When you are a person who has moved 20 times in 16 years, staying in one house (even if it involved a six month stint in the US!) is like a Christmas miracle in July. But now it is time to explore a new city, begin another adventure, and… decorate another house. “YAAAYY!!” Everyone always teases me because I LOVE moving, which I have always considered to be very lucky given the number of moves we have made. I love the boxes, the sound of the tape dispenser (scriiiitch), and the thought of waking up somewhere completely different.
One of the first things I have always done when considering a new city, is investigate the housing. I LOVE seeing how people live all over the world, but this time looking for a Portland Home kiiiinda freaked me out. I was seeing loads of yellow toned wood, creepy colored carpet (WALL TO WALL), and the scariest basements that some crazy person thought actually counted as square footage. Add to that the ideas presented in Portlandia, and the “grungy” reputation that Portland has and I was pretty sure there was NO WAY I was moving there.
Then I started to hear about the biking culture, the restaurants, the local shops, the artisan everything…
and I was hooked. I needed to figure out if there was more to Portland Homes that the Friday Night Horror Film Showings… and now I’ve found two and cannot decide which I would rather live in… The first is located right on a beautiful park and is a serene, tudor style home with gorgeous rugs and that first room with the windows, painting, and plants that I’m pretty sure would induce me to daydream all day and never get an ounce of work done.
The second option is a converted library in Sellwood, an area that one of my friends described as ” a great family world, people biking, wagon-pulling, walking – to get around. Coffee shops, groceries and artsy stuff all over the place. Really close to the river, an old-time amusement park…all good stuff.” Scroll down to check out the dark, sleek, and inviting converted library that also features beautiful rugs and a tub that would make bathing a sheer delight…
THE MT TABOR TUDOR
THE SELLWOOD CONVERTED LIBRARY
Both homes designed by JH Interior Design
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Which one was your favorite?
Both homes feature the most amaaazing rugs!
Both feature insanely gorgeous lighting like these hand blown glass pendants, a halo chandelier, and these modern pendants.
Anyone else suddenly crushing on modern blue velvet?
Or what about that Tufted Headboard and Brown Leather Club chair?
Both homes demand a copy of Haven, filled with stories of travels abroad and journeys home, the thrill of the open road and the innate longing for rest, solace and connection
So sad you are leaving Denmark! I love the white house & I think it suits you. Me, I’d pick the library. I like the dark wood, the leaded glass, the Olde English look. I am a historic preservationist & an anglophile, so it’s a house after my own heart. I think, as a creative designer, you’d be tempted to put your own stamp on it. I’m afraid you’d get tired to the dark wood. So, I think you should go for the white house. It gives you more of a blank slate. It would be a sacrilege to change the historic features of the library, so better for a non-designer, who would leave it the way it is, to buy it. You need an outlet for your creativity & a historic house can’t be that. Not that the white one isn’t also historic, but the wood has already been painted. I don’t approve of painting wood, ever, but it’s already done, so you can keep on painting it whatever colours you choose – or strip it, which is what I’d do 😉 In any case, good luck on your new adventure!
So sad you are leaving Denmark! I love the white house & I think it suits you. Me, I’d pick the library. I like the dark wood, the leaded glass, the Olde English look. I am a historic preservationist & an anglophile, so it’s a house after my own heart. I think, as a creative designer, you’d be tempted to put your own stamp on it. I’m afraid you’d get tired to the dark wood. So, I think you should go for the white house. It gives you more of a blank slate. It would be a sacrilege to change the historic features of the library, so better for a non-designer, who would leave it the way it is, to buy it. You need an outlet for your creativity & a historic house can’t be that. Not that the white one isn’t also historic, but the wood has already been painted. I don’t approve of painting wood, ever, but it’s already done, so you can keep on painting it whatever colours you choose – or strip it, which is what I’d do 😉 In any case, good luck on your new adventure!
So sad you are leaving Denmark! I love the white house & I think it suits you. Me, I’d pick the library. I like the dark wood, the leaded glass, the Olde English look. I am a historic preservationist & an anglophile, so it’s a house after my own heart. I think, as a creative designer, you’d be tempted to put your own stamp on it. I’m afraid you’d get tired to the dark wood. So, I think you should go for the white house. It gives you more of a blank slate. It would be a sacrilege to change the historic features of the library, so better for a non-designer, who would leave it the way it is, to buy it. You need an outlet for your creativity & a historic house can’t be that. Not that the white one isn’t also historic, but the wood has already been painted. I don’t approve of painting wood, ever, but it’s already done, so you can keep on painting it whatever colours you choose – or strip it, which is what I’d do 😉 In any case, good luck on your new adventure!
Before we made our most recent move we looked at Portland as a possible destination for our family. It is an amazing city and I have a feeling your whole family will really enjoy it. So many creatives and progressive ideas, after time in Denmark it probably won’t feel too foreign.We LOVED the Sellwood neighborhood. Great bike path, near with river, good schools, very sweet community with a great public pool and sweet little main st area with a great bakery and bookstore. For location I would pick the Sellwood home. My Tabor is beautiful too just more formal and the neighborhood feels that way too. You are close to some beautiful parks and sites so either would be a good option.
If you’re looking for the biking culture it’s best to stay close in, no further out than the 30th block. If your neighborhood has all the amenities you want it won’t matter so much but if you want to be able to bike downtown staying close in is important.
Good luck with your move and finding the perfect place. Portland will be lucky to have you.
Before we made our most recent move we looked at Portland as a possible destination for our family. It is an amazing city and I have a feeling your whole family will really enjoy it. So many creatives and progressive ideas, after time in Denmark it probably won’t feel too foreign.We LOVED the Sellwood neighborhood. Great bike path, near with river, good schools, very sweet community with a great public pool and sweet little main st area with a great bakery and bookstore. For location I would pick the Sellwood home. My Tabor is beautiful too just more formal and the neighborhood feels that way too. You are close to some beautiful parks and sites so either would be a good option.
If you’re looking for the biking culture it’s best to stay close in, no further out than the 30th block. If your neighborhood has all the amenities you want it won’t matter so much but if you want to be able to bike downtown staying close in is important.
Good luck with your move and finding the perfect place. Portland will be lucky to have you.
Before we made our most recent move we looked at Portland as a possible destination for our family. It is an amazing city and I have a feeling your whole family will really enjoy it. So many creatives and progressive ideas, after time in Denmark it probably won’t feel too foreign.We LOVED the Sellwood neighborhood. Great bike path, near with river, good schools, very sweet community with a great public pool and sweet little main st area with a great bakery and bookstore. For location I would pick the Sellwood home. My Tabor is beautiful too just more formal and the neighborhood feels that way too. You are close to some beautiful parks and sites so either would be a good option.
If you’re looking for the biking culture it’s best to stay close in, no further out than the 30th block. If your neighborhood has all the amenities you want it won’t matter so much but if you want to be able to bike downtown staying close in is important.
Good luck with your move and finding the perfect place. Portland will be lucky to have you.
The MT Tabor looks more versatile for putting your own imprint on it. Having said that, they are both gorgeous! Good luck with your move 🙂
The MT Tabor looks more versatile for putting your own imprint on it. Having said that, they are both gorgeous! Good luck with your move 🙂
The MT Tabor looks more versatile for putting your own imprint on it. Having said that, they are both gorgeous! Good luck with your move 🙂