A Renovated Portland House Is the Literal Embodiment of “Easy Like Sunday Morning”

published Aug 21, 2023

A Renovated Portland House Is the Literal Embodiment of “Easy Like Sunday Morning”

published Aug 21, 2023
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Home Type
Bedrooms
Square feet

1250

Sq ft

1250

When designer Casey Keasler, founder of award-winning design firm, Casework, bought this 1250-square-foot house in 2017, she says the Portland market was tough. “I was competing against multiple offers on homes as well as cash offers. It took me six months and a few missed opportunities to land on the Ranchalow,” she begins. “I was drawn to the larger pie-shaped property; it’s also on a corner. When the house came on the market, within a few hours I did a drive-by and had a tour scheduled. My broker and I wrote an offer and I wrote a love letter about the care I would take to the home and we eventually won out to another cash offer.”

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"I always start with some key concepts for each project I work on. For the Ranchalow, I used Golden Hour, Easy Like Sunday Morning, and Ranchalow (Ranch and Bungalow combo)," Keasler begins. "I developed these concepts from my love of summer, specifically, late summer and those warm, golden afternoons. The time of afternoon when everything is glowing and everyone looks luminous, I wanted to recreate that warmth and vibe indoors."

“What caught my attention was that the home was in good condition but lacked any upgrades; it was mostly original aside from a flooring replacement in the kitchen and carpet in the bedrooms. Very few things had changed since it was built in 1966. It was tired and musty, but I could see the potential,” Keasler explains.

Keasler says the total renovation of the house was $110k, and that included updates to the bathroom and kitchen, fresh paint all over, and new windows, light fixtures, and a furnace. Keasler was the general contractor as well as designer, and says she also tried to DIY things when she could. 

"'Easy Like Sunday Morning' is a Lionel Richie song, and I literally wanted my home to be more than easy, I wanted it to be no stress. That feeling that you have on Sunday morning with a cup of coffee, a nice spot to read and no place to be. It needed to be easy to maintain, I have a very busy life, I entertain weekly and have a dog that lives on the furniture, so it was important that nothing felt too precious."

“I demolished the space myself (with the help of a friend) and installed the drywall, insulation, paint, trim, and hardware,” she explains. Because she was also running a small business when she purchased the house, she says she wanted to be able to take on small projects, go slow, and also get a “sense of the space” before beginning work. 

"In the summers, I cut flowers from my garden, my friends and I cook outdoors and clean up is done quickly and together. And the last, Ranchalow is a play on the style of the home. It’s ‘60s Ranch with some Bungalow details, so I blended some of the mid-century style pieces with colors you’d see from the early ‘20s and ‘30s in Portland bungalows."

“In 2019, I began the first big project — the bathroom — and to keep myself inspired and moving I joined the One Room Challenge, an organization that motivates designers and DIYers to complete their home remodels in record time while documenting the process. You can see my process in this time-lapse video. After 32 days the bathroom was transformed,” Keasler explains.

The second big project began in 2021 with the kitchen, with Keasler explaining that when she bought the home the kitchen had “light wood cabinets and beige linoleum flooring. I knew from the beginning that I would fully gut and re-envision this room. I needed more organized storage, more space between the counters and upper cabinets (the uppers were installed 15” from the counter) and I wanted to swap the refrigerator location with the oven and cooktop.”

“I hired a subcontractor to install and refinish new flooring and worked closely with Brooke Wade to install custom cabinetry around the refrigerator, develop a custom cabinet door and drawer finger pull, and add fronts to fit off-the-shelf IKEA cabinet boxes. The end result is a bright, inviting space with glossy white tile, open shelving, and sleek dolomite.”

Resources

PAINT & COLORS

  • Bathroom — Sherwin-Williams “Pure White”
  • Kitchen — Sherwin-Williams “Pure White”
  • Bedroom — Portola Paint “Limewash — Duet”
  • Office — Miller paint “Forest Walk | R059”

LIVING ROOM

  • Sofa — West Elm
  • Rug — Rejuvenation
  • Sconce — Rejuvenation
  • Coffee table — Vintage
  • Chair — Vintage Danish chairs + Kelly Wearstler fabric
  • Bookshelf — String A+R
  • Side tables — Wood vintage. green, IKEA
  • Art — Strange Dirt
  • Lamp — Rejuvenation

DINING ROOM

  • Table — Rejuvenation
  • Chairs — Rejuvenation
  • Bench — Blu dot
  • Pendant — Rejuvenation
  • Art — Evan kinkel
  • Lamp — Schoolhouse
  • Candle holders — Vintage

KITCHEN

  • Cabinets — IKEA and Custom
  • Range — GE Cafe
  • Fridge — GE Cafe
  • Dishwasher — Miele
  • Counters — Dolomite
  • Backsplash tile — Fireclay 4×4 Tusk
  • Ceiling light — Cedar and Moss
  • Rug — Custom Etsy vendor

PRIMARY BEDROOM

  • Bed — Custom headboard by Casey
  • Grasscloth — Maharam with white oak trim
  • Sconce — Cedar and Moss for rejuvenation
  • Ceiling light — Rejuvenation
  • Paint color — Portola lime wash – duet
  • Nightstands — West Elm
  • Bedding:
    • Quilt/shams — Parachute
    • Sheets, gingham — Morrow Soft Goods
    • Wave pillow — Casework for Hightower

BATHROOM

  • Tile — Pratt and Larson
  • Vanity — Custom design
  • Faucet — Watermark
  • Sconces — Hudson Valley

HOME OFFICE

  • Paint — Miller paint Forest Walk | R059
  • Carpet — Unique carpets
  • Table — Vintage
  • Pendant — Rich Brilliant Willing
  • Art:
    • Abstract — Laura Berger
    • Dog Paintings — Casey Keasler
    • Fruit Bowl — Jess Ackerman

Thanks, Casey!

This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.