A cozy bedroom with a large window draped with light curtains, a wooden headboard with floral patterned fabric, and a ceiling fan with wooden blades. The room features built-in wooden shelves with decorative items and artwork, and sunlight streaming in from outside.

SE 18th Primary Suite

Architect: Katherine Garber
Designer: Three Thumb
Structural Engineer: Miller Consulting Engineers, Inc.
Photographer: Fairbuilt Design Studio

  • Tucked into a Southeast Portland bungalow, this project involved a modest yet impactful 36-square-foot addition that created a new primary suite. The design reimagined and reoriented an original bedroom, office, closet, and bathroom—combining them with the addition to form a cohesive, thoughtfully designed retreat. The creative couple partnered with architect Katherine Garber and designer Dylan Tibbetts of Three Thumb Design to bring both personality and function to the space.

    The addition—constructed with a basement-depth foundation—allowed for an expanded bedroom and the intregration of a new primary bathroom, resulting in a more functional and unified layout. Inside, custom-crafted elements take center stage: a white oak headboard wall, built-in bookshelves, and a cozy upholstered reading nook showcase ClarkBuilt’s precision craftsmanship. Integrated shelving within the headboard and surrounding the nook highlights the couple’s collection of cookbooks, pottery, and vintage finds—personal touches that make the space distinctly their own.

    Material selections—including 1.5” oak flooring, white oak cabinetry, and Zia tile—layer warmth and texture, creating a refined yet inviting feel. Despite the project’s small footprint, the addition introduced structural complexity, while the interiors required a high level of precision—from intricate casework to the careful installation of delicate tile. Through close collaboration and thoughtful execution, the ClarkBuilt team delivered a distinctive, elevated primary suite that reflects the homeowners’ creative spirit and appreciation for craftsmanship.

A cozy bedroom with a bed featuring a carved wooden frame, orange and white patterned blankets, and pillows. Behind the bed is a floral-patterned headboard with built-in lighting. The room includes a wooden nightstand, decorative items, artwork, and
Living room with large windows, built-in bookshelf, black door, floral wallpaper, hardwood floors, and a seating area with yellow and patterned cushions.
A cozy bedroom with a bed featuring patterned pillows and a floral patterned headboard. A bedside table with a lamp and small decorative items. The room has a ceiling fan, wooden floors, and a mirror on the wall. In the background, there is a doorway
A cozy reading nook with a built-in corner bench, green cushion, yellow throw pillow, surrounded by floral wallpaper, adjacent to a wooden bookshelf filled with books and decor items, with a small window letting in natural light and a rattan pendant
A bedroom with a large window on the left, white curtains, and a bed with a floral-patterned headboard. The headboard has built-in lighting, and there are shelves with various decorative items and artwork above the bed. A ceiling fan with wooden blad
Bathroom with green and orange checkered walls, wooden vanity with terrazzo countertop, terracotta tile floor, small window, and wooden door.
A bathroom with green walls, a black door with white trim, a rectangular mirror with a wooden frame, and a vanity with a terrazzo countertop. There are black wall-mounted lights above the mirror, a small potted plant and a soap dispenser on the count
A bathroom shower niche with orange and white checkered tiles, containing a brown soap dispenser, a green soap bar, and a small soap dish.
A bathroom with green walls, two wooden-framed mirrors, a terrazzo countertop with a sink, and black light fixtures above the mirrors.
Bedroom with wooden built-in shelf above bed, floral patterned wallpaper, table lamp, decorative items, and a vase with dried flowers on the bedside table.
Close-up of a bathroom or bedroom dresser with decorative vases of dried flowers and a floral wallpaper background.
A bedroom nightstand with a terracotta vase holding dried brown branches, a pair of eyeglasses, a stack of books, and a pink box, set against a decorative floral patterned lighted wall and wooden panels.
The image shows part of a bookshelf filled with books, a green cushioned seating area with patterned pillows, and a wall with colorful floral wallpaper.
A modern table lamp with a rounded white shade and a white base with an orange button, sitting on a wooden shelf next to a row of books.
Close-up of a wooden floor with a colorful couch in front, featuring a green velvet cushion, and a yellow textured cushion, with a window showing greenery outside in the background.
A wooden cabinet with two doors, a small drawer, and a vent at the bottom. On top, there are two vases with dried flowers, set against a floral-patterned wallpaper with orange, cream, blue, and green colors.
A terracotta-colored vase with dried plant branches, a amber-colored candle holder, a dark green candle, and a brown soap dispenser on a speckled countertop against a green wall with two wooden mirror frames.
Close-up of a light green drawer handle on a wooden cabinet or dresser with vertical wood grain.
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