There is an immediate vibe of tranquility when walking into the home of Beth Davies, managing principal broker for LivOregon Real Estate. The renovation project began after her youngest daughter went to college. “It was ‘kid-zone’ before,” Davies said. “I wanted to take it to a more sophisticated adult-haven.” The entire downstairs portion of the 2009-era home located in the historic Old Bend neighborhood near the Deschutes River was torn down to the studs, Davies said. Her longtime friend Anne Mastalir, owner and principal designer of Design Bar in Bend, and a team of experts brought Davies’ vision to life, creating a space that felt like her own and welcoming to guests.
The Build
Davies didn’t start out with a specific goal and said she knew what she liked, but didn’t know how to achieve it. She enlisted Mastalir, who began the Design Bar three and a half years ago. The company has worked on a wide range of projects in Central Oregon where Mastalir has found that the Design Bar’s signature ‘organically modern’ style is gaining traction in the community. “Authenticity in design is a core value at Design Bar,” Mastalir said. “Beth is the most authentic person I’ve ever met, so [this project] was easy in her case.”
Davies said there was a synergy between herself, Mastalir and the builder, Bobby Stenrose at Bend Home Company.
The project began with planning in 2020, building and renovating started in 2021, and the renovation was finished in August 2022. Among the major renovations, including new drywall, floors, cabinets, and nearly everything in between, Davies said that she was encouraged to have larger doors and eight-foot windows to make the space feel bigger. The end result is a sleek and seamless-feeling home, where one bright, fresh room flows into the other. There’s a mix of fresh white paint, glass, metal, tile and herringbone-style flooring. Davies said that she wanted dark floors, and Malastir suggested a herringbone style as a nod to the historic neighborhood.
The Result
“When I was [renovating], I wasn’t thinking about how anyone else was going to perceive it; I was just doing what I wanted to do,” Davies said. “But many, many people who come in here are like, ‘It’s so beautiful. It looks just like you’.”
Davies’ art collection, which she has personally curated from friends and many local artists, adds pops of color to the home, which is adorned in mostly neutrals, and the details and personalization don’t end with the art. Many cabinets contain space to mask appliances, including one that hides the coffee maker behind the kitchen island. Tucked off the kitchen, floor tile chosen at Design Bar smoothly transitions from the dark kitchen floor into the laundry room. There, custom cabinets by Andrea’s Cabinetry discretely conceal the pantry and washer-dryer units. Even the television which is mounted on the painted white brick fireplace (another ode to the historical neighborhood) is cleverly covered by a large painting that Davies can easily remove and hang back up when she is finished using the television.
Intentional and inventive subtleties of the design are often unseen, but give way to the personality and uniqueness of the home. For example, before the flooring was set during the renovation, Davies buried cleansing crystals in the ground below. She said the purpose of the crystals beneath the floorboards is their “clearing” and “grounding” properties, which allows negative energy to be moved away from the space. Above ground, there are still crystals placed strategically around the living room and dining area, adding to the character of Davies’ style. Beyond the living room, an accordion-style glass door by Art Glass Millwork opens to the front porch, reflecting the sense of serenity from the home’s interior.
The project is still fresh, and Davies said she’s still soaking it all in. She said that not a week has gone by where she hasn’t hosted people at her home. “I want people to feel welcomed,” Davies said. “We’re going to create our own joy in this space.”
Designer: Anne Mastalir, Design Bar, Builder: Bobby Stenrose, Bend Home Company, Contractors: Generations Tile, Stone Hill Granite, Art Glass Millwork, Andrea’s Cabinetry, Sun Desert Drywall, DB Flooring, Ranieri Plumbing, Coalesce Concrete
