Houzz Tour: Pattern and Color for a Refined Second Home
See the before-and-after photos and read how a raised roof, a new porch and more transformed this Portland, Oregon, home
After downsizing from their main residence in Austin, Texas, to a smaller townhouse nearby, this couple began looking for a second home in Portland, Oregon, to be closer to their daughter. They fell in love with a 1950s home with great bones and a lush wooded lot. To bring the house up to date, they hired Chambers Interior Design to remodel the interior and exterior and designer Amy Troute to furnish it.
The result is a house with a raised roof that provides higher second-floor ceilings, a new screened-in porch with bucolic views, a gorgeous renovated kitchen with blue cabinets, and furnishings that blend color, pattern, antiques and new pieces for a refined and elegant look.
The result is a house with a raised roof that provides higher second-floor ceilings, a new screened-in porch with bucolic views, a gorgeous renovated kitchen with blue cabinets, and furnishings that blend color, pattern, antiques and new pieces for a refined and elegant look.
After: Chambers Interior Design had the roof raised about 3 feet to create higher ceilings on the second floor. It also added a screened-in porch off the living room. Among the other updates were new windows, a flagstone pathway and a slate front stoop.
The exterior is now painted a light gray (Platinum Gray by Benjamin Moore) and the front door is a light blue (Stone Blue by Farrow & Ball).
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The exterior is now painted a light gray (Platinum Gray by Benjamin Moore) and the front door is a light blue (Stone Blue by Farrow & Ball).
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Crisp white walls (Simply White by Benjamin Moore) contrast beautifully with the new 5-inch-wide dark-stained white oak floors used throughout the house. The colorful antique area rug is one of many pieces the homeowners already owned.
“They downsized from a large house with lots of antique pieces,” Troute says. “Working in their favorite pieces with new furnishings gives this house a nice curated look and makes it feel more lived-in and personal.”
“They downsized from a large house with lots of antique pieces,” Troute says. “Working in their favorite pieces with new furnishings gives this house a nice curated look and makes it feel more lived-in and personal.”
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Before: The living room had yellow walls and red curtains. The back of the sofa was positioned along a large window with views of the side yard.
After: The living room walls are now paneled with wood planks covered in crisp white paint. The former large window was replaced by a set of French doors that lead to the new screened-in porch.
To give her a better idea of the decor style they wanted, the homeowners shared Houzz ideabooks with Troute. They included project photos of designs that mixed old and new pieces with lots of different colors and patterns worked in through upholstery.
Troute added pleated curtains in a floral print to both windows and woven shades above the new cream-toned rolled-arm sofa. “The curtains were the first selection for the room,” she says. “All of the colors and patterns for the furniture worked off the curtain pattern.” They include a red toile armchair with ebony-stained turned legs and a blue-and-white upholstered ottoman with turned legs that match the armchair.
To add a little bling, the designer went with aged brass for the task floor lamp, candle wall sconces and contemporary side table next to the armchair.
Curtains: Thibaut
To give her a better idea of the decor style they wanted, the homeowners shared Houzz ideabooks with Troute. They included project photos of designs that mixed old and new pieces with lots of different colors and patterns worked in through upholstery.
Troute added pleated curtains in a floral print to both windows and woven shades above the new cream-toned rolled-arm sofa. “The curtains were the first selection for the room,” she says. “All of the colors and patterns for the furniture worked off the curtain pattern.” They include a red toile armchair with ebony-stained turned legs and a blue-and-white upholstered ottoman with turned legs that match the armchair.
To add a little bling, the designer went with aged brass for the task floor lamp, candle wall sconces and contemporary side table next to the armchair.
Curtains: Thibaut
The screen-in porch includes a Windsor bench and two cozy lounge chairs and ottomans covered in white outdoor fabric. A pair of dark blue ceramic stools serve as side tables. “It’s a very large, private yard with lots of trees, so it’s a great spot to take in the view,” Troute says. “Their daughter wants to have her wedding in the yard one day.”
Before: The existing brick fireplace had a wood-burning stove insert and an inset mirror above the mantel.
After: The new fireplace has a beefed-up mantel, a slate tile surround and a traditional hearth. A new built-in to the right of the fireplace includes shelves and cabinets to hold the TV, media equipment and decorative items.
Two swivel armchairs in front of the built-in are covered in a blue-and-white windowpane plaid. “This is one of those spaces that’s so fun as a designer to create,” Troute says. “The shape, scale and color of each different pattern were all well-considered.”
Two swivel armchairs in front of the built-in are covered in a blue-and-white windowpane plaid. “This is one of those spaces that’s so fun as a designer to create,” Troute says. “The shape, scale and color of each different pattern were all well-considered.”
Before: The former dining room had blue-and-white wallpaper, light blue pleated curtains and an inset mirror on the back wall. An oval dining table and matching chairs completed the look.
After: As with the living room, all of the dining room’s walls are now covered in wood planks in a crisp white paint. The curtains have a light blue background with a floral print.
The dining table was made by a Phoenix craftsman out of reclaimed wood. Troute had custom plaid seat cushions made for the previously owned dining chairs. The transitional-style brass chandelier has six shaded lights.
Curtains: Sanderson; dining table: Christopher McGean, Arcadian Cottage
The dining table was made by a Phoenix craftsman out of reclaimed wood. Troute had custom plaid seat cushions made for the previously owned dining chairs. The transitional-style brass chandelier has six shaded lights.
Curtains: Sanderson; dining table: Christopher McGean, Arcadian Cottage
Before: The existing kitchen had bright yellow walls, medium brown cabinets and a peninsula that one had to walk around to get to the breakfast table.
After: In the remodeled kitchen, the team ditched the breakfast table in favor of a small island that doesn’t cut off one side of the kitchen from the other. A pair of counter stools have custom upholstered seats. The cabinets, island, range hood and paneled refrigerator are covered in a dreamy shade of blue. The countertops are white engineered quartz and all of the hardware is matte black.
Cabinet color: Stone Blue, Farrow & Ball
Cabinet color: Stone Blue, Farrow & Ball
Just off the kitchen, the mudroom features durable brick floors, a Dutch door, built-in cabinets and a custom upholstered bench along one wall. “It’s so convenient for the homeowners to have a spot to sit down and take off wet shoes before heading into the house,” Troute says.
20 Stylish and Functional Mudrooms
20 Stylish and Functional Mudrooms
Before: The former first-floor powder room included an angled vanity, turquoise walls and small window shutters.
After: The remodeled powder room features an antique washstand transformed into a vanity with the addition of a sink and gold fixtures. The bottom half of the walls is covered in white wainscoting and the top half has wallpaper with images of framed wildlife.
Wallpaper: Sanderson
Wallpaper: Sanderson
The remodeled laundry room has a classic white subway tile backsplash and pale yellow cabinets (Calla Lily by Benjamin Moore) with matte black hardware.
“The large antique area rug set the stage for the master bedroom,” Troute says. “It’s a very colorful rug, so I wanted the rest of the pieces to be more neutral but not devoid of color and pattern.”
The bedding includes a duvet and pillowcases in a blue-and white buffalo check print and a red linen lumbar pillow with various patterned stripes. The bench at the foot of the bed is covered in blue wool with a windowpane pattern. The cream-toned curtains and Roman shades also feature a windowpane pattern.
The bedding includes a duvet and pillowcases in a blue-and white buffalo check print and a red linen lumbar pillow with various patterned stripes. The bench at the foot of the bed is covered in blue wool with a windowpane pattern. The cream-toned curtains and Roman shades also feature a windowpane pattern.
The primary bathroom has a classic look with white cabinets, marble countertops and polished nickel fixtures. “They wanted their bathroom to have a timeless look,” Troute says. “They can always add some paint or wallpaper to the walls in the future if they want to introduce more color or pattern, but the main elements will always be classic.”
The guest bedroom is a bright, springlike space set off by the light green floral curtains and Roman shades. The light green buffalo check bedding was selected to complement the curtain and shade fabric.
The blue-and-white table lamps with a chinoiserie pattern were originally vases that the designer had turned into lamps.
Curtains and shades: Sanderson
The blue-and-white table lamps with a chinoiserie pattern were originally vases that the designer had turned into lamps.
Curtains and shades: Sanderson
The guest bathroom features wallpaper with the same pattern as the curtains and shades in the bedroom. “It’s such a fun and bright pattern we thought it would be perfect to bring it into the bathroom to visually connect the two spaces,” Troute says.
Wallpaper: Sanderson
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Wallpaper: Sanderson
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House at a Glance
Who lives here: This is the second home of an Austin, Texas, couple
Location: Portland, Oregon
Size: About 3,000 square feet (279 square meters)
Designers: Amy Troute Inspired Interior Design and Chambers Interior Design
Before: The exterior of the house was previously painted a light blue, with darker blue front door and second-floor shutters.
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