Contemporary Traditional in Dunthorpe

Just a few minutes south of downtown Portland, the Dunthorpe neighborhood is a beautifully designed residential community replete with architecturally unique homes. While Dunthorpe is known for having many homes on the National Historic Register, this home was built in the 1990s and our clients were looking to elegantly update.

As was par for the course in the 90s, there was lots of “bling” in the light fixtures and hardware throughout the home, and the woodwork felt overpowering. First, we calmed down the woodwork by painting the fireplace. Then, we swapped out all of the lighting and hardware to remove the shiny brass.

Our clients prefer a more traditional style, and had their grandmother’s dining set that they wanted to incorporate. Another designer told them that the only way to make it work would be to paint it, however we don’t believe in telling people they can’t have things they love and are meaningful to them for the sake of “design.” We found a beautiful fabric to reupholster the chairs in that would help incorporate it into the design. The result is a classic traditional home with a contemporary vibe.