Molly + Jung's Home Remodel

A modern ADU in Portland, Oregon by architect Michael Howells

This is the exterior of a modern Portland home remodel, painted black.

This is a family of four in a their Craftsman home remodel in Portland, OR.

This is a remodeled entry hall with painted blue built-in cabinetry and wood floors.

This is a dining room remodel in Portland, OR, with bright blue bookshelves.

This is a small modern living room remodel.

This is a modern black, peach, and blue kitchen remodel in Portland Oregon, by architect Michael Howells.

Molly + Jung's Home Remodel

Whole Home Renovation in Portland, OR

Molly + Jung and their 2 kids spent 15 years in their 1890 SE Portland home before undertaking this remodel. With Molly's best friend next door, and a neighborhood they love, they were keen to stay put, yet make a big leap into an energy-efficient, functional, and stylish home—all within the existing footprint.

Functional goals included ample daylighting, maximizing usable space on the second floor, and radically modernizing the main level. What was previously a front porch is now a cozy entry/mud room. Upstairs, small dormers at either side of the gable end were replaced with long shed dormers on both sides of the ridge, opening up a previously cramped floor. The new second floor layout includes 3 bedrooms, a family-style bathroom with private toilet, a linen closet + laundry closet. By holding the new dormers back from the street facade, the home maintains a modest profile. A finished basement completes the program.

Unafraid of color, the owners bring their curiosity, creativity, and Molly's large collection of vintage globes to their home. Royal blue threads through the public rooms, culminating in the ultimate color celebration in the kitchen, where it meets grapefruit and black. Here Molly, a trained chef, finally has a space worthy of her cooking.

This project was published by Dwell.

Ours was a big, expensive, stressful project that was made so much better, easier, less stressful and more cost effective by hiring Michael Howells. During the design process his deep architectural knowledge and great taste helped make an overwhelming cascade of decisions seem manageable, efficient and fun. He is opinionated and decisive but always made me feel like he wanted to help me realize my vision and priorities for the house, even when they were not completely aligned with his style.

During the construction phase, from first contractor interviews to final key handoff, Michael was a massive asset, far exceeding my expectations by being constantly present and vigilant during the build out. The contractor we picked was very good and I would absolutely hire them again, but even so, the outcome of their work was greatly improved by Michael’s presence. Choosing Howells A+D was the best decision we made on our project.

Modern craftsman home painted black in Portland

Different house, same silhouette

While completely modernized, the scale of the house is consistent with its previous incarnation—and with other houses on the block.

Roll over for a before + after.

Portland kitchen with dated finishes before renovation

A newly renovated Portland kitchen with peach and blue cabinets and black tile

Kitchen before + after

Molly spent 15 years cooking in her existing kitchen. For the remodel, she chose a bold new direction.

Rendered + real

Remodels don't always end up exactly as planned, but in the case of this kitchen, it's hard to tell the difference between the rendering and the result!

Roll over the image to go from concept to completion.

A pale blue bathroom remodel in a Portland home

Never neutral

As with all rooms in this house, the main floor bathroom is an opportunity for color.

A pink-tiled bathroom niche is framed by emerald green tile

Nice niche

The family bathroom on the second floor contrasts dark green with pale pink, highlighted by a skylight.

This is a photo of a primary bedroom with white walls and a bright quilt.

Light + bright

As with the rest of the second story, the remodeled primary bedroom has more and well-placed windows.