Exterior

"The client’s goals were to create an open and light-filled home that maximized views of the Coachella Valley below and the Santa Rosa mountains to the south and west," says designer Stuart Silk Architects. Thunderbird Heights Residence enjoys a fluid connection between the primary indoor rooms and the outdoor terraces both for entertaining and casual outdoor living.

Although the two-story atrium is smaller than the courtyard, it is no less important to the design. The glazed pocket doors are opened daily, connecting the family room to the rear yard, and framing the sculptural form of the 30-year-old Japanese black pine garden bonsai.

When arriving at the property, a sign directs guests down one path for the workspaces (The Loft) and another for the guesthouse (The House). "We knew that having separate entrances and not connecting the spaces internally would be the trick to keeping each space separate and private," says Tarah. "We spent a lot of time thinking through the walking paths that led to each space and considering how to make them cohesive while serving different functions."

Outdoor cedar soffits carried through entry into central staircase

Two new structures were also built in the backyard, and connected to the main house via the landscape plan by Lilyvilla Gardens. One is a 485-square-foot guest house, and the other is a 375-square-foot workshop for the owner, who’s a bike builder. They have the same exterior siding as the main house: rough-sawn tongue and groove cedar.

The exposed rafters were carried into the exterior areas, including the covered patio.

The roof was extended over an outdoor patio to give it cover and ensure that it’s a comfortable space on both hot, sunny days, and in the rainy spring, or fall.

Risa Boyer Architecture guided the whole house remodel of this 1955 Portland home. Lillyvilla Gardens executed a new landscape plan for the property, including this updated entry sequence, while Boyer added more glass to suit the midcentury façade.

The cabin has charcoal-colored metal siding and a punchy yellow-green front door for contrast.

“The roof overhang extends the living space,” says Boyer, so the deck becomes a spot to entertain visiting friends and family. The couple have been working to restore the surrounding land, as well.

The doors are Fiberglass ThermaTru.

The roof overhang provides protection from solar heat gain and the elements.

A view of the main entrance, which appears nestled within the trees. The minimalist exterior is clad in wood and surrounded by stones, creating a Zen-like retreat.

West Side Clerestory - Clerestory windows and double vertical band window framing living room

Generous overhangs and period lighting speak to the house's era while sliding glass doors create outdoor access.

Klopf Architecture preserved the vertical “thinline” wood siding, and matched it in kind at the front addition.

The entrance is an artistic mix of midcentury lines and features globe pendant lighting.

Jessica Helgerson Interior Design, with project manager and lead designer Emily Kudsen Leland at the helm, remade a Portland abode with a crisp paint palette: Benjamin Moore’s Wrought Iron for the cladding and Venetian Gold for the front door. The home was originally designed by Saul Zaik in Southwest Portland, complete with a wood-clad exterior, in 1956. As part of the renovation, landscape design was completed by Lilyvilla Gardens.