Portland Modern Home Tour Coming Up April 25!

DATE: Saturday, April 25, 2015
TIME: 11:00am to 5:00pm
COST: $30 in advance; $40 day-of. Free for children under 12.
TRANSPORTATION: Self-driving, self-paced
Tickets: Portland Modern Home Tour

Peer into the modern houses that you’ve always wondered about—in a neighborhood near you! GRAY is sponsoring the Portland Modern Home Tours, which feature architecture and interiors by some of our area’s most renowned firms. 

After a day of house-gawking, GRAY digs deeper with an engaging panel discussion with the architects and designers behind the inspiring residences on the tour. The panel will take place at Burnside 26 and the doors will open at 5pm, and it will begin at 5:30.

Local architecture expert Brian Libby, founder of portlandarchitecture.com, has curated the 2015 Portland tour, selecting and confirming participating architects and dwellings. 

Highlights of the tour include:

1. A house in Northeast Portland, designed by Winn Architecture and built by Homes By Brent Keys, that incorporates elements of modern living within an architectural form that allows infill integration in existing, long-established neighborhoods. The house incorporates large open living areas; an enhanced connection of outdoor living and indoor living through oversized, floor-to-ceiling windows and doors; clean and contemporary finishes and fixtures; and cable railing at stairs and openings.

2. A house in southeast Sunnyside that was built on a green “50/10” platform. A collaboration between Cellar Ridge Construction and M.O.Daby Design, this artfully conceived and constructed home has 50% reduced energy consumption while keeping the additional investment below 10%, compared to a typical code-built home.

3. This house near Forrest Park was originally built in 1960 and recently extensively renovated by the current owners (with help from Innovative Spaces, and Epic Construction and Remodeling). The goal? To return the house to its original 1960s roots and create a warm, modern, livable space for a family. Large windows were added across the front, allowing for panoramic views. The living space in the back of the home is maximized during warmer months with a large deck, stone patio, and flagstone dining area.

4. The ideahousePDX, located just off S.W. Riverside Drive and just a stone’s throw from the Willamette River, is the vision of David Horning (a partner at MOA Architecture) and Holly Freres (owner of JHL Design). Completed in 2014, the home was built with the idea that simple, beautifully designed materials and selective green building practices could create an affordable dwelling.

5. The residences known as Burnside 26, designed by SERAArchitects and built by Capstone Partners, are situated in the middle of Portland’s vibrant eastside Kerns neighborhood, and strive to make modern living easy and comfortable. The building features underground parking, a community keg in the lobby, and a rooftop lounge with stunning eastside and downtown views.

6. This house floats on the Willamette River in the Sellwood area of Portland. It was designed by Integrate Architecture & Planning and was completed just months ago. This two-story modern floating home is designed to capture the stunning views in both directions on the river. It contains several sustainable features, including a geothermal heat pump system for heating and cooling and a 10-KV photovoltaic rooftop system.

7. The LeGendre residence, located in the Southwest Hills and designed by Christopher Gelber, showcases classic styles of modern architecture. It features floor-to-ceiling windows and French doors on the sides and rear of the home that open onto a series of decks and terraces, and a 40-foot-high Italian marble stairwell crowned with a large, glowing pyramidal skylight.

8. A second home on the tour designed by Winn Architecture and built by Homes By Brent Keys is located in Humbolt and takes a fresh, modern approach to maximizing space and efficiency without compromising aesthetic. The home features an open floor plan, two eye-catching gas fireplaces, a covered outdoor living space, vaulted ceilings and large windows, to let in plenty of natural light.

For further details and tickets, visit Portland Modern Home Tours. Use GRAY as the promo code to receive $5 off!

And stay tuned for the Seattle Modern Home Tours, happening in Seattle on May 2. Preview blog post coming next week!

Room of the Week: Vanglo Sustainable Construction Group

Category: Kitchen

Designer: Vanglo Sustainable Construction Group

Location: Vancouver

Goal: When this Commercial Street home was passed on from one generation to the next, the owners came to Vanglo Sustainable Construction Group, asking them repurpose the interior space to better suit the needs of a young professional couple. “Design stipulations included full data capability in all rooms, an integrated entertainment system, and a comprehensive high-specification kitchen,” notes Martin Warren, founder of Vanglo. “Clean lines allowed for a design that will need minimal maintenance in the future. It was intended that the end result would be entirely unrecognizable from the original living space.”

Inspiration: Working with interior designer Donna Toppings, the Vanglo team sought to give the clients a clean, modern space they could use as a canvas for their own personalities.

Breakdown: After the team removed interior walls on the main floor, an open-plan living room area was arranged around this prominent chef’s kitchen with an 11-foot island topped with a Caesarstone counter that cascades to meet the floor. A Bosch wine fridge and dishwasher are tucked in the island, making for easy clean-up and party prep. Sleek Sistemalux Micro Titan LED lights hang over the counter and Lucia barstools from Furnitura Interiors add a hint of natural warmth against the gray, high-gloss painted wood cabinetry.

Tips to Get the Look: “Space planning is key,” Warren says. “Look at the bones of your interior and consider opening up the rooms where possible. The more time you spend on space planning, the more money you will save in the end and the happier you will be. Nothing can take the place of a good plan.”

Image Courtesy of Vanglo Sustainable Construction Group.

Nervous System's Computer-Simulated Wonders

No one wants cookie-cutter décor or jewelry. But only Mother Nature makes true one-of-a-kind designs. Until Massachusetts firm Nervous System cracked nature's code. The firm's nature-inspired lamps, jewelry, and trivets designed for Modern Twist, can be found at many shops throughout the Northwest.

Jessica Rosenkrantz and Jesse Louis-Rosenberg, both Massachusetts Institute of Technology grads, are attracted to "complex and unconventional geometries," such as a leaf's veining and coral aggregation. The pair uses algorithms to simulate nature's processes, creating truly one-of-a-kind lamps and jewelry designs.

Hyphae Lamp, $600

Algae pendant, $45

Radiolaria bracelet, $55

Perfect gifts for the person who has it all? We think so.

Lamps and jewelry available online at Nervous Systems, and at the following stores:

Idom, 827 N.W., 23rd Ave., Portland, Oregon, 503.477.6818

Modern, 207 E. 5th Avenue Suite 105 Eugene, Oregon, 97401; 541.686.1935

Posh Home, 2502 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, Washington, 253.593.5001

Tilde, 7919 S.E. 13th Ave., Portland, Oregon, 503.234.9600

T-Spot, 144 Laneda Ave., Manzanita, Oregon, 503.368.SPOT

Vancouver Art Gallery Store, 750 Hornby Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada