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River Sol May Be One of the World’s Most Sustainable Homes

Lisa and Scott May were not looking for a transformational building project when they noticed a “For Sale” sign while walking along the Deschutes River Trail one summer day in 2018. On a whim, they walked up the staircase to see what lay on the elevated property above First Street Rapids Park. With towering ponderosa pines and river views, they immediately felt at home on the land.

“It had a complete stillness to it, which is nurturing and soothing to the mind, body and spirit,” said Lisa.

They bought the property in March 2019, and the ideas immediately began swirling. The Mays didn’t want to build just any house. Both are deeply committed to sustainability: Scott is a food scientist focusing on regenerative food systems, and Lisa is a leadership coach who helps individuals and organizations unlock potential through science-based technologies. They decided to pursue a LEED-certified building concept and then heard about the International Living Future Institute and the Living Building Challenge (LBC). The “Mount Everest” of sustainable architecture, the LBC is the world’s most rigorous and aspirational green building certification with standards such as generating 105% of the energy used on site.

River Sol Bend Home

“There is a reason they call it a challenge,” said Lisa. “There were a lot of big hurdles to overcome throughout the process.” The greatest was designing a water system that met the LBC criteria to use only captured water and manage wastewater to meet city and DEQ standards, she described.

The home, which they named River Sol, has stylish and functional bioregional modern architecture specifically adapted to help the structure sustain the elements in Bend. The shed roofs collect rain and snow melt, funneling it into a 15,000-gallon cistern—capturing enough water to use throughout the year.

The choice of architects for the project was easy for the Mays in light of their ambitions. They selected architects Al Tozer and Cecile Cuddihy of Tozer Design. Tozer and Cuddihy designed Desert Rain in Bend, the world’s first residential full Living Certified building. The Mays are in the Living Building Challenge “performance period” where they must occupy and monitor key metrics such as energy and water use for a year. They’ll learn if River Sol earns Living Certification by the end of 2025.

Sustainable Home Bedroom

Taking Cues From Nature

From the street, River Sol looks imposing. Creating a tall structure was the only way to position the solar array high enough to reach the sun above the site’s tall trees.

Once inside, the home is warm and inviting. Mimicking a deciduous shade tree, the roof overhangs keep the hot sun from touching the windows or the glass doors in the summer. Natural light filters in from every angle, and operable glass walls and windows let in cool breezes. In the winter, when the sun is lower, light streams inside, warming the concrete slab floors and living spaces.

“River Sol is incredibly well connected to place,” said Tozer. “When you are in the home, you are also outside the home because of the transparency of the walls and that interaction between you and the [outside] environment.”

Interior designers Jeannie Legum, Lisa Arballo and Taelor Lang of Legum Design understood the principles of the Living Building Challenge and used biophilic design—a philosophy that connects people to nature in built environments—to carry a sense of place throughout the home’s interior design. The team chose autumnal tones for the kitchen and main living area, which is anchored by a basalt wrapped fireplace at one end of the space that heats the entire home. The golden yellow kitchen backsplash consists of leaf-patterned tile emulating falling leaves. The tile in the primary bathroom shower recalls a pixelated rushing river. The home’s exterior is clad partly in reclaimed cedar planks from trees affected by the 2020 fires near Detroit Lake. In the primary suite, the wood comes from outdoors onto the ceiling inside and continues vertically down the wall behind the bed.

“It’s like a cozy tree house where you feel immediately connected to nature and relaxed,” said Arballo.

Sustainable Home Bend

Regenerative Home Finishes

River Sol is made up of two separate dwelling units, and Lisa uses the second unit for her office and retreats. The home’s sweeping patio is tiered like an amphitheater and looks down onto a riparian environment and the First Street Rapids Park.

Scott and Lisa May Bend River Sol Home

A showcase for artisans and artists specializing in sustainable furniture and art, every piece in the home tells a story. In the living room, the coffee table is made from a live-edge reclaimed walnut slab. The team from Ecobalanza in Seattle crafted the sectional from organic leather. The bed in the primary suite, a custom design from Modern Honor, features an asymmetrical steel wave base that recalls the river below. A colorful piece of regenerative art by native Bahamian artist Dr. Desiree Cox is not only beautiful; it’s a sensory experience. The viewer sees something new every time they look at the abstract patterns, colors and textures.

Similarly, the home is a living example of how architecture can be beautiful, functional and nourishing.

“This project aligns with everything we believe in,” said Lisa, “and embodies a sustainable way of being.”

river sol sustainable home bend oregon

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Historic Renovation of the The McCann House

The term multigenerational can have multiple meanings. The McCann House, one of Bend’s most recognizable homes, underwent a Herculean renovation, resulting in a lasting legacy. The family that saved it from demise were the skilled craftspeople who helped restore it and the Historic District, one of Bend’s oldest neighborhoods.

Preserves a Gem of Bend for Future Generations

The imposing four-level house was built in 1916 for Thomas McCann, the vice president and general manager of the Shevlin-Hixon Company. He arrived in Bend from Minnesota, bringing with him a sophisticated sensibility along with his family. David C. Lewis, a renowned Portland architect, was enlisted to bring his signature Georgian Colonial design to the emerging city. After having eight private owners during the 100 years since the mill sold the house into private ownership, along with a sagging roof and decades of deferred maintenance, the house was in need of a benefactor. “It hadn’t been loved,” said Melissa Barnes Dholakia, who along with her husband Sanjay Dholakia, had previously renovated a historic home when they lived in Oakland, California. “Unfortunately, [maintenance] got away,” she said. Sanjay added, for “any rational person,”  taking on the project was a bad idea. But with a penchant for historic preservation that runs in the family, and community-mindedness, the Barnes Dholakias were all in.

The McCann House exterior
Photo courtesy of The Deschutes Historical Society

Generations of Family

Melissa fell in love with Bend decades ago as she headed to Whitman College, stopping along the way to backpack the Three Sisters Wilderness and climb at Smith Rock. “Bend is where I’ve come home to for a long time,” she said. She and Sanjay married at Broken Top 26 years ago. Her parents have lived in Bend for more than three decades, and her mother, writer and former journalist Christine Barnes, served on the Bend Landmarks Commission and penned the book Great Lodges of the National Parks as a nod to preservation and design.

Many of the original trees are still on the property. The view from the front of what is now Congress Street.

On the National Register of Historic Places, the McCann House was a center of attention when it went into foreclosure in 2017. Sited on four city lots, developers had their sights on razing the home and building homes or condominiums. Hearing about the intense interest from developers, Sanjay and Melissa were extra motivated to save the property. They bought the home in April of 2018.

Saving the McCann House

“I’d driven by the property hundreds of times,” said Josh Wilhite, principal of Copperline Homes, and the contractor selected to take on the renovation project. “It’s the jewel of Bend,” he said. “Taking an older house and revitalizing it has always been important for these neighborhoods to keep them fresh and vibrant,” he said.

The McCann House living room

Along with John Kvapil and Kimberly Stroup of DKA Architecture & Design, P.C.— architects who renovated the Tower Theatre—the team included Ani Cahill of Cahill Design, Chris Ferguson of Part & Process, Parker MacDonald of Landscape Elements, Lisa Rokosh of Brass Tacks Design and Doug White of White’s Fine Woodworking. More than 300 “artists, not just craftspeople” took part in restoring the house, Sanjay added.

It took close to three years to finish the project, which had to balance the standards of historic preservation and period aesthetics with contemporary code and livability.

The McCann House kitchen 2

Rebuilt Step by Step

With four levels and 6,890 square feet, the home was built for another era. Formal rooms were for entertaining, with practicalities—including servants’ quarters—hidden behind doors or on the upper levels of the home. During the renovation, the footprint of the home was preserved as were many of the rooms.

“I love different spaces that hold the different parts of your life, like a formal parlor or dining room,” Melissa said.

Architects Kvapil and Stroup helped open up areas, such as the kitchen, to be more usable for a busy family, which includes daughter Maya, 21, son, Kai, 15 and puppy, Oakley. The kitchen was originally anchored by a wood stove and a three-story chimney that extended from the basement to the third floor, previously an unheated servants’ quarters.

The McCann House dining room

The renovation’s design removed the chimney, extending the kitchen through a new breezeway to the garage, added central heat to the upper floor, and finished the lower level of the home. From the top floor down, details were attended to one by one: A clawfoot tub was removed, refurbished and reinstated with period fixtures including paint color and wallpapers to match the era while reflecting the Barnes Dholakias’ more contemporary style.

Stairs

Rokosh helped bridge the centuries, nodding to the past in places such as the living room where bold-patterned wallpapers evoke the Chinoiserie popular in the early 1900s. Appointments are from many local artists, such as Sheila Dunn, Lisa and Lori Lubbesmeyer, Shelli Walters and Valerie Winterholler. A centerpiece of the home is a Palladian window at the main staircase landing which is visible when first stepping into the home. A signature feature from architect Lewis, the window was important to preserve as the historic heart of the home. Its weight-and-pulley system and single-paned glass, complete with marbled imperfections, are visible reminders of its age. The motif of Palladian arches continues through interior doorways of the first floor and wallpaper selections throughout the house. Less obvious to an onlooker is the meticulous restoration and replication of pristine, first-growth woodwork throughout the house.

The McCann House bathroom

To remain true to historic standards, Wilhite and his team examined boards one by one to replace them with highly specialized wood products consistent with wood products of the original construction and not commonly found in wood mills today, even if the boards were to be painted over. “The level of detail in the restoration was that important,” said Melissa.

Designs from the Past and for the Future

The main footprint of the house remained, as did the geometric Chippendale pattern found on the portico, with an 18th-century design that proved to be a challenge to meet both preservation and current safety code. The Barnes Dholakias and Landmarks Commission worked through a careful process to deem the Chippendale pattern significant enough to the project that it remains and is echoed in design in other areas of the home, such as its garden fence.

Barnes Dholakia Family
Sanjay, Melissa, Kai, Maya, Oakley & the late Jesse.

A breezeway was added to seamlessly link the main house with a garage for cars and sports equipment, and also an activity bay for the 1948 Ford tractor Melissa bought at auction from her family’s legacy farm in Missouri.

For the Barnes Dholakia family, history is important but so is the ability to play sports on the front lawn, walk a few blocks to downtown Bend and to be part of a bustling family neighborhood. The renovation of the McCann House has created a legacy for the community.

“Many families have grown up here,” said Melissa. “Everyone has a story about the house. It was an opportunity to keep a piece of history for Bend and bring it back to life. We feel fortunate to be the current stewards.”

Mirror Pond Sanctuary

Biophilic Design Blends Artistry and Nature in This Home on the River

Right in the heart of Bend, where the city hums with concerts in the park, popular restaurants, bars and food trucks, and paddlers haul their watercraft out of the Deschutes River, sits a home that exudes serenity amid the buzz. Ken Krueger and Cherisse Pazan purchased the original 1930s-era home in 2018, drawn to its prime river setting.

washer/dryer in mudrrom

“The location is about as good as it gets in Bend,” said Simon Doss, project manager for Copperline Homes. “The old house was beyond repair, and when we dug out the site, it had unbuildable, unstable soils.” The builder razed the house and excavated down five feet, filling it with gravel to prep the site for a new structure.

Living room and kitchen of Mirror Pond Sanctuary.

The contemporary home Krueger and Pazan built testifies to the couple’s respect for the environment while aligning with the city’s goal to minimize urban sprawl by fitting new homes into existing lots. They complied with deep setbacks from the river to protect the riparian zone and wildlife from stormwater runoff, and honored Bend’s development focus on building vertically by creating livable space with a second story.

“The site embraces the river,” Krueger said.

“Living on the river is magical, as is being in a neighborhood where we can walk to restaurants and enjoy music in the park.”

A HOME BATHED IN LIGHT

“Quiet street side, the entry sequence allows for a sense of discovery,” said lead architect Al Tozer of Tozer Design. Visitors move through the front door and narrow hallway entry to emerge in the great room with its floor-to-ceiling glass walls to the river. “It is fun to observe guests traveling through the home, front-to-back, as they become increasingly drawn forward by the panoramic river view beyond,” he explained. The open area, encompassing the kitchen, dining and living rooms, is bathed in natural light.

“In our work, we treat natural light as another building material,”

Tozer said. “Bringing light into the residence is vital for both the architectural design and the performance of the home through the seasons.” In this home, for example, south-facing windows along the staircase boost natural light throughout the winter.

Patio through folding kitchen doors.

Tozer employed another architectural tenet called biophilic design, which involves connecting building occupants more closely to nature. When the glass accordion doors separating the kitchen from the covered patio are moved aside, the distinction between inside and outside space vanishes.

“Biophilic design guides our work and provides our clients health dividends and a sense of well-being,” Tozer said. The homeowners particularly enjoy the “golden hour” on the patio at sunset when, as they explained, “the light makes the trees and water pretty stunning.”

The seamless connection to the outdoors is further enhanced by a glass-walled partition between the patio and the adjacent living room. Both spaces are warmed by fire: the patio features a firepit for cool evenings when light bounces off Mirror Pond, and the living room has a fireplace for cozy winter evenings.

The fireplace is clad in tile that mimics the color and movement of the river. “Each individual tile was put in place by hand to make that pattern,” said interior designer Lisa Rhee Rokosh of Brass Tacks: Interior Products Planning & Design. Homeowner Pazan elaborated, adding that “the concrete ‘floating’ hearth looks simple and effortless, but was masterfully created by Cement Elegance.”

Bedroom overlooking mirror pond

The kitchen features an unusual element known as “the cloud,” named by the builder because it serves as a second ceiling above the island, replacing a typical hanging vent. Joshua Wilhite, principal and co-founder of Copperline Homes, explained how his clients suggested the idea based on something they’d seen, and the builders found a way to incorporate lighting and an internal venting system while preserving the view. “It added some interest to an otherwise flat ceiling,” he said.

The quartzite island beneath the cloud “is the center of everything,” according to homeowner Krueger, who said they purposely didn’t want a sink in it. “We don’t want to look at dirty dishes.” Instead, the island keeps a sleek profile with an induction stove.

Another standout feature in the kitchen is the cabinetry, made from a combination of white oak and black laminate Fenix–an Italian-designed material made from 60% paper and thermally modified resins, creating an opaque, soft-to-the-touch surface that resists fingerprints.

Exterior of mirror pond sanctuary at night

In the dining room, the homeowners personalized the space by displaying their collection of handmade Glassybaby votive candle holders, a shelf with varied Fiestaware pitchers and a vintage Eames fiberglass shell chair from Krueger’s parents’ home.

The powder room features a back-lit, moonlike mirror on wallpaper–an element designer Rokosh wasn’t sure the homeowners would like, yet it turned into an unexpected and beloved jewel of the home.

Modern house look through, front to back.

PRIVACY WITH A VIEW IN BEND

As residents ascend to the second floor, they enter private quarters customized for sleeping, reading, relaxing, solving puzzles and practicing yoga. The primary suite is over the living room, with the same impressive river views. “Sunrises are spectacular,” said Pazan. The bonus room is appointed with a beverage bar and refrigerator, TV, a hanging wicker chair and a balcony with outdoor furniture facing the river, inviting connection to the outdoors. On the street-facing side of the home is a private, contemplative deck with a hot tub, a rare feature on the second floor. “Due to the small lot and the clients’ desire to maximize space and privacy, the second level provided the best location for a hot tub,” said Wilhite, noting that they were able to engineer the structure to support the extra weight.

backlit bathroom mirror

The riverside home seamlessly integrates indoor and outdoor spaces, offering a sanctuary that enhances both physical and mental well-being. From observing wildlife, such as beavers, osprey, herons and eagles, to watching people enjoying the river, Krueger and Pazan say the river is the soul of their home.

Architect: Al Tozer, Tozer Design  |  Interior Design: Lisa Rhee Rokosh  |  Construction: Copperline Homes  |  Landscape: Landscape Elements

Renovations Turn a Bed and Breakfast into an Inviting Family Abode

Running an ultra-marathon or competing in a triathlon takes mental grit and determination. The same could be said for renovating a house. Trever Long regularly runs races up to 100 miles, and his wife, Cherie, who competed in an Ironman in 2022, met after Cherie graduated from the University of Texas. Their love of nature drew them to Portland where Cherie, an anesthesiologist, was accepted to a residency program. They yearned for an even greater connection to the outdoors and eventually moved to Central Oregon.

Long family remodel of their family abode

After living on Bend’s westside for several years, the Longs came across a listing for a Tudor-style eight-bedroom, seven-bathroom home on six acres in Tumalo, a marked departure from the contemporary house the family of six—including the Long’s 14-year-old daughter, 11-year-old twin boys and five-year-old son—lived in at the time. Perched above Tumalo State Park with views of the Deschutes River and multiple snow-capped peaks, the Tudor home was initially built as a bed and breakfast in 1986. It came with an approved permit to be a guest lodge, a vision that never materialized. 

remodel bend kitchen

Visioning from Abroad

The Longs bought the house in March 2020 but moved five months later to New Zealand where Cherie had a yearlong work contract. In addition to adventuring and exploring, they spent the time abroad honing ideas with their contractor, Nate Connolly of Ridgeline Custom Homes and designer, Lisa Arballo of Bend-based Legum Design. The time to think through their goals brought the home-planning process into focus. “I think we fell in love with it even more,” said Cherie.

In the process of turning the dark home into a sleek family-friendly residence, the couple decided to retain the original staircase and the oversized brick fireplace—learning from a previous owner that the bricks were salvaged from one of Bend’s original mills. The contractor removed the Tudor-motif cross-hatching on the exterior and instead added dark cladding to contrast with brick to create European style. An iron and glass front door gave the facade a modern appeal.

living room of inviting family abode

Creating a Family Home

Designing a home that could accommodate the family’s active lives and interests was a priority for the Longs. The kitchen is an example of their desire for both beauty and functionality. Trever thought through the design “drawer by drawer.” The large kitchen island is concrete, a natural material that’s easy to repair. The kids can grab cups and dishes from the open cabinetry and the matte Italian kitchen cabinets have no handles so they can easily be wiped clean. “We did research into how to make everything sort of disappear—including the refrigerator and dishwasher,” said Trever.

But certain things were selected to stand out, such as the Brazilian Matarazzo marble backsplash and cantilever shelf behind the Thermador range and the Argentinian-style Grillworks grill in the back of the fireplace. Details mattered, too, as evidenced in the sparkling water on tap.

The long family room

The Long children enjoy a suite of rooms on the basement level that was originally created as a space to host bed and breakfast guests. Walls were removed so a large picture window could flood the area with natural light. Today, the “Kid Zone” includes three bedrooms and three bathrooms; the children all had input in the design. Daughter Rowan, for example, chose the floral wallpaper and marble mosaic floor for her bathroom.

Cozy reading nook

There’s also a family room with a reading nook and a vintage chaise lounge recovered in a colorful textile, surrounded by photos representing the family’s adventures. The home also boasts a gym and a laundry room that doubles as an art space.

Heritage and Travel Inspiration

Cherie’s mother, who lives in Europe and is an expert in French and Swedish antiques, offered her expertise. The home is a treasure trove of beautiful art and heirlooms used in unexpected ways, such as a secretary found in the dining room, the mid-century Tom Dixon fixtures in the powder room complementing limewash walls by Bend artist Juanita Perdomo, and the crystal chandelier, a wedding present from Cherie’s parents that dangles near the bathtub in the primary suite.

bathroom chandelier

Heritage pieces are coupled with accents collected from around the world. One of their most prized possessions is the antique rattan furniture from Indonesia in the sunroom that belonged to Cherie’s grandmother. The Longs pair the furnishings with items such as blankets handpicked from a market in Mexico and a ceramic goat sculpture purchased at a pottery shop in New Zealand. It’s an elegant yet approachable home where the family can curl up together to watch a movie; a home layered with meaning in every corner. “I think that is what our house is made of: small little trips and memories,” said Cherie.

The Long Family

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Desert Glow: Nordic Roots Inspire Modern Living

Building a custom home isn’t for everyone. Prospective homeowners need the right location, a team of professionals who can deliver the vision and a budget to match the dream. After building and living in their first custom home, Bend residents Rachel and Scott McGuire knew they wanted something different for their second custom home and hired a team of design and construction professionals who could work through challenges and deliver their forever home on a budget they could afford.

The result is a distinctive dwelling carved from ancestral influences of Rachel’s Swedish heritage and ideas built around their lifestyle and features in the Central Oregon landscape. 

The initial challenge for architect Eric Meglasson, who typically designs only modern homes, was to work with the McGuires on a contemporary version of a traditional-style home.

“Their Scandinavian roots reflected more of a European chateau,” he said. “I adjusted it to fit the Central Oregon climate and specifically to fit narrow design guidelines for the neighborhood.” 

The home’s footprint was laid out on the lot to capture views of the Cascade Mountains from front to back through the large space at the center of the house. Compared with their first custom home, the couple sought to make this home lighter and brighter.

They used a Belgian window system not often seen in American homes. Four large windows tilt inward from the top for fresh air circulation and pivot open as doors in the great room. The five-foot-wide front door also pivots on a spindle rather than on a common hinge system. “They were able to create realistic simulated divided light windows approved for historic preservation in Europe,” Meglasson said. In the front brick-courtyard, the divided light windows emulate historic buildings from the late 1800s and early 1900s in both Europe and America, he said. “It’s a good look and super-high performance.”

The 4,100-square-foot home contains three bedrooms (one doubles as an office for Rachel), three and a half baths, an office for Scott and a media room. The central room with 14-foot ceilings flows from kitchen to dining and living rooms where entry is off the front courtyard. The opposite side of the large room offers access to an outdoor kitchen, seating for entertaining, a sunken gas firepit and mountain views. 

The home has several special-use areas, such as a kitchen nook where Rachel and Scott enjoy their morning coffee. They incorporated a wet bar in a corner of the main room near the outdoor kitchen. It has a walnut bar and stools for seating while the McGuires make drinks, pull beer or sparkling water from a small fridge and put glassware in a mini dishwasher for cleanup.

There’s a secret door fully integrated into the wood paneling along the hallway from the great room. The door leads into a pantry tucked behind the kitchen and is completely concealed until someone pushes a spring in the cabinetry to pop it open. The other end of the pantry has a glassed-in wine closet.

Interior designer Kerri Rossi said the cabinetry throughout the house is one of her favorite parts of the McGuire home. She worked with Anderson Clark Interiors, a local residential cabinetry company, refining and planning every detail of every drawer down to the hardware. “Those beautiful cabinets look simple,” she said, “and sometimes simple makes it more complicated–all the attention to detail like getting the right stain and bead channels that line up perfectly.” To create visually uninterrupted surfaces, all appliances throughout the house have cabinet panels on their fronts to blend in.

The primary bedroom is on the ground floor and has mountain views and a door leading to a partially enclosed in-ground hot tub for soaking after a day of skiing, playing 18-holes on the nearby course or cycling and hiking. Rachel is an avid golfer and skier, and Scott is skier, marathon runner and triathlete. The main bathroom is built around a “beautiful back-lit quartzite slab by Imagine Stoneworks behind a free-standing tub,” said Rossi.

In addition to bringing Swedish influences to the home, Rachel worked closely with Rossi in several places, including a showcase powder room. “I started with the glass vessel sink and then picked out a Swedish mirror and wallpaper,” Rachel said. A tulip light pendant and the floating cabinet finish the room with pizzazz.

A staircase with vertical steel railings by Ponderosa Forge in Sisters and seven-inch blocks of oak stacked on the outside of the treads create a “beautiful and graceful staircase,” Meglasson said. “I liked how we created a bridge heading into the bedrooms and overlooking the great room.” Another hidden space runs the length of the upper hallway and is perfect for additional storage or an inner fort and sanctuary for kids who want to escape their parents.

Visitors to the home are greeted with the sound of a water feature running from the outside through a brick wall to welcome people into the courtyard. The water falls out of a weir into a 20-foot, horizontal trough that might tempt Bernese Mountain dog Nils to take a dip in on a hot summer day.

The courtyard itself is on a smaller scale than the home, with short brick walls and metal fencing around landscaping sections that create an eastside place to escape Central Oregon’s afternoon heat and sit quietly to read or have a glass of wine. Even the McGuire’s beloved housemates, Nils and Mainecoon cat Sven, have designated space inside the home for eating and sleeping, and Nils has his own wood-covered enclosed retreat with a doggie door to the outside. The McGuires had the right team to help them draw on ancestral roots and lifestyle preferences for a home that stands out in the high desert.  

Architect: Eric Meglasson | Interior Designer: Kerri Rossi | Builder: Katie Pendleton, The Fort | Landscaper: Ani Cahill Design with Landscape Elements


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Inspired to Learn: From Garage to Classroom Redesign

Seeking a change of pace, a deeper connection to nature and a sense of slowing down, Mandy Davis and her husband Josh made the decision to leave the bustling Bay Area behind and relocate their family to Central Oregon. Settling on 10 acres of picturesque countryside near Powell Butte, the Davis family embraced a modern homesteading lifestyle, which includes homeschooling their three young children. With the desire to create a dedicated space for education, the couple worked to transform their garage into a bright homeschool classroom.

Mandy, a former school principal, envisioned an environment that would nurture growth, creativity and a love for learning—a space that would reflect a home’s warmth rather than a conventional schoolhouse. With their children’s ages spanning 10 years, Mandy wanted a multifunctional room that could cater to individual workspaces, a communal table for shared activities, sensory areas to stimulate engagement and space to move around. The project was a collaborative labor of love for both parents, who share a passion for do-it-yourself projects. “My husband and I were both born with the ‘How hard can it be?’ gene. We love to DIY and take on large projects together,” said Mandy.

“Every step of the way was a check-in with my children. ‘What are you loving?’ ‘What do you need in the space?’” 

Mandy’s background in education played a vital role in shaping the design choices for the couple’s remodeling project. It was crucial to Mandy that her children had input regarding the project. “Every step of the way was a check-in with my children. ‘What are you loving?’ ‘What do you need in the space?’” she asked, keeping their needs and preferences at the top of her mind.

Josh, a skilled builder, took charge of the construction and turned Mandy’s design ideas into reality. “Our ongoing joke is that there isn’t anything he can’t build,” said Mandy. “But really, it is so true. I would share my stick-figure drawings, and he would scale it up and build it.” The transformation only took about three weeks to complete. The work began by bidding farewell to the garage door and elevating the flooring. Next came the drywall installation to improve insulation, along with French doors and large windows to provide natural light and a seamless connection to the outdoors. The project also included selecting new flooring, applying fresh coats of white paint, crafting custom cabinets and creating a fully enclosed patio to expand the learning possibilities.

A place for the kids to have their own workstations.

Stepping inside the homeschool classroom, one will find an array of cherished features that both the children and Mandy adore. Butcher-block desks create sturdy workspaces; custom cabinets offer storage for curriculum materials and books; and a large rug encourages movement and play. These elements enhance the room’s functionality and contribute to its inviting atmosphere—a true embodiment of Mandy’s vision, who describes the space as warm, functional, bright and, most importantly, theirs.

While the homeschooling experience extends beyond the classroom into the family’s entire home and homestead, the dedicated space serves as the heart of the children’s educational endeavors. For Mandy, the homeschool room provides structure and organization, smoothing the flow of their daily routines and acting as a central hub for learning.

Mandy’s vision for a home learning space was realized but believes that having a designated homeschool room is not a prerequisite for successful homeschooling. She feels the essence of homeschooling lies in the freedom to personalize the educational approach, creating learning experiences in a variety of environments and embracing the world as the classroom.


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Step Inside a Remodeled Mid-Century Home in Northwest Bend

It’s said a heart makes a home. For Josh and Stephanie Wilhite, they took their time to bring personal touches to a remodel of a West Hills family home when it changed hands for the first time in decades.

Built in 1979, the mid-century rambler on Trenton Street in Bend began as the home of Linda Mork where she raised her son David on the sprawling triple lot replete with stands of cottonwoods, maples and a centennial ponderosas. Having lived around the corner in a Craftsman-style home since 2007, the Wilhites appreciated the neighborhood with its mix of original homeowners and younger families. Every third or fourth house had an original owner, such as the 95-year-old man who lived down the street. “It’s been a fairy tale,” said Stephanie, to live with close proximity to downtown Bend, Josh’s office on Drake Road and the kids’ elementary school down the street. Ready for a change, the timing was excellent when Linda was ready to sell. “You have the energy and know how to take care of it,” Stephanie recalled Linda telling her. 

 

Remodeled Mid-Century
The sunken living room hosts his and her artwork selected by the owners: an abstract painting from Jesús Perea and a landscape by Nelly Van Nieuwenhuijzen.

That may be because Josh is no stranger to building custom homes. As current principal of Copperline Homes, Josh has been in the construction industry since he and Stephanie (a speech pathologist) moved to Bend. His recently-retired father, Mark Wilhite, was the founder of Copperline. However, for Josh to build a home for his family that includes sons Fischer, 11, and Reid, 8, the criteria and goals were different. They sought to create a home unique to their family’s artistic style. Analogous to the family’s love for music, he and Stephanie wanted to wait for the right harmony of elements to come together when they were looking for a house to make their home, then the property on Trenton struck a chord. “I knew immediately,” Stephanie said. The home had both beautiful bones and a history of family, so they knew they could make it their own. “The energy was so good, the light was so good no matter what the time of day; it just felt right to me,” Stephanie said.

The Wilhites bought the home in 2019 and undertook six months of remodeling with an overarching goal to make the home warm, colorful and eclectic to represent the multi-faceted aspects of the family’s personality. They began by reviewing the layout of the house to make changes that updated infrastructure and adapted to contemporary living. Many of the changes were necessary: a new roof, HVAC and floors. The remodeled home creates a visual and livable flow for the active family, as well as for the entertaining they enjoy—their annual Super Bowl party absorbs upwards of sixty people who may mingle through the rambling ranch layout.

Natural wood welcomes

Walking in through the bright front door, visitors are greeted by warm, layered textile art on the wall and a wooden aperture crafted by Ryan DeKay of White’s Fine Woodworking that yawns to give both a screened glimpse of the living areas plus sets the tone for the home’s organic style. The entryway introduces texture, warmth and natural tones with the use of sawn cedar paneling on the walls. Through the wooden portal is a view of the welcoming open-living space. “What sold me on the house was the sunken living room,” Stephanie said. “I walked in, and right away could imagine our family gathering in the space.” It was the first room the Wilhites tackled by removing its yellow carpet and a behemoth wood stove.

Remodeled Mid-Century
The media room evokes a period style with its color palette and wallpaper choice.

Retro-Scandinavian style 

The house and many of its original features helped inform the updated ’70s vibe, and for the Wilhites, there was no need to rush to a finish line. Instead, they worked slowly. “We are very intentional about the things that go in our house. I’d rather it be empty than fill it with stuff that doesn’t matter to me.” Stephanie said. To guide the experience, interior designer Traci French helped hone and curate pieces that were gathered over time for a look that she describes as “mid-century Scandinavian.” Exemplifying the collaborative design experience was the inspiration from a vintage table called “Les Yeux,” by a European designer and with a collector’s price tag. Combining Josh’s design capabilities with the woodworking craftsmanship of DeKay, a unique version of the table inspired by the eye-shaped pattern now anchors the sunken living room as a true focal point. 

Within the same gathering space, Josh and Stephanie independently selected his and hers art to pair above a circa 1970 sling-back chair. Similar to other elements in the home, the art is highly personal. Josh’s abstract selection from Madrid artist Jesús Perea is linear and represents the way he sees the world, Stephanie said. Stephanie selected a landscape painting by Nelly Van Nieuwenhuijzen depicting a horizon that for Stephanie evokes places and a vantage point she loves. “We go to the Steens and can see 10 miles all around,” she said. While the artwork is different, the pieces work together in a marriage and complement of color and contrast.

Remodeled Mid-Century
The additional of contemporary grasscloth wallpaper in the main bedroom is a nod to the original wallpaper found throughout the house.

Flowing floorplan

Stepping up from the living room, the dining room space is anchored by a teak sideboard from Stephanie’s grandfather where atop it sits the family’s beloved record player—a way to listen to music beyond the Sonos sound system that permeates the entire home. “Music was always important to us,” Stephanie said. She and Josh met in high school and went to college together in Northern California. “Music is how we fell in love and got married,” she said. They use the turntable to punctuate times of day with genres of music ranging from the country music and classic rock they grew up with, to Grateful Dead or singer-songwriter vibes as they sit around the teak dining table purchased ten years ago in Santa Barbara. 

Adjacent to the dining space, the kitchen opened up after Josh removed banks of upper cabinets to create a centerpiece of the island with its unique shape that facilitates movement around its sides. Durable quartz countertops were added along with finishes that the Wilhites selected with the assistance of Lucy Roland of Harper House Design. The kitchen flows to what Stephanie describes as the coziest room in the house: a sunny reading nook. Illuminated by natural light from an open courtyard and a Naguchi light fixture, it’s a go-to place for respite all four seasons of the year. 

Sunny style continues in a powder room that harnesses natural light from a skylight to give the space a “bright and happy feel.” Traci French brought in bright flowered wallpaper by Swedish company Svendskt Tenn and leather accents to provide a Scandinavian design nod to natural elements. 

The original floorplan had no primary bedroom, so that project became a priority for the Wilhites. As an homage to the original wallcoverings found throughout the house, contemporary grasscloth was brought in as a base for personal art. Here, an image of the I-5 Grapevine at dusk provides not only tones of purples and blues, but serves as a reminder of family trips to Yosemite over the years. “Each element of our home has to speak to us,” Stephanie says. In another example of patience, the media room project took time. After an extensive search, a wallpaper from contemporary Transylvanian company Mind the Gap finally hit the right notes with its colors, geometric shapes and “Don Draper-y” feel, said Stephanie. 

Finally, the creation of a music room provided a space where each Thursday, the family takes music lessons. “Steph and I are putting together a family band,” Josh said. “We just need to get the boys on board!”

Remodeled Mid-Century
The Wilhite family, from left: Josh, Reid on drums, Stephanie and Fischer.

Heart as home

There was no rush to complete the home. “Over the years we have been able to figure out what the house needs to be and what it wants to be,” Stephanie said. Upon completion of the remodel, the previous owner visited and was, “over the moon that there’s a young family that has breathed new life into the house and preserved some of her touches,” according to Stephanie. In fact, the first picture the Wilhites put up in the house was one gifted to them by the original owner. The figure, drawn in 1978, watches over the family to bridge past and present through art. “The previous owner dreamed of selling the home to a family that had the same ideals and I think she succeeded,” said Josh. “This is the home that our two boys will grow up in.” Stephanie added, “Once you infuse a house with heart, it becomes a home; this house already had a heart, we just brought it to our family.”

Resources:

Remodel: Copperline Homes 

Interior Design: Traci French 

Finishes Consultant: Lucy Roland, Harper House Design


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Inside a Tetherow Home with Private Courtyard, Art and a ‘Snuggery’

Fergal Donoher and Caprice Neely had a few key items on their wish list when beginning their new home build journey back in 2019. Neely, an artist and mostly-retired athletic footwear designer, wanted a gallery wall and plenty of space to hang art—both collected and created herself. Donoher, a native of Ireland who first moved to the United States in 2007, needed a bar area, or a few, to remind him of a pub back home. Together, the couple dreamed of a courtyard area to enjoy the outdoors, and a home layout that maximized views and spaces that embodied their colorful, bold style.

Tetherow House

The couple met in Portland in 2008, and they bought a second home built by Copperline Homes on Awbrey Road in northwest Bend in 2012. By 2018, they’d made the move to Bend full time and were making plans to design a new space for the family, which includes 10-year-old Maisie and a couple of large pups—Rosie, the 1-year-old Great Dane, and Charlie, the 4-year-old newfydoodle. 

After buying a large, narrow lot at Tetherow, the family arranged to work with architect Eric Meglasson and use Copperline Homes for the build. “We immediately began sketching a home with two masses at each end of an oversized courtyard, connected with little more than a gallery space between the two,” Meglasson said. After about eighteen months of design and construction, the family moved into the home around Thanksgiving 2020, and have spent the last year-plus getting settled.

The residence is entered from the north by way of the garage, courtyard or an understated black door that blends into the home’s black exterior. Visitors will immediately see the courtyard beyond a wall of glass windows to the right, and a long interior hallway ahead, adorned with a twenty-six piece art collection. The prints are from Russian-born, French artist Erté, who completed “The Alphabet” from 1927 to 1967. The images bring to life the 112-foot hallway that connects the spaces of the home.

Tetherow home kitchen

Halfway down the hall, between letters Q and R, is a door to a wing of rooms, with a bedroom and craft room for Maisie, a guest room and a bathroom. Following letter Z is one of the home’s most striking spaces, a bold powder room that showcases a table-turned-vanity that Neely’s father brought back from China in the 1940s, along with a bold Ferrick Mason wallpaper that exudes Chinoiserie and Hollywood Regency style, according to Neely. “The powder room should always be the jewel box of the home, where you can really think outside of the box,” said Lucy Roland of Harper House Design, who worked with the homeowners on interior design and furnishings. 

Tetherow bedroom
The master bedroom showcases walnut nightstands with a cushioned, emerald green velvet headboard between them.

At the far end of the hallway is the main living space, with huge glass accordion doors that open to the courtyard. Nero Marquina black marble slabs on both the walls and counters, paired with matte black cabinets underneath make the kitchen a “showstopper,” Roland said. “I love how Caprice and Fergal weren’t afraid to take risks, and it paid off,” Roland said. “That room ended up being so striking—who says a kitchen can’t be sexy?” An accordian window from the kitchen opens to golf course views and an outdoor bar counter, which Donoher and Meglasson described as the “golfer heckling bar.” The living room is anchored by an oversized, custom-made couch that Portland’s Mad Furniture designed for the space. 

Adjacent to the kitchen is the entrance to the home’s primary bedroom, where mid-century modern furniture pieces steal the show. The bed is flanked by walnut nightstands with a cushioned emerald green, velvet headboard between them, all of which are connected as one piece—also a Mad Furniture item. Opposite the bed is a long couch with built-in side tables, another mid-century modern piece that Neely received from a friend’s father. The primary bathroom features a shower with ten-foot glass walls to capture steam without completely trapping it in. An oversized walk-in closet offers room for plenty of clothing and—with Neely a former footwear designer—ample space for shoes. “I have to support her work,” Donoher joked about all the shoe storage in the home. 

Between the kitchen and bedroom is a staircase, covered in wooden tiles constructed of narrow flooring scraps, leading up to the home’s office. Donoher, an executive in tech manufacturing, works from home in the cozy space, which he refers to as the “snuggery.” Both the office and the living room/kitchen area below share the same incredible views of golf course greens in the foreground and Cascade Range views in the distance. “The space upstairs is very calming,” Donoher said. “You go up there at 5 or 6 a.m. and it might still be dark, but you can see the white mountain tops.” 

Back at the home’s entry, near letter A of the alphabet wall, is a second staircase, leading up to a mother-in-law suite with a living area, kitchenette and bathroom, with windows placed to take in the same mountain views, and a great space for guests.

Tetherow family
Fergal Donoher and Caprice Neely’s family

Far and away, the most dramatic and striking aspect of the Donoher-Neely home is the courtyard, a focal point from many spaces in the house and a private space for the family to enjoy time outdoors. The courtyard includes a cement, outdoor bar area, space for a daybed to lounge and a koi pond. Maisie, a fifth-grader at Bend’s Forge School, is quick to toss in food to the four koi, named Peachy, One Eye, Big Daddy and #4, some of which are easier than others to distinguish based solely on name.

Since moving to Tetherow in 2020, the Donoher-Neely household has had time to fully explore what their new community and the greater Bend area has to offer, and they particularly enjoy activities like overlanding and tent camping, attempting to golf and indulging at food and drink spots around Bend. “We’re big supporters of the restaurant community,” said Donoher, listing off favorites that include BOSA, Drake, Washington, Zydeco and Flamingo Room. Maisie is partial to Elly’s Ice Cream in NorthWest Crossing. Together for fourteen years, Donoher and Neely were only just married in November 2021, meaning the couple’s first wedding anniversary is on the horizon. If a trip or celebration isn’t in store, perhaps a visit to the courtyard bar, nine holes on the course out back or an evening appreciating the views from the snuggery will do.

Resources:

Architect: Eric Meglasson 

Builder: Josh and Mark Wilhite, Copperline Homes

Interior design, furnishings: Lucy Roland, Harper House Design 

Landscape design: Ani Cahill, Cahill Design 

Cabinetry: Bladt’s Custom Woodworking 

Flooring: Castle Bespoke Flooring, Absolute Hardwood Floors

Tile: Brian Stephens Tiling, Inc.

Courtyard fireplace: Andy Wach, Weld Design Studio

A Sisters Farmhouse for the Gillihan Family

Maijken and Jason Gillihan remember waking up one morning in the spring of 2020 at their home in Beaverton and making a decision: they didn’t want to wait any longer to make their dream of living in Central Oregon a reality. Native Oregonians who met in college when they were both summer greeters at an Abercrombie & Fitch, the two weren’t strangers to buying and selling homes and moving around. They’d moved five times the decade before, and when they called their real estate agent that spring, the broker joked that “it was about that time again.”

Photo Kayla McKenzie

 This move would be different for the Gillihan family, which includes daughter Ashbury, now 9, and son Indy, who just turned 3. Rather than buying another finished home and renovating and decorating to their liking, the Gillihans planned to purchase a lot, and build new. The property they settled on was a two-and-a-half-acre parcel in Squaw Creek Canyon Estates, a small neighborhood along Whychus Creek about 7 miles east of Sisters. “We knew we always wanted to move to acreage and build a white farmhouse,” said Jason, who has a background in design and project management and previously owned his own furniture building and woodworking business in Portland. As part of the move to Central Oregon, Jason had gotten a new job as a senior project manager at Bend-based Sierra James Construction, a position that would allow him excellent access to a team of builders for the family’s new home.

Gillihan House Fireplace The Gillihans picked out a stock floor plan from Architectural Designs online and worked with Sara Bergby of Bend’s Enclave Architecture on custom modifications, including taller ceilings throughout the home and a twenty-four-foot high great room ceiling, along with the addition of a butler’s pantry adjacent to the kitchen. “I think the changes we worked on together really improved the house and made it into what they needed,” Bergby said. “Everything just feels a little more spacious.”

Construction began in the spring of 2021 and lasted seven months, an impressive feat given pandemic-related delays in the supply chain. As framing began this past summer, the Gillihans contended with peak lumber prices and even a wildfire—the 4,000-acre Grandview Fire in July 2021—threatening the area. But by early December, the family moved into the newly finished, 2,450-square-foot home, Christmas decorations in tow.

 The interior of the white farmhouse is thoughtfully designed and decorated, with a fresh and modern feeling. “We love neutrals and lots of texture,” said Maijken (pronounced MIKE-en) who spent ten years as a marketing professional for Nike before starting a new marketing job with LiveWire–Harley Davidson’s electric motorcycle company–earlier this year. The couple worked together on the design of the home, picking out fixtures and appliances, styling furniture and adding décor such as a mixed-media gallery wall that extends up the walls of the office opposite the entryway. “Jason has a really strong design eye, as do I,” Maijken said. “I think design is our love language.”

Gillihan House

As visitors enter the Gillihan home, they pass the office on the left, followed by the “kids wing” on the right, with bedrooms for Ashbury and Indy and a bright, white bathroom. Ashbury enjoys looking out her bedroom window to see a family of squirrels that frequent a juniper tree with vibrant green moss on it. The kids’ rooms open up to the great room, anchored by a floor-to-ceiling wood burning fireplace, adorned with Montana moss rock and a reclaimed barnwood mantle. “We wanted the fireplace to bring some of the outside in,” Jason said. To the left of the fireplace is the home’s primary suite, with backyard views. The primary bathroom features a dual vanity on the right, with white oak cabinetry from Harvest Moon Woodworks of Bend. “In my opinion, they’re the most premium cabinet maker in Central Oregon,” Jason said. The bathroom has a corridor in the center, with stalls on the left for a walk-in shower space and toilet space. The walk-in shower with a large fully opening window was a request of Jason’s, who was thrilled to open the window to falling snow during his first shower in the new home. His and hers walk-in closets sit at the end of the bathroom corridor.

Back in the great room, durable luxury vinyl plank flooring extends from the living room into the kitchen, which features more beautiful cabinetry from Harvest Moon Woodworks. Off the kitchen is an opening to the butler’s pantry, which offers kitchen prep space, a sink and a wall of storage filled with dry goods and snacks. There’s no formal dining room, but there are stools along the large kitchen bar, and a cozy dining nook off to the side. “In our last house, we had a formal living room and a formal dining room that just collected dust,” Maijken said. “Here, we use every single space in this house.”

Gillihan House Family

Feeling settled this spring, the Gillihans were wrapping up front porch finishes and dreaming of future plans for landscaping in the backyard, including installing a handmade walnut swing that Jason built with the family name inscribed across the seat. This summer, the family is planning more lake days to Suttle Lake north of Sisters, where Ashbury can break in her new kayak. Back at home, the pull-through driveway in the front yard is becoming a racetrack for the Gillihan children and their neighbors, who love riding bikes. After years of moving between homes, the Gillihans say their new house feels like a long-term fit. Maijken said, “With every house we had before, we did updates and remodeling, but this one is truly built for us and how we live.”

Builder: Sierra James Construction | Architectural Design: Sara Bergby, Enclave Architecture | Interior Design: Jason & Maijken Gillihan | Cabinetry: Harvest Moon Woodworks | Hardware: Rejuvenation  | Plumbing Fixtures: Brizo (kitchen) & Kohler (bathrooms)  | Countertops: New Era Granite  | Flooring: Hardwood Floor Company | Masonry: Stonehaven Masonry  | Reclaimed Barnwood Accents: Longhorn Lumber | Windows and Doors: Building Solutions


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Step Inside a Valhalla Heights Remodel in West Bend

Barb Myers knows that designing a functional, purposeful home works best at an unhurried pace. Mapping the ideal placement of kitchen utensils and appliances, considering optimal lighting and thinking through room layouts are tasks best accomplished over time, as residents get to know their spaces. That was the case at least for Myers, who moved with her husband and son to Bend from Portland in early 2016. They found the Valhalla Heights neighborhood in a wooded area in northwest Bend, and settled on a 1970s single-story ranch home that would be in need of at least some remodeling.

Valhalla Heights Redux The Valhalla Heights Remodel

“We liked the neighborhood and the price point at the time,” said Myers, a designer who has taught digital media and filmmaking at the college level and recently branched out as an interior design consultant. After settling on a 2,100-square-foot home on a slightly hilly lot on the edge of the neighborhood, Myers moved in, along with husband Eric Eggers, a consultant for medical device companies. A zipline from one tree to another in the front yard was a draw for their son Sebastian, now 10, and the family requested the sellers leave the zip setup behind.  

The family knew a remodel was in order but didn’t rush the process. They painted the inside of the home to give it a fresh, clean look, while Myers began dreaming up the rest of the changes. By 2019, it was time to execute the bigger projects.

Valhalla Heights Redux Kitchen

The family worked with Bend’s RD Building and Design to knock out two walls and open up the small kitchen space. This created a larger great room, with a spacious dining area, a cozy seating area and a connected living room space, with seating, a fireplace and television cabinet for occasional movie nights. An oversized kitchen island offers more kitchen prep area for Myers, who enjoys cooking and baking, and two skylights above the island help to brighten up the space. The kitchen’s one wall of cabinetry isn’t excessive, and Myers spent time taking careful inventory of which kitchen gadgets they actually used, carefully designing cabinetry for only what was needed and ditching the rest. An old telephone nook was taken out and some dead space behind the kitchen was turned into a small walk-in pantry for food storage.

Vallhalla Heights Redux Living Room “It’s one of the easiest remodels that I’ve done in the last five years, because she had everything lined out for me,” said Colby Summers, who heads up the remodeling division for RD Building and Design. Summers said Myers was extremely organized and knew exactly what she wanted, and that shows in the finished product. “She hit it out of the park,” Summers said. 

Myers’ interest in design is coupled with an interest in art, and unique pieces were integral to guiding the design of the entire space. Above the seating area in the main room is a collection of abstract, circular clay pieces, each filled with fabric, created by artist Carolyn Hazel Drake. They’re clustered together in a way that seems random, but loosely depicts the mountains of the Sawtooth Range in Idaho. The art sits above a velvety orange couch over a shaggy rug, nods to the home’s 1970s history.

In the dining room, the art is a series of prints from Rafal Oblinski, a Polish illustrator and designer of Opera house posters whom Myers learned about while living in New York. Her home there was down the street from the School of Visual Arts where Oblinski was an instructor. “I was drawn to the surreal, dreamlike and psychological nature of his work,” she said. The dining table and seating benches are topped with beautiful white oak slabs, welded together by a neighbor, Mike Caligure. Together the dining area, seating area and kitchen island seating will provide ample spaces for guests down the road. “We used to entertain a ton, and will again someday,” Myers said.

Valhalla Heights Redux Dining Room

Down the hall, each of the home’s three bedrooms—a main bedroom, Sebastian’s room and a guest room—offer simple, clean design, with thoughtful art pieces and colorful details that match the modern-yet-retro color scheme of the home. In the main bedroom’s bathroom, extra space was realized by expanding into a coat closet, allowing room for a double vanity and spacious shower. White oak is seen through the home, including the cabinets in this room and flooring throughout.

Valhalla Heights Redux Office

A spacious bonus room has space for three workstations, a convenient addition finished before the beginning of the pandemic. There’s also a library for the family’s book collection, and plenty of window views of quail and squirrels outside to enjoy. “It’s really kind of our catch-all space that we didn’t know we would really, really need,” Myers said.

Valhalla Heights Redux Mudroom/Laundry Room Off the main living area is one more room that mixes function and design—the laundry room/mudroom/sunroom, a favorite spot for Sunny, the family cat rescued from the shelter in Redmond. The long room includes a purposefully designed laundry station, with cupboards and space to hang freshly cleaned clothes, while also serving as an unloading spot for gear after a day of Nordic skiing; a favorite activity for the family.

The interior remodel took about four months and was followed up last October with an exterior paint job, transforming the home’s outside with a crisp black—Sherwin Williams Caviar—paired with real copper gutters offering a modern, elegant accent. While the home today is mostly done inside and out, Myers is still looking forward to future projects, such as redoing the backyard’s entertaining areas and landscaping. She’s enjoyed the slow process of designing over time, and the result is a livable home with carefully considered details. “If you have the time, it’s nice to do slow design,” Myers said. “You really feel like you get to know the home. I think it’s okay to take your time.”

Valhalla Heights Redux Exterior

Myers is using the Valhalla Heights remodel as an example piece for her new design consulting business, Branch Home, where she helps other homeowners navigate the same process she’s gone through with the family’s home. She’s worked with some neighbors in the Valhalla Heights development, and expects to see a growing number of remodeling projects take place in the coming years, especially in west Bend, where many homes are older and ready to be refreshed. Myers said, “I love breathing new life into what’s already existing.” 

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