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). This week: a vintage midcentury-modern home in Hillsboro. Got a home you think would work for this column? Get in touch at [email protected].

When you think of a house in the country, you probably imagine a farmhouse, something from the early 20th century. We’re guessing what doesn’t come to mind is anything midcentury. Yet here we are, with a vintage midcentury modern home built in 1967, sitting on 6.78 acres in Hillsboro, and with all its groovy character still intact, from the light fixtures to the tongue-and-groove cedar ceilings. And yes, laminate, too.

This is because the home was designed and built by the original owners, and has stayed within the family ever since. It sits more than 1,000 feet off of River Road, down a long one-car lane that passes neighbors with fenced fields and horses, before the driveway winds between tall trees to reveal, not a cabin or farmhouse, but a classic midcentury, complete with low-slung roofline and pale cedar exterior siding.

There’s a large covered carport with storage and access to the kitchen, but the formal entry is around the side, via double front doors embossed with flowers. Inside the foyer, find slate floors embedded with river rock and a trio of geodesic lights swagged overhead. The main floor is anchored by a two-sided fireplace wrapped in Roman brick and shared by the living and dining room.

Keeping its character over all these years means that, sure, some of these finishes will need to be updated, like the living room’s royal blue carpet, or the laminate counters in the upstairs bathroom. But there’s so much worth appreciating, too, like those soaring, cedar clad ceilings, large windows looking into the trees, and a convivial kitchen and dining room ensconced in wood paneling (if you’re into that sort of thing).

Up a short flight of stairs, there are two bedrooms, a full bathroom, and plenty of closet space lining the hallway, and even a dedicated sewing room with adorable fox and raccoon wallpaper. The downstairs has the most square footage, about 1,224 square feet, with a family room, bedroom, and bathroom. It’s predominantly unfinished, yet has a sliding glass door to the yard and sizable windows, so the potential is there.

Speaking of potential, all this acreage happens to sit in an urban reserve, an area just outside the current urban growth boundary that may be included in a future UGB expansion—which means it could be developed at some point, so a homeowner here might be sitting on quite the land investment. But seeing as how that’s not a timeline anyone can really calculate, we also like the idea of enjoying this for what it is now: a far-out midcentury retreat.

Listing Fast Facts  

• Address: 6200 SW River Rd, Hillsboro, OR 97123
• Size: 2,876 square feet/3 bedroom/2.5 bath  
• List Date: 10/13/2022  
• List Price: $1,250,000
• Listing Agent: Clint Currin, RE/MAX Equity Group

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