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 charming bungalow in Arbor Lodge. Got a home you think would work for this column? Get in touch at [email protected].

This column’s favorite architectural historian, Thomas Hubka, once called the smaller-scale hip-roofed bungalows like this one (and which are found throughout the city) a “solid Portlander.” That’s because at the turn of the century they were quite common, their simple one-story layout a “working-class version of the trendy, upper-class [two-story] Four-Square,” writes Hubka.

This 1911 bungalow in Arbor Lodge has many of the common characteristics of its type, starting with its exterior, which includes a hip roof with a little matching dormer, and an inset front porch. Inside, find extra-tall, airy ceilings, wood floors, nice-sized windows for lots of natural light, and, in addition to the living spaces, a standard layout of two bedrooms and a bathroom on the main floor.

Where this home diverges is in the lovely kitchen/dining room remodeled to maximize the available space without making anything feel crammed. For it, the homeowners cleverly inserted a custom table in the cased opening between living room and kitchen, so it can be used for dining, or for meal prep in a pinch.

The table’s salvaged black walnut top melds nicely with the wood encasing the doorway. Extra shelving, via a tall case to the side and an overhead shelf, are also done up in natural wood so the installation feels all apiece. The rest of the kitchen’s rich, navy-toned cabinets sweep from floor to ceiling on two walls, their color further complementing the wood tones. Quartz counters and backsplash, and a Viking gas stove, look sleek and add a hardworking bonus.

The bathroom has also been lightly spruced, with new floor and shower tile contrasting with the vintage vanity and wainscot. Downstairs, the basement is finished, with enough space for a third bedroom (it may be nonconforming in its present state) and a workspace/media/family room area.

At 8,712 square feet, this is a large lot for the 1,692-square-foot bungalow, and may provide more opportunities for growth for an enterprising buyer. The back yard has lovely landscaping interwoven with seating spots, and there's a 360-square-foot detached garage facing the alley, which borders the back of the property. But since the lot is zoned R2.5, it could also be potentially divided, with something entirely new, and up to four units, sidling up alongside the “solid Portlander” of old.

Listing Fast Facts

• Address: 7328 N Wabash Ave, Portland, OR 97217
• Size: 1,692 square feet; 3 bed/1 bath 
• List Date: 2/8/2023 
• List Price: $559,900
• Listing Agents: Darcie Alexander and Emily Michel, Think Real Estate

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.