This beautiful river house was reimagined for a family of four by Jessica Helgerson Interior Design and TaylorSmith Sustainable Construction on Sauvie Island, the largest island along the Columbia River, just northwest of downtown Portland, Oregon. This idyllic island is surrounded by farmland, wildlife, and stretches of sandy beach, the perfect place to raise a family. The river is honored throughout the design of this dwelling.

The project was deemed to be a complete teardown, however, the designer saw some potential and opted to preserve it. Constructed in the 1970s, the home had been poorly renovated over the years, yet the basic structure of the house felt promising. The circulation of the house was reimagined to be as simple and clear as possible. The long great room was separated into a kitchen and living room with the aid of a dual-sided fireplace, tiled in an earthy glazed brick. 

Perhaps in reaction to their last, fairly white house, the owners requested plenty of warmth and playful color. All the walls are either paneled in Douglas fir, painted, or wallpapered. A recurring palette of terra cotta, mustard, teal, and blue, reminiscent of the era when the house was first built, is repeated throughout, coming back in different ways in the different spaces.

The ceramic shades throughout are by artist Heather Levine. They were initially specified years ago for a restaurant project. When the restaurant eventually closed, the owner purchased all the shades, and the designer custom fabricated sconces, table lamps, and the dining room chandelier to incorporate them into this design and give them a second life.

Unique Features:
Geothermal heat pump for HVAC + hot water
Air-tight envelope – 1.3 ACH
Large solar array + Tesla Battery walls for power storage
Custom fir T&G milled at 3/8” thickness to save over 2x on material use
Certified DOE Net Zero Ready with an Energy Performance Score of zero

What We Love: This Sauvie Island river house was completely transformed to bring back its original charm and provide a family with a net zero-ready dream home on their dream property. The project team was successful in bringing beauty, cohesion, and function to this newly revamped home, giving it a new life. We are loving so many elements in the new design, especially the earthy color palette that brings inviting warmth. The completely redesigned floor plan meets the lifestyle needs of the family while maximizing the home’s full potential, capitalizing on views of the river where possible.

Tell Us: What are your overall thoughts on this home renovation project? Let us know in the Comments below!

Note: Be sure to check out a couple of other incredible home tours that we have showcased here on One Kindesign in the state of Oregon: Step into this modern vineyard home in the beautiful Willamette Valley and An Oregon lake house gets a beautiful renovation for lakeside living.

Above: Encaustic floor tiles from Zia Tile provide a warm welcome into the home.

PHOTOGRAPHER Aaron Leitz