To be clear: This is a normal-sized house. But the castle feel is undeniable. Perched high above the sidewalk in Irvington, this Mediterranean-style abode, built in 1936, has a winding staircase and two turret-like sections that make it look decidedly more kingly than its neighbors.

The front entrance is through one of the said turrets (which, in practice, means a slightly higher ceiling in the foyer), where you move through a triangular arch into a sweet, vintage living room with polished wood trim, including a picture rail, coved ceiling, and a fireplace with a matching wood surround. 

Another triangular arch flows into a matching formal dining room. The second, lower turret is on the far end of the kitchen, forming a bay window that wraps around a breakfast nook.

Also from the living room, a wood door with vintage hardware (a theme throughout) leads to a hallway, a large bedroom, and a gorgeous vintage-detailed bath. Deep-red hex tile with a red-and-black zigzagged border is a bold foundation to a bathtub nook behind another triangular arch and a built-in vanity on the far wall—separate from the pedestal sink—below a tall medicine cabinet and casement windows.

At the far end of the hall, a cozy den serves as a kind of bottom landing to the open staircase with a handsome bannister. The nook under the stairs is open, ready to become a reading alcove, closet, or whatever else you dream up. This space also features French doors to the backyard.

Two more bedrooms, plus some vintage light fixtures and a small stained-glass window, are on the top floor. One has a sitting area leading into a large bed nook with a sloping ceiling above; the other has a lovely bay window that creates a shelf halfway up the wall. There’s a bathroom bookended between the two, with wainscoting and more vintage-style tile. 

Finished basements are always fascinating in homes with careful attention to historic detail—they often come unfinished and become a kind of a sandbox for whatever’s missing in the original floor plan. In this case, there are two den areas, staged now as a second living room and dining room, plus a large laundry room, a third bathroom, and abundant closet space.

Out back, a relatively low-maintenance backyard centers around a large flagstone patio. On one end, a covered seating area has a barrel-tile roof to match the house’s—and there’s a firepit, too. While the patio takes up the bulk of the space, there are enough patches of dirt for an enviable—perhaps even royal?—garden.

Listing Fast Facts 

• Address: 3224 NE 21st Ave, Portland, OR 97212
• Size: 2,830 square feet, 3 bedroom/3 bath
• List Date: 10/10/2024
• List Price: $975,900
• Listing Agent: Gina Gunderson and Brian Bostick, Windermere Realty Trust

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].