The owners purchased the Wells-Guthrie house in Portland, a charming home built in 1912. While they loved its character, the house required extensive renovations both inside and out. The house is an intact example of the Arts and Crafts style that the owners wanted to celebrate but also add their own design touches. They hired C&K Custom Remodeling to tackle the home renovation and brought Landscape East & West in to transform the landscape but retain the historic context of the property.
Our intent was to celebrate the site’s rich history while modernizing the landscape, blending the enduring principles of Arts and Crafts design with a touch of serene Japanese design and Toasist material elements of metal, water, wood, earth, and fire.
With the owners and C&K, we created a landscape plan to fit the character and grandeur of the house, and encompass the taste and function needs of clients. We consulted with geotechnical engineers, structural engineers, tree preservation arborist, and the City’s Historic Preservation.
Failing concrete retaining walls, crumbling rock walls, overgrown plantings, and dead lawns left us no choice but to start from the ground up. A poo in the middle of the backyard, split the space into two, with both sides divided into many tiny spaces. The yard needed a better layout.
We started with moving the water and gas lines, fixing the septic line, and grading the upper and lower yards. We ground down a concrete curb to enable laying a new walkway and removed a portion of fencing for equipment access.
We completed the groundwork and collaborated with the clients and C&K to add hardscapes that would create functional spaces, and add the beauty and grandeur for the backdrop of this landmark house.
The house blocked the natural flow of water, so we dug a trench drain in the pool deck and added French drains, along with drainage behind the retaining walls and planters, to avoid washout. A new 12-zone irrigation system was installed.
We completely renovated the pool with new plumbing mechanics, plaster, and lighting. We added Landmark 2.0 porcelain tile that looks like variegated bluestone. The blue flagstone around the pool extends the color of the water and adds to the water element of the project.
Engineers evaluated the existing walls identifying what could be preserved and what work was needed to bring the walls up to code while satisfying the Historic Preservation Department. We finished the concrete walls out front in a sand finish epoxy and used steel planters out back.
For the living area, we used black granite cobble-paving intermixed with porcelain tile that mimics the look of bluestone and basalt slabs, similar to a pattern you’d find in a Kyoto sake bar. We used black basalt columns sawed into steppers to transition from levels in the yard.
Our clients wanted to respect and retain the giant sequoia, western red cedars, and a massive beech tree, so we worked with a tree preservationist. We added a mixture of plants for color and texture in the back and used blue flowers and wispy plants in front to symbolize flowing water.
The new kitchen area features black granite countertops with Hestan appliances, including a refrigerator and grill. The deck is Accoya wood, and we built a cantilevered roof with exposed cedar beams and shou sugi ban white-washed larch ceiling.
We added a seating area under an automated louvered pergola with a Corten steel fire table and added another open area for lounging in the sun closer to the pool. There’s also a dining area on the deck, bringing multi-functionality to the landscape.
The new kitchen area features black granite countertops with Hestan appliances, including a refrigerator and grill. The deck is Accoya wood, and we built a cantilevered roof with exposed cedar beams and shou sugi ban white-washed larch ceiling.
A series of Corten steel planters were incorporated to break up the walls and add more planting areas. We added a Corten steel screen featuring a design inspired by the flowing contours of the nearby Willamette River.
The comprehensive landscaping ensures that the outdoor areas are as inviting and functional as the interiors that C&K Custom Remodeling so beautifully designed, preserving the delicate balance between historical preservation and contemporary living. This unique collaboration project was featured on the local television show Around The House NW.
With two sprawling lawns, mature trees, and plenty of plantings, we conduct weekly maintenance to clean up leaves, prune, trim, and mow. Irrigation system maintenance and upkeep for the wooden structures are biannual projects as well.
We confronted considerable challenges, from replacing crumbling stone and concrete to untangling a chaotic mix of materials that cluttered the landscape. Additional challenges included relocating or repairing utility lines and excavating into bedrock to create the wall footing.
The result is an outdoor living space that harmonizes with the home’s historical aesthetic, creating a graceful flow between inside and out. The clients are ecstatic and feel they live in a piece of artwork or a resort that was tailored specifically to their desires. They see themselves as stewards of the house and land to keep it functioning through time.
