxes, we were able to do a few sneaky things, like hiding a cold-air return right into one of them," he says.
A window seat conceals storage and the television, which is on an automated lift. French doors, sidelights and a transom have replaced windows and connect the main living space to a deck in the backyard.
Chair, ottoman: Grande Papilio, B&B Italia; woodstove: Fireorb
A window seat conceals storage and the television, which is on an automated lift. French doors, sidelights and a transom have replaced windows and connect the main living space to a deck in the backyard.
Chair, ottoman: Grande Papilio, B&B Italia; woodstove: Fireorb
AFTER: A mahogany deck and flagstone patio extend the living space outside. To the right is a new garage and potting shed; to the left you can see the addition, which contains two new bedrooms and a full bathroom.
The mix of lap siding and flared shingles replicates the original exterior. Mitchell was able to salvage and reuse some of the old siding material, flipping it over and using the plain cedar side to line the potting shed.
The mix of lap siding and flared shingles replicates the original exterior. Mitchell was able to salvage and reuse some of the old siding material, flipping it over and using the plain cedar side to line the potting shed.
The original windows were also painstakingly measured and replicated, including the frames, mullions and diamond-paned transoms. The team also sourced vintage-style window hardware, like sash locks and stays. (Mitchell recommends sources like Rejuvenation and House of Antique Hardware.) The original Douglas fir floors were in bad shape but were restored and repaired; boards that couldn't be salvaged were replaced with reclaimed vintage boards that had to be seamlessly laced into the surface. "You can't find the same grain and coloring in new material," Mitchell says.
In furnishing the cottage, Jessica Helgerson's design team cleverly mixed pieces from different eras and made of different materials, including classic modern Hans Wegner Wishbone dining chairs, Cherner counter stools, a dining table made of wood reclaimed from a pipe organ, Tom Dixon Beat Pendant Lights and a walnut Ursuline Desk from Ligne Roset
In furnishing the cottage, Jessica Helgerson's design team cleverly mixed pieces from different eras and made of different materials, including classic modern Hans Wegner Wishbone dining chairs, Cherner counter stools, a dining table made of wood reclaimed from a pipe organ, Tom Dixon Beat Pendant Lights and a walnut Ursuline Desk from Ligne Roset
This rolling library ladder is a functional — and appropriate — addition to the kitchen, providing access to cabinets that kiss the 11-foot ceilings. The wavy glass on the cabinet doors is new but has a vintage look. The bin pull hardware is typical of the building's era.
The two bedrooms in the addition are modest, with every square inch maximized via lots of built-in storage. The arched headboard recess here adds to the cozy feel; niches on either side provide spots for flowers, lights and books.
Bird sculpture: Mark Chatterley; pendant: Spinning Light, Benjamin Hubert
Bird sculpture: Mark Chatterley; pendant: Spinning Light, Benjamin Hubert
French doors give the master bedroom direct access to the deck and backyard. The V-groove ceilings in the bedrooms and hallway are another nod to the building's original style.
Encaustic concrete floor tiles add character to the home's new (and only) full bathroom. The freestanding soaking tub is a modern version of what might have been there had this been a residence back in the day. The design team wrapped the room in paneling; two of the panels open to reveal recessed storage.
Iris soaking tub: Cheviot; sink: Lutezia, Porcher
Iris soaking tub: Cheviot; sink: Lutezia, Porcher
More built-ins maximize storage space in the guest room, creating a niche for a Douglas fir desk with a view.
The renovations also included digging out the basement for a professional recording studio, so that both women can work long-distance from here. The basement also has a sauna and a laundry room. This made the most of the space available with minimal expansion of the home's original footprint.
Chair: vintage
More: 5 Incredible Home Conversions
The renovations also included digging out the basement for a professional recording studio, so that both women can work long-distance from here. The basement also has a sauna and a laundry room. This made the most of the space available with minimal expansion of the home's original footprint.
Chair: vintage
More: 5 Incredible Home Conversions
The neighborhood, which dates back to the late 1800s, has a mix of homes in Victorian and Craftsman styles. While historical guidelines weren't imposed upon them, the homeowners, designers and builders made heroic efforts to be true to the original house's period architecture and details.
There was one minor change to the facade: A small side porch was enclosed to create an entry vestibule, complete with special drawers for dog equipment, such as leashes. This kind of porch enclosure is very common on buildings like this one.
At the same time, the renovations made the home more energy efficient. The original lap siding, shingles and windows had to be removed, but they were carefully replicated, and the home was insulated to code.