Sheltered behind a row of mature trees in the Mount Tabor neighborhood, this 1953 house is two things at once: a midcentury time capsule and a showcase of modern design. Walking through the front door, it’s all about the preserved original finishes, from a statement brick fireplace in the living room to the pink and green color scheme in the hall bath. Down the stairs, the inverse is true: a gorgeous new primary suite nods to the midcentury vibe and almost steals the whole show.

The main floor has an excellent layout, especially for anyone partial to entertaining, with the front door opening to the connected living spaces. These include a generous living room, dining room, and kitchen with an eating nook. Thanks to a large picture window and glass door, the views are immediately directed to the backyard, which is large and leafy across the 0.43-acre lot. (The garage is at the rear, accessed from an alley.) The backyard has several nooks and outdoor rooms, like the dining area set before a large brick outdoor fireplace, that make it possible to bring any party outside.

There’s a lot of original detail intact throughout the house, like the wood-covered ceilings, light fixtures, and pink vanity and tub in the hall bathroom, but the kitchen is our favorite. There, find original white metal cabinets with chrome hardware—even the wall-mounted curved units slide open—plus a large stainless-steel sink and drainboard, metal-trimmed counters, and a mint-green metal ceiling with more metal detailing. The newer sky-blue appliances are the perfect modern-meets-retro update.

Logging 3,107 square feet across two floors, the home has a lot of area to spread out, including a media room with second fireplace, and four bedrooms and four baths. Three of the bedrooms are en-suites, but the jewel is the new primary suite downstairs, designed by Andee Hess of Osmose Design in 2017.

To start, it certainly does not feel like it’s in a basement, thanks to the walnut staircase leading to it, which is accented with custom metalwork, a towering wall of wine storage, and vintage swag lights. The suite has its own living room, bar, bedroom, bathroom with sauna, and private front patio beyond a wall of sliding glass doors. Finishes throughout are modern mixed with nostalgic, from the corrugated wood walls to the soaring wood ceiling and cork floors. The patio’s breeze block privacy wall is an especially nice touch.

Listing Fast Facts 

• Address: 2211 SE 76th Ave, Portland, OR 97215
• Size: 3,107 square feet/4 bedroom/4 bath 
• List Date: 4/11/2024  
• List Price: $1,275,000
• Listing Agent: Reg Martocci and Teri Toombs, Wood Land Realty

  Melissa Dalton is a freelance writer who has focused on Pacific Northwest design and lifestyle since 2008. She is based in Portland, Oregon. Contact Dalton here. 

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  Editor’s Note: Portland Monthly’s “Property Watch” column takes a weekly look at an interesting home in Portland’s real estate market (with periodic ventures to the burbs and points beyond, for good measure). Got a home you think would work for this column? Get in touch at [email protected].