Modern kitchen with light wood cabinets, a large window with views of greenery, and a dining table with a plant in the center, sunlight streaming in.

Upper Cascade Drive Remodel

Architect: Reverie Architecture
Structural Engineer: Grummel Engineering
Photographer: SYNRGY Creative

  • Tucked along the edge of Portland’s Washington Park and Hoyt Arboretum, this 2,500-square-foot home was reimagined in collaboration with Reverie Architecture to bring light and warmth into a once dark interior. Although the home bordered the forest with floor-to-ceiling windows, the spaces inside felt closed off and dim. To better highlight the wooded surroundings, the team sought to brighten the interiors and reorient the home to embrace its views into the trees.

    By moving and reconfiguring the entryway and kitchen, the team created a more open, welcoming main level designed for entertaining. The remodel also included a 225-square-foot addition that expanded an upstairs office and a downstairs bedroom. Throughout the home, dark walnut paneling and ceilings were replaced with new hemlock T&G ceilings and white oak floors, bringing a light, cohesive warmth to every space. The kitchen was transformed to encompass nearly three times its original size, now featuring a separate pantry and prep kitchen. A large custom island with bar seating anchors the space and connects seamlessly to the adjacent dining area, offering multiple options for gathering. Rift white oak cabinetry and custom concrete countertops tie the space together, while a new 13-foot floating concrete hearth bench grounds the living room with sculptural simplicity.

    Thoughtful built-ins—including a media wall, vanities, linen cabinetry, and bedroom shelving—add both function and refinement throughout the home. Innovative details like HAWA hardware for streamlined pocket closet doors showcase precision craftsmanship. In the bathrooms, hand-applied tadelakt plaster walls and matching lime wash paint lend natural texture and depth, while a custom CNC-carved concrete sink—etched with canyon topography—offers a subtle nod to the surrounding landscape.

    Outside, a new corten steel entry portal and IPE gate set the tone for the home’s sculptural character. On the south side, an 8-foot cantilevered bumpout with expansive Marvin windows immerses the interior in forest views. Set on a steep, soft-soil site, the addition required a deep 5-foot foundation and inventive installation methods—including craning an 800-pound window over the home and through a narrow opening in the tree canopy.

    Despite the complex logistics and tight site access, collaboration between ClarkBuilt, Reverie Architecture, and the client resulted in a seamless process and a remarkable transformation. The result is a home that feels deeply connected to its wooded surroundings—bright, modern, and elevated, yet grounded in its natural context.

Modern house with a gray garage door, a wooden fence, and lush green landscaping including a large tree and various bushes.
Entryway with wooden floors, a potted plant in a striped basket on a stand, and shoes on the floor. A rug is near the door, with a coat rack visible on the left and a kitchen visible on the right. A framed poster about a Blue Riders of the Purple Sag
A modern wooden house entrance surrounded by lush green plants and trees.
Night view of a modern house's exterior with large glass doors revealing a cozy, decorated interior. The house has a dark exterior with vertical wooden slats on one side and a flat roof. The landscape includes a small garden with flowering plants, ro
A modern interior space with a large window and a wooden staircase railing. A spherical woven pendant light hangs from the ceiling.
Night view of a modern house with large glass windows, showing a cozy living room inside, surrounded by tall trees.
Living room with a beige sofa, round coffee table with books and decorative items, a fireplace, large windows with a view of trees, potted plants, and a floor lamp.
A cozy living space with a large window overlooking a lush green forest. There is a black chair with a striped pillow and a pink fuzzy throw, a white oval coffee table with gold legs holding a vase of colorful flowers and a camera, and a soft rug on
A living room corner with a blue armchair, white bookshelf, and a wooden coffee table with an orange and black vase and stacked books. A framed artwork hangs on the white wall, and a table lamp is on the right. There is a colorful rug and a leafy pla
Living room with large window showing a view of trees outside, blue sofa, wooden chair with fur throw, coffee table with flowers and a camera, area rug, walls with artwork, wood-paneled ceiling, and a sliding door leading to a deck.
A modern kitchen with light wood cabinets, a marble island with beige chairs, a potted plant, and a window showing greenery outside.
Modern kitchen with light wood cabinets, large window, and a dining table with chairs, plant, and sunlight streaming in.
Modern kitchen interior with wooden cabinets, a marble countertop, and a large sliding glass door opening to a forested balcony.
A wooden kitchen cabinet wall with a large window showing green trees outside, a small potted plant with orange flowers and decorative stones on the windowsill, and a portion of a white wall and floor.
Modern kitchen with wooden cabinets, a window with vertical blinds, a stove on the right, and a patterned rug on the floor.
A narrow hallway with white walls, a wooden ceiling, and a framed black-and-white photo of a man sitting, hung on a stone-textured wall at the end. A small wall-mounted light fixture illuminates the space.
A view of a kitchen counter made of light-colored wood with an integrated sink and a high-arch faucet. The countertop is blank and modern. Behind the counter, there is a large window or sliding glass door revealing a lush green forest outside. A beig
Interior view of a room with a green leather armchair, a small side table, a beige armchair, and a large window showing a lush forest with tall trees and green leaves.
A beige and brown ceramic vase on a white surface next to a modern silver faucet on a white wall with a rectangular mirror and textured layered decor underneath.
Close-up of a white, modern curved piece of furniture or architectural element with a smooth surface, against a plain white wall and a light-colored floor.
A modern metal gate with a rusty appearance at the entrance to a garden path, surrounded by lush green shrubs and trees in a natural suburban setting.
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