A growing body of scientific research has shown positive health benefits accrue from spending time in nature and, specifically, among the trees. The Japanese term Shinrin-yoku literally means ‘forest bathing’ or ‘taking in the forest atmosphere.’ Now imagine doing that without having to leave home.
Nestled among the mature canopies of SW Portland’s coveted Ashcreek neighborhood, and just five minutes from vibrant Multnomah Village, is this custom-built 1979 contemporary home. It lives among the trees and brings nature and sunlight inside with lots of windows, big skylights and private decks to enjoy the tranquil quiet of the 0.28 acre lot.
The focal point of the house is a great room with 23’ ceilings that is both grand and cozy at the same time. The house has been thoughtfully designed to provide maximum comfort and private spaces within an open concept, and welcomes both quiet reflection and room to entertain. There is a fireplace nook set into the great room that helps define the living and dining room spaces. The kitchen is also open to the great room, but set off with a full counter for service, and it also has a sweet built-in nook with big windows that look out to the backyard and garden. There are two doors to private decks on the south and west sides of the home from the great room, making it easy to slip outside to do some forest bathing and sun soaking.
A stairway and catwalk bring you to the second floor with an expansive view of the house, as well as the sky and the trees – courtesy of three massive skylights. The bedrooms are split between the east and west sides of the home, providing privacy and maximizing the space. The master bedroom expands in two directions: towards a open loft space with a balcony, as well as to an 8’ x 5’ walk-in closet. It also has a private balcony facing west. The walk-in closet shares a wall with a cedar-lined room that has more recently been used as a wine cellar, complete with a heat pump for heating and cooling. These spaces invite a designer’s mind to reimagine them in a fresh way. Brand new white oak floors have been professionally installed throughout the second floor, and almost all of the walls having been freshly painted, adding to the lightness and brightness of the spaces.
There have only been two owners of this home, originally dubbed “The House of Light and Sound.” The original vision has been preserved, but the seller has lovingly invested more than $25,000 in key updates to the home since 2016: new high-efficiency gas furnace and water heater, brand new white oak flooring on the second floor, refinished Brazilian hardwood floors in the great room, new custom-made doors in the front and back, updates to the bathrooms, new skylight, and fresh paint nearly throughout.
The house sits at the end of a quiet road with direct access to the SW trail system, and is just five minutes from thriving Multnomah Village and twenty minutes to downtown. It’s a house that must be seen and experienced to truly appreciate. Your urban, forest bathing retreat awaits!
ANDY MEEKS
Living Room Realty
Licensed Oregon Broker | Earth Advantage REALTOR®
andy@livingroomre.com | 971.400.0195 | PDX
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