First things first: this house, which was designed to fit neatly into its sloping lot, isn’t actually a treehouse. But you wouldn’t know it from the living room. It cantilevers over a hillside, with large picture windows on three walls framing views into the nearby trees. The fourth wall isn’t a wall at all, but a large brick-clad fireplace providing glimpses on either side into adjacent rooms. Thick, vertical cedar tongue-and-groove cladding and oak floors only add to the prevailing treehouse vibe.

To have a house so enmeshed with nature was the point for the original and only owners, Bill and Janet McLennan, who commissioned the design from local architect Henry Bergman in 1965. Per a write-up in the Oregonian from 1967, the year after construction was completed, the goal was to create something informal and low-key, not “another pudding-mold tract house.” The result is a stunning example of Northwest Regional Style, thanks to the post and beam construction, lots of unpainted wood, large expanses of glass, and careful integration into the setting.

This starts at the front door, which is painted a punchy Yves Klein blue for some fun contrast, and flanked on one side by a floor-to-ceiling sidelite. In the foyer and stair hall, there’s more glass, with large windows to the front yard and a rear, generously sized balcony. A favorite detail reveals itself here: both the interior and exterior walls are covered in the same cedar shake for a continuous effect between inside and out. “Rather than appearing incongruous, it appears as a natural extension of the outside,” remarked the Oregonian.

To the right are the main living areas, with the dining room centrally located—perfect for entertaining—and surrounded by the aforementioned living room, a hard-working galley kitchen still with its original wood cabinets, and a large solarium. The latter was added in 1980, but its vaulted ceiling, basketweave tile floors, indoor rock garden, freestanding stove, and bright blue counter all feel apiece with the original house.

On the main floor, find the primary bedroom suite, where pocket doors allow the bathroom to be accessed from the hall as well, and a bedroom-turned-office with built-in desk and shelves. Downstairs there are two more bedrooms, a bathroom, and a family room with a glass door that leads to the yard. The wood accents, primarily in the form of the tongue-and-groove walls made of hefty 2-by-6 cedar planks, repeat everywhere for consistency, as do the many windows into the forested lot.

And about that lot: it’s actually two, amounting to 0.6 acre, with winding paths feeding into the woodland. On one side, there’s an undeveloped plot owned by the Columbia Land Trust, ensuring privacy. Closer to the house, it’s a gardener’s delight, with raised beds, mature gardens, and an attached studio/workshop that has a sink and a separate entrance.

Listing Fast Facts 

• Address: 5252 SW Northwood Ave, Portland, OR 97239
• Size: 2,139 square feet/4 bedroom/2 bath 
• List Date: 2/15/2024  
• List Price: $850,000 
• Listing Agent: Marisa Swenson, Modern Homes Collective
• Styling: Jica Interiors

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. 

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].