Hillside House

Location
Portland, OR

Size
5,252 SF

Believe it or not... it's a remodel.
The owners of this 1940’s single-story house were expecting, so they wanted to expand their home to meet the needs of their growing family. There was a list of areas with room for improvement—a small one-car garage, low ceilings in the basement, a compact first-floor layout and minimal second-floor space. A savvy strategy makes this a masterminded remodel. The key to this methodical plan was going downward by digging the basement deeper.
Large windows and sliding glass doors face a view of Mount Hood at the back of the Hillside House.

The renovated Hillside House is three stories tall with a tuck under garage.

The first floor and front living room bay wall were maintained and then the remodel was built around that footprint. In the end, the home also extends upward to include a second floor plus a full attic with a steeply sloped roof.

The former house was two stories tall with a tuck under garage.
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Before
After
A new chimney made of cut basalt stone replaces the former brick chimney at the Hillside House.

Well crafted, natural materials with traditional lines.


With an opportunity to recreate the shell of the structure, critical energy moves were proposed. Rainscreen cladding with exterior insulation at the walls provides several benefits. It allows the wall cladding to dry, reduces energy leaks and allows the mechanical system to be right-sized. At the roof, this strategy starts to look foreign as it inflates the roof edge beyond the expected traditional lines. So, rigid insulation was sprayed just underneath the roof deck. This supported insulating the entirety of the building volume and prevented some of the leaky spots associated with traditional construction while providing traditional exposed wood-framed eaves.

Given the new height of the building, the floors were divided with a custom flare detail in the shingle cladding that creates a shadow line, breaking down the height of the new structure.

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Before
After

A heavy 9/4 (two-inch) window trim suggests traditionally built solid wood windows.


However, the windows are actually modern insulated casements with simulated cottage-style divided lights. The shingle flare detail was extended to each window creating a natural drip that tucked up under the siding as it rose on the wall.

Window headers feature a custom flair detail at the Hillside House.
A custom glass front door and sidelite painted bright blue welcome visitors to the Hillside House.
Wall sconces light the exterior of the garage at the Hillside House.
A large island creates a place for guests to hang out during meal prep in the Hillside House kitchen.

The revamped layout supports a large, luxurious kitchen. The traditional aesthetic is reinforced with painted flush-inset, recessed panel cabinets and crown mouldings. The granite counters, stainless steel appliances and polished nickel fixtures add subtle contrast and a touch of shine.


The Clayhaus tile backsplash is a tapestry of soothing blues and greens, the client’s favorite collection of colors.

Granite countertops with a custom tile backsplash create an inviting space to prepare meals in the Hillside House kitchen.
Stainless steel appliances are featured in the kitchen at the Hillside House.
The dining area features a wet bar and custom storage cabinetry at the Hillside House.

The delightful tile provides a kaleidoscope detail in the dining room niche.

Granite countertops and a custom tile backsplash create an inviting space to prepare breakfast at the Hillside House.
Granite countertops and a stainless steel sink provide beautiful yet durable surfaces for meal prep in the Hillside House kitchen.

Details, details and more details.


The stair design provides the classic white riser-wood tread combo. The white oak from the floor is repeated in the handrail and accented with a decorative black iron guardrail.

A dramatic skylight infuses the shower experience with ambiance—casting fun shadow shapes across the luxurious tile surfaces day and night.

A custom guardrail enlivens the Hillside House stair, which connects all four stories of the house.
A large skylight brightens the primary bathroom shower at the Hillside House.
Sunlight from the skylight over the shower creates interesting patterns on the wall tile at the Hillside House.

Tile is the design hero in the bathroom—gorgeous tile details everywhere.

Custom mosaic wall tile is featured on the shower walls at the Hillside House.
Custom mosaic tile is featured on the shower floor at the Hillside House.
Custom mosaic tile creates a border around the toilet room at the Hillside House.
Custom mosaic tile creates the illusion of an area rug in front of the sink vanity at the Hillside House.
The Hillside House is all lit up at night.