Historic Portland home marries old-world charm
Discover how a 1926 Portland home blends old-world charm with modern living through expert restoration and design.
A 1926 Portland home in the King’s Heights neighborhood celebrates its centennial this year by combining vintage charm with modern living. The property, owned by interior designer Anna-Marie Spence, retains original details that shaped its restoration.
The house that history built
The exterior resembles a Tudor-style home, but the interior reveals Italianate influences. Arched windows, a domed ceiling in the original sunroom, and Mediterranean textured plaster walls create a distinct atmosphere. Spence once considered removing the plaster but later recognized its value.
“It was from 1926, and it suited the old European feel I wanted,” she said. The layout also impressed her, with each first-floor room framing a different view—Mount St. Helens, Mount Adams, or the downtown skyline—along with sunrises, sunsets, and storm fronts moving over the city.
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She immediately appreciated the home’s natural light in a region known for rain and clouds.
A dining room stitched together
Spence’s design process for the home followed her usual method: begin with a bold pattern or texture, then layer other elements around it. In the dining room, wallpaper became the foundation. She and her husband selected Angels Trumpet by Cole & Son, a dark green design with creamy floral motifs and sharp edges that evoke Mediterranean and Latin styles.
A concrete table anchors the space, surrounded by redwood leather-upholstered chairs discovered in a Southeast Portland antique store. “These chairs might be older than our home,” Spence said. The family uses them daily, even after repairing damage from her second-grader’s knee.
Above the table, a Murano glass light fixture from a nearby estate sale adds a handcrafted touch. “I offered to dismantle it piece by piece and carry each part down the alley,” she said. The fixture’s blown glass edges mirrored the wallpaper’s design, a connection she noticed though others might not.
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The room’s final addition was a Bavarian ivory chest, a family heirloom. “I knew this piece belonged in the dining room while choosing the palette,” she said. The chest had been a childhood favorite.
Living with history, one piece at a time
The living room features a dentil-molding fireplace with Batchelder tile, a style that began in California. The room’s shape allowed for flexible seating arrangements, but narrowing down the layout took time. Spence tested seven different fabric palettes before settling on a final design.
The kitchen and basement may see updates later, but the home’s century-old character feels complete for now. The family enjoys letting the house guide their daily life.
