Fernhill Residence by Risa Boyer Architecture
Fernhill Residence updates a mid-century house in Portland, Oregon, United States with a crisp, family-forward renovation by Risa Boyer Architecture. The project reframes daily life for a young couple, opening the great room, refining storage upstairs, and drawing the interior toward a shaded backyard and pool. It’s a concise, material-forward reset that respects the home’s era while answering how people actually live now.
About Fernhill Residence
Morning filters across the living room and rests on smooth plaster. A low burn of light tracks across custom built-ins before settling on the calm plane of a new hearth.
This house is a mid-century residence in Northeast Portland, renovated by Risa Boyer Architecture for a young couple. The brief is straightforward: clear the great room, add storage upstairs, and tune materials so daily life feels ordered and warm. Interior craft carries the weight—plaster surfaces, tailored millwork, and a broad opening to the yard form the project’s steady rhythm.
Shape The Great Room
Walls give way to a larger, continuous living area that reads as one measured volume. The opening of the great room creates a relaxed circuit from seating to dining, where built-ins double as storage and a quiet visual anchor. The proportions feel generous without excess; the room carries conversation, play, and evening downtime with equal ease. It’s clear and livable.
Plaster Hearth Focus
At the center, a plaster fireplace provides the project’s tactile pivot. The surface absorbs light rather than throwing glare, so the room reads calm even on bright days. Flanking millwork tucks books, media, and daily clutter behind clean lines, letting the hearth hold the scene without noise. One move, many gains.
Built-Ins As Rhythm
Custom built-ins line the living zone and continue the material cadence upstairs. Storage becomes a steady beat—drawers at hand height, cabinets lifted just enough to keep floors clear, and open niches for everyday objects. The craft feels practical, not precious, and it frames the updated rooms with a quiet order. Everything has a place.
Refined Bath Craft
The second story gains an additional bathroom wrapped in precise plasterwork. Subtle curves hit corners cleanly, and the finish keeps glare down while lifting the room’s brightness. More storage lands on this level too, so linens, toiletries, and seasonal wardrobes disappear into the background. Mornings run smoother.
Slide To The Yard
A large sliding door resets the threshold between house and garden. It pulls light across the great room, then opens to a refinished den that steps to the shaded backyard and pool. The sequence shortens errands and extends gatherings; snacks move easily, towels find hooks, and the day stretches from sofa to water. One gesture meets many routines.
By afternoon, the plaster hearth softens to a warm tone and the built-ins read like furniture more than storage. The house holds a simple cadence—open where life overlaps, contained where it needs calm—and the backyard pool waits just beyond a single glide of glass. A clear, durable update, tuned for now.
Photography courtesy of Risa Boyer Architecture
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