Name: Penelope, Nathan and Bell Miller
Location: Portland, Oregon
Years lived in: 2
Penelope and Nathan turned a broken down house in North East Portland into a handmade palace full of personality and joy — the perfect spot to raise their 20 month old daughter, Bell, and even have leftover room for guests and grandparents. When Penelope needed a bit of peace and contemplation, they built an outdoor lounge room completely from reclaimed, tossed–aside materials. This couple has the creative vision and can-do spirit to make their place their own from the most disparate of elements.
Penelope's skills as a stylist, professional organizer and vintage shop keeper all come together in the this home. Carefully selected, colorful items are arranged in vignettes throughout the space, adding life and history without feeling cluttered. Penelope's clusters of vintage objects tell stories and give you a window into the home owners' world, their travels, and what they love. The idiosyncrasies and renovated fixtures make this home really stand out.
The bones of the space are heroic, well-sized rooms with tall ceilings that make the place feel bigger than it actually is. The light is the star of the show, however, wafting into each room from large windows — such an important factor in the Pacific Northwest where sunshine is a precious commodity! Each room has its own unique palette of color and texture — various vintage hues meet found fabrics meet out–of–this–world Craiglist scores. The effect is fun, authentic, unfussy, and totally unique.
This is a home that makes you want to relax, eat some of Penelope's savory soup and hang with Bell and the pooch outside all afternoon, just whilin' away some hours.
Re-Nest Survey:
Our style: An eclectic mix of color, nature, and mood.
Inspiration: Mine is Europe as I learned how I wanted to live when I traveled there. My husband is chiming with his answer: "Early Metallica."
Favorite Element: I got more than one! Open floor plan, lighting, and the breathtaking view of the European church from the front of the home.
Biggest Challenge: Taking the house down to the studs whilst attempting to live in the upstairs of the house whilst being pregnant. Need I say more?
What Friends Say: Your house feels so good.
Proudest DIY: For my husband generaling the remodel job. For me wall papering my staircase 8 plus months pregnant.
Biggest Indulgence: Rain shack in the backyard. Nothing like the sound of rain on a tin roof. Our friend Tom Widman created an amazing space with recycled pieces. Windows are from an old lighthouse and shingles and doors were salvaged. Interior cedar my husband and I found at the Rebuilding Center.
Best Advice: Own only what you absolutely love and always ruthlessly edit those things.
Green Elements/Initiatives: Used building materials. Natural finish for trim. Low voc paint. Repurposed cabinets for kitchen. Craigslist everything. Compost hole built into countertop. Recycled plumbing and light fixtures. Salvage salvage salvage!
Resources:
Appliances: Craigslist and a second hand appliance shop.
Hardware: Found with cabinets taken out of someone else's kitchen. Door knobs from the doors which we refinished.
Furniture: Craigslist, street finds, yard sales and thrift stores.
Accessories: Thrifted, found and the occasional Ikea trip.
Lighting: The Rebuilding Center, Hippo Hardware, and yard sales. I have always been big in believing lighting makes a space. Therefore I try to cozy up the joint with little lights. In Portland you have to do that in the winter. It also helps that my husband owns his own electrical contracting business so he can wire up anything I find.
Rugs and Carpets: Three of our rugs were gifted by a dear friend and the rest were estate sale and antique store finds.
Tiles and Stone: Rebuilding center, Craigslist (outdoor patio all free bricks) and Tiles for less.
Window Treatments: Hand sewn found fabric, re-purposed table cloths and garage sales. Ikea blinds.
Beds: King Tempurpedic (wedding gift) and Craigslist.
Artwork: Once again garage, estate sales and friend's and families masterpieces!
Paint: Rhoda horizon line. Benjamin Moore aura line and a match of Farrow and Ball
Flooring: We thought the original floors were going to be gorgeous sanded down and refinished unfortunately they were so soiled by the previous peoples dog ( who lets a dog soil a floor?!) that we had to rip them out. That was the hardest reality check of the remodel for me. Luckily a friend of Nathan's is a contractor and had a bunch of fir wood which was painted so we sanded and refinished that. Downstairs kitchen and bathroom has Saltillo Mexican tiles.
Interested in sharing your home with Re-Nest? Contact our editors through our Green Tour Submission Form.
(Images: Leela Cyd Ross)
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This is creativity at its best. WONDERFUL house. My gosh . . . even the hinges on the kitchen cabinets . . .
Huge congratulations.
I love that staircase wallpaper and Bell's room is so much fun! Also, I really love the paper parasol that was turned into a light fixture for one of the bedrooms. Do you have a tutorial for that?
your home is beautiful. Unique and warm!
I see so much charm and happiness in your place; how wonderful!
this house has so much character i love it. however, i must admit, and perhaps i am a little OCD, the crooked pictures would drive me crazy. a lot of times the pictures are crooked in the house tours and its all i can focus on haha
love it!
Wow. Anthropologie is just going steal your home in the middle of the night and reproduce everything in it- you've got the whole bohemian/repurposed look down without relying on anything mass-produced--imagine that. Kudos!
Another fabulous Portland house. Maybe it's time for me to move?
This is what a HOME feels/looks like to me. What a gorgeous place, so warm and unique. Thanks for sharing!!
I love this home. I lean more towards modern design for myself, but this reminds me of how my mom's house always was: that being, each room was full of her personality & character with each corner filled to the brim with personal touches, as this home is. This house is very warm :)
HUGE thumbs-up. I've been trying to figure out what to do with some of my plants for the winter. I think I might take a page from their book and try the top of the fridge. Great use of rugs and frames. Everything, really. Oh, and I love seeing those old toolboxes used as coffee tables. My parents do the same thing.
Well done! I'd love to stay.
(I think it's great that the baby gate is up for the shots!)
Wonderful! Gorgeous home! I love the color mixes and the beautiful art. And the shack in the back with nothing but bed... Awesome!
Luckiest. child. ever. to grow up in that house. LOVE. I want to curl up in one of those beds right this second.
raucous fun...i want that desk. it makes you forget you have to do work.
holy smokes. this is incredible!
i'd love to see the before! i'm inspiried :)
it's very femme, and the crooked pictures are doing my head in, but i love it big time.
more importantly, what a lovely and creative space to raise a child :)
Penelope, I like that you've pointed out that even when one's not a minimalist, one still needs to keep on top of things and constantly edit.
I love you're home, I was thinking that it's the kind of place that weekend guests might end up staying one more night in. Very beautiful, confident and 'in it's skin' style.
I love the "rain shed." I was amazed when I arrived in England and found that many people here have little "summer houses" in their gardens, much like this one. I love the idea of slipping out to an outdoor space like this, enjoying watching the rain fall, or on sunny days napping with the doors open. Really cool!
Lovely!! I was recently in Portland, and I found that while the Pacific NW may be renowned for being dreary and rainy, I experienced the breathtaking crisp sunlight, such as what can be seen in your garden and streaming through your windows.
The colors you have chosen for your interiors are delicious :)
LOVE!
I don't know what it is about Portland, but that place just oozes creativity. I have a lot of friends that live in NE Portland- and this is practically the norm. I love the little studio!
this home has so much character, i love it, the colors are great, the art work and textiles are awesome, the bed in the shack looks so comfortable!
I am blushing... Thank you so much for all the kind words! It is such a pleasure to share it..
P.S. As for the parasol light hanging in the guest bedroom tutorial.. I fear there is no such thing as the scene was my dad and husband cutting and tying things to the ceiling (and i am sure doing a bit more sophisticated moves) while I watched smiling! I have however seen ones that are made to clip on to a bulb. Try googling it online.
Lovely...and what a precious baby girl! What a happy home!
So much character and so much life! I think I may need to build a summer house out back for myself...
I love it all. It's so full of warmth and coziness.
I wonder if they actually use that typewriter.