Dunthorpe, Portland Oregon
Remodeled: 2008
Contractor: Green Gables Design and Restoration/ Dave Lucas, project manager

Originally built in the teens, this house had undergone several major additions and remodels since then. In this remodel, the owners wanted to re-arrange the interior in order to add an elevator, create better interior spaces, and to take better advantage of the unique setting on the Willamette River. A minor amount of new square footage was added as well. The front entrance and the dining room were relocated, all of the windows were replaced, a master suite was added to the second floor, and the living room was reconfigured with a wooden truss vaulted ceiling and masonry fireplace. Materials and craftsmanship were given particular attention in this project, with an emphasis on durability and livability.
There is a point where it is less expensive to demolish a house entirely and build anew instead of remodeling it. That would have been the case here, except that the positive attributes of design and construction which had been built or 'learned' in previous construction phases would have been lost. Although remodeling instead of building anew costs somewhat more, this house has a character which it otherwise would lack.  Photography:  Corky Miller