A room with dark original wood trim, a brick fireplace with a wood mantle, a velvet sofa, a glass top brass coffee table, a tray, and leather chairs.

A lot of homes built in the early 1900s in Portland have been remodeled beyond recognition. The trim has been painted, the floors replaced and the built-ins just didn't make it through years of wear and tear. That's not the case with this home in the Ladd's Addition neighborhood of Portland.

History of Ladd’s

Built in 1911, the dark trim remained unpainted, the fir floors still intact and the built-ins in the dining room were in almost perfect condition but the home was dark, empty and didn't function for the owners.

A doorway frames the view of a small room with painted shelves holding vinyl records, a plush chair with cushions, and a geometric patterned rug.

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Keywords

drama

warm

eclectic

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A bench of matching dark-toned wood with cushions and pillows sits next to a banister at the top of a stairwell, with fir wood floors and a rug.

Entry

Contrary to all my other thoughts in design to lighten a home, we embraced the dark. The trim and floors were sanded and refinished to their original state. In the entry, the walls were painted black.

CUSTOM DESIGN

After multiple meetings and conversations with the client where nothing out there seemed quite right, I developed along with artist, Michael Paulus, a custom flower that fit the owner's personality and style down to the scale and exact color palette.