As Mike and Marsha Strooband approached retirement they had been looking to construct their dream house in Portland, Oregon. They’d lived in precisely the same home for 30 decades and discovered a couple of things on the way about what they desired since they entered the next stage of their lives. “We needed a huge house in Eugene that needed a formal living room and a formal dining room,” states Mike. “Nobody ever used those rooms.”
They discovered the ideal lot in Portland’s friendly Sellwood neighborhood. After tearing down the dilapidated home on the property, they bought a modern home plan from Alan Mascord Design Associates. Working with builders from OsterCraft Homes and Macadam Floor and Design, they modified the strategy to carry out their vision for a home celebrating open spaces.
at a Glance
Who lives here: Mike and Marsha Strooband
Location: Sellwood district of Portland
Size: 2,100 square feet; 2 bedrooms, 21/2 baths
Whitney Lyons
The outside is a mix of cedar and HardiePlank. Rooftop solar panels help reduce electric bills to next to nothing. “Our bill last month was 23,” states Mike. On sunny days, the Stroobands’ solar selection frequently feeds power back in the grid, making more electricity than the couple uses.
Marsha tends into the lettuce, strawberries, broccoli, tomatoes and nasturtiums in the raised beds from the front. A feathery Japanese maple filters the light.
Whitney Lyons
The couple made their family space the focus of the principal floor, imbuing this distance with high ceilings and plenty of sun-grabbing windows to make an inviting refuge. “We purposefully needed a whole lot with southern exposure so we can find the light at the summer season,” explains Mike.
Interior designer Lacy Keller, of Macadam Floor and Design, utilized Vijay slate and Parc tile from Pental to create the Gorgeous floor-to-ceiling fireplace. Keller and Lori Nussbaum also helped the couple design their interior.
Chair: Sofas By Design; teak seats: Scan Design
Whitney Lyons
The Stroobands picked two distinct colors of quartz. The most important countertop is Cosmo quartz in Toffee, and the island is a Zodiac quartz.
Mike and Marsha read several posts about the life of appliances, which induced them to change the manner of refrigerator they put in. Instead of installing a built-in version, they utilized a typical counter-depth stainless steel refrigerator, and had the rift-cut bamboo cabinets constructed around it. The floors are also oak.
Floors: T&A Supply Company; pendant lighting: Globe Lighting; bar stools: Design Within Reach; backsplash: Bamboo Glass Strip Mosaic by Pental; kitchen cabinets: Cutting Edge
Whitney Lyons
Mike and Marsha wished to keep the dining room area casual, so that they made it readily accessible to the concrete terrace out back. Banana tree and A palm tree improve the home ambience. “We both like to putter out,” notes Mike.
Table: Ethan Allen; seats: Costco; pendant light: Kirigami, Hubbardton Forge Lighting
Whitney Lyons
Mike and Marsha desired a master bedroom and bathroom on the first floor. No step or ledge was utilized for your shower, leading to an aesthetically pleasing, contemporary design that will adapt the Stroobands since they age.
Shower tiles: Angora Series in Olive, Tierra Sol; counter tops tiles: American Olean
Whitney Lyons
The floor plan initially had three bedrooms, however, the Stroobands modified it with one of the two upstairs bedrooms transformed into a lounge-like attic. “When we have guests, it is like they have their own package,” says Marsha.
Whitney Lyons
“Building our house gave Mike a whole lot to do during his first year of retirement!” laughs Marsha. Mike did research on everything from appliances to plumbing to electrical to thermostats.
“We are extremely happy here,” Marsha adds. “It’s exactly what we desired.”
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