This Portland mid-century modern renovation feels so current it could have been completed just recently. But it was originally built in the 1950s by renowned local architect Saul Zaik. Its fresh, modern appeal is the result of Jessica Helgerson Interior Design. After decades of poorly executed alterations, the new owners hired the firm to fully restore and update the space with care.

Their material and colour choices are all about cohesion. A handful of strong design elements repeat throughout to bring calm and structure to the interiors. The original fir ceilings were kept. The hemlock walls were replaced with new hemlock, and dark-stained oak floors now run through the entire home. In the kitchen and bathrooms, off-white quartz counters pair with plain sawn birch cabinets and Ann Sacks Savoy tile in three custom glazes.

This mid-century home reflects a specific Pacific Northwest modernism that embraced timber more fully than the better-known California version of the style. What makes this renovation special is the quality of materials—a rarity today. Builders now would struggle to find timber of the same calibre as was used in the 1950s.

Designer Emily Knudsen, interviewed for this story, points out the long, continuous wood beams connecting the kitchen and living room. “Lengths like those,” she says, “are almost impossible to source now.” What truly sets the home apart is its balance of minimalism and warmth. The team created a space that feels lived in, relaxed, and entirely in place.