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Project posted by Cheryl McIntosh

DeBoer Residence

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Main floor guest suite
Main floor guest suite
Bryan and Stephanie DeBoer
Bryan and Stephanie DeBoer
The DeBoer’s vision was a seamless integration with the park made possible with mature plantings and careful planning of the landscape architecture. It took 11 days, a massive crane and and all hands on deck during the planting phase. One of the trees was brought in on a flatbed semi and weighed 7000 lbs!
The DeBoer’s vision was a seamless integration with the park made possible with mature plantings and careful planning of the landscape architecture. It took 11 days, a massive crane and and all hands on deck during the planting phase. One of the trees was brought in on a flatbed semi and weighed 7000 lbs!
The front exterior faces Lithia Park in downtown Ashland, OR. The home provides a natural, free flowing transition between public and private. The mature plantings disguise any hint that the home is new construction.
The front exterior faces Lithia Park in downtown Ashland, OR. The home provides a natural, free flowing transition between public and private. The mature plantings disguise any hint that the home is new construction.
Kalamazoo BBQ and kitchenette
Kalamazoo BBQ and kitchenette
Working within the height and size perimeters of the historic district was a fun part of the design challenge for the DeBoers. An emphasis on indoor/outdoor living was key in making the home feel more spacious than its allowable 2924 square feet. By continuing indoor materials into their adjacent outdoor spaces, the homeowners were able to amplify their livable space. Their goal was not to create a massive house, but rather to build a comfortable home that fit within the community and given perimeters.
Working within the height and size perimeters of the historic district was a fun part of the design challenge for the DeBoers. An emphasis on indoor/outdoor living was key in making the home feel more spacious than its allowable 2924 square feet. By continuing indoor materials into their adjacent outdoor spaces, the homeowners were able to amplify their livable space. Their goal was not to create a massive house, but rather to build a comfortable home that fit within the community and given perimeters.
A sampling of the mature plantings include dwarf conifers, pines, cypress and Japanese maples. Even the small bushes average 20 years, giving the impression the home has been there much longer than it really has. “The whole home was intended to be a botanical endeavor. We wanted it to feel as if it were a part of the park.” Bryan Deboer
A sampling of the mature plantings include dwarf conifers, pines, cypress and Japanese maples. Even the small bushes average 20 years, giving the impression the home has been there much longer than it really has. “The whole home was intended to be a botanical endeavor. We wanted it to feel as if it were a part of the park.” Bryan Deboer
View from main patio into the dining and living area.
View from main patio into the dining and living area.
Kalamazoo BBQ and kitchenette
Kalamazoo BBQ and kitchenette
Backyard fire pit and intimate seating area surrounded by mature trees.
Backyard fire pit and intimate seating area surrounded by mature trees.
Main floor bar adjacent to kitchen
Main floor bar adjacent to kitchen
The south facing outdoor dining area looks out over Lithia Park while a wrap around concrete path makes nature easily accessible from multiple points throughout the home.
The south facing outdoor dining area looks out over Lithia Park while a wrap around concrete path makes nature easily accessible from multiple points throughout the home.
The top floor of the home is dedicated to the master suite which includes the bedroom, two bathrooms, workout room and generous walk-in closet.
The top floor of the home is dedicated to the master suite which includes the bedroom, two bathrooms, workout room and generous walk-in closet.
Master bathroom exists to wrap around path and private seating area
Master bathroom exists to wrap around path and private seating area
Kitchen view
Kitchen view
As avid wine collectors, the homeowners installed in a custom cellar and twostory q-curve bottle display system. The q-curve, designed to have a more organic feel than a traditional grid, was the first of its scale from Genuine Cellars. The staircase forms the core of the home and follows the line of the cellar and q-curve as a central part of the home’s design. The DeBoers wanted the cellar and display visible from multiple locations throughout the house. Heavy, reinforced glass on the floor of the main level dining reveals a view below into the basement cellar.
As avid wine collectors, the homeowners installed in a custom cellar and twostory q-curve bottle display system. The q-curve, designed to have a more organic feel than a traditional grid, was the first of its scale from Genuine Cellars. The staircase forms the core of the home and follows the line of the cellar and q-curve as a central part of the home’s design. The DeBoers wanted the cellar and display visible from multiple locations throughout the house. Heavy, reinforced glass on the floor of the main level dining reveals a view below into the basement cellar.
Wine cellar
Wine cellar
Q-curve wine system by Genuwine Cellars
Q-curve wine system by Genuwine Cellars
Basement level bar and lounge area
Basement level bar and lounge area

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Credits

From Cheryl McIntosh

The DeBoer Residence is an urban contemporary home located across from Ashland, Oregon’s famous Lithia Park. Bryan DeBoer, CEO of Lithia Motors, and his wife Stephanie chose the property in part because of their family's historical connection to the lot and park.

Every detail of the home and property was given extraordinary attention but one
of the most remarkable chapters of the home’s story is its relationship with the park. Bryan DeBoer’s grandparents on each side of his family had a
significant role in the small community since the 1930’s. His Italian grandfather
on his mom’s side was a gardener for the park and Bryan spent his childhood
helping him tend to it. His grandfather paid him in hamburgers and ice cream
from the old diner across the street–which is now the site of the DeBoer’s home.

In 1946, Byran’s other grandfather opened the doors to the DeBoer family
business only a block away from the old diner (and predestined site of the
DeBoer’s new home). The dealership was named Lithia Motors after the park
which is known for the Lithium-rich spring that flows from it. Bryan DeBoer is
now the CEO for Lithia Motors which is one of a small handful of Oregon based,
publicly traded companies in the Fortune 500.

The DeBoers took three years to plan and build their home and every aspect of
its design and materials was determined before breaking ground. Bryan and
Stephanie wanted their new space to reflect their passion for food and wine,
honor their family legacy and contribute to the beauty of their home’s
surroundings.

"Every corner of the residence and yard has been addressed. Every aspect
from the rear yard to the basement daylight strategies leave no space or area
compromised in the experience of home or nature.” Carlos Delgado, Architect

Being in a transitional area with commercial on one side and largely
Elizabethan style homes on the other, the DeBoers were able to incorporate a
mid-century modern design aesthetic that favors a
flat-roofed commercial appearance. Simple, horizontal lines, intersected by
vertical stone elements, delineate the transition between commercial
downtown to the natural elements of the park. A softening balance is achieved
through the use of teak and cedar siding appearing visible through the lush
vegetation.

“This is one of my first projects where we wanted beauty to stand out when
noticed, not so prominent as to overwhelm the passerby. I find the house to
be successful in that aficionados of architecture have noticed the design as
something significant in the park and for others, it simply blends into the
environment as if it has been here all along.” Carlos Delgado, Architect
Fall of 2020 was the first season the DeBoers were able to see their trees filled
out and in full color. “Even as new construction, the house continues to unveil
its mysteries.” Stephanie DeBoer

The home was designed with a new life in mind for the DeBoers. With both
kids in college and embarking on their own life paths, this was an opportunity
to build a home that centered on the couple’s food & wine centric lifestyle.
Spaces are designed to maximize the time they have together and apart under
the same roof.

The home's exterior wood is teak and cedar. Interior walls are clad almost entirely in
walnut with generous marble accents. Bedroom walls speak to a spirit of
simplicity with extensive built-ins, reducing the need for bulky furniture and
square-footage-eating closets.