As you might expect, John Yeon, the self-taught architect credited as the "father of Northwest Regional Architecture," comes up quite a bit here at Property Watch, even though there aren't that many homes in his oeuvre, with only 18 ever actually constructed. We've been lucky to see inside a few, such as this rare plywood spec house and his own longtime residence, but neither was quite like this.

Called the Shaw House, this Lake Oswego home was designed by Yeon and built in 1951 for Lawrence Shaw, owner of the Modoc Lumber Company. In 1953, it made the cover of House Beautiful magazine, which declared it "the architecture of the next America." Sixty years later, it was in poor shape, with signs of dry rot and water damage. Sitting on a generous 0.61-acre lot, it was also under threat of being torn down in favor of splitting the property in two.

Instead, the developer was persuaded by the owners of Cornerstone Construction to save it, take it down to the studs, and rebuild as the centerpiece of the 2015 Street of Dreams tour, with an assist from interior design firm Maison and residential designer Keith Abel. The result was intended, not as a strict restoration, but an homage to Yeon's unique sense of midcentury modernism and playful regency, from the flare of the rebuilt "palace-style" roofline to the window placement, interior paneling, and custom parquet floors.

Inside the front door, which is painted a delightful blue-green and bedecked with an oversize Yeon-designed bronze knob, the house now has 5,768 square feet, with most of the living on the main floor and auxiliary spaces, like a media room with wet bar and a wine cellar, downstairs. On that upper level, wall after wall sports floor-to-ceiling windows, wrapping corners in the living room and dining room, as well as a section of the primary bedroom, made private thanks to a strategically placed outdoor seating area.

Find luxe materials everywhere, from the kitchen's custom cabinets, metal stove hood, and waterfall stone counters to its bespoke butler's pantry in a windowed corridor. In the den, Douglas fir paneling ensconces walls and ceiling, while thick marble surrounds several of the six fireplaces.

Naturally, that luxury extends outdoors, which received a more recent revamp. It now has a covered lounge with skylights and fireplace, an outdoor kitchen, and a stunning pool surrounded by svelte integrated decking and hardscaping. There's even an adjacent party room/pool house, with its own kitchenette and lounge area that accesses the pool via a wall of stacking glass doors.

A few more outdoor alcoves are tucked away in the garden here and there. This includes the covered porch with flagstone flooring that originally made the House Beautiful cover, and declared this house a star.

Listing Fast Facts

• Address: 1933 Highlands Loop, Lake Oswego, OR 97034
• Size: 5,768 square feet/4 bedroom/5 bath
• List Date: 1/22/2026
• List Price: $5,195,000
• Listing Agent: Justin Harnish and Errol Bradley, Harnish Company Realtors

Melissa Dalton is a freelance writer who has focused on Pacific Northwest design and lifestyle since 2008. 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].