The 1970s were groovy, but not for primary bedroom design. Compared to today’s standards, the bedrooms in 1970s homes were small, often didn’t have an attached bathroom, and barely enough closet space for two. Our clients were ready to ditch the original bedroom and add a home addition to get more space and create an actual primary suite.
But this wasn’t their first remodel. In 2018, the couple embarked on a phased remodel with Mountainwood Homes. They focused on renovating the kitchen, living room, family room, powder bath, and laundry room. The plan all along was to rework the other side of the house and add a primary suite, update the guest bath, and move the laundry room near the bedrooms in phase two.
Project Goals
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- Create a primary suite addition
- Connect the primary suite to the backyard
- Bring in as much natural light as possible
- Add a primary bathroom and walk-in closet
- Move the laundry room to the other side of the house
- Increase storage in the laundry room
- Remodel the hall bath with fun materials
- Add new lighting
Before the Remodel
See where this 1977 Portland home started before the homeowners began working with the Mountainwood Homes team to add a primary suite addition and remodel other rooms in the home.
Primary Bedroom
BEFORE: “The primary bedroom was just to sleep in there and get out,” said Designer Sierra Lemieux. “It felt compressed, and it felt like a step back in time with all the original finishes.”
Hall Bathroom
BEFORE: The hall bathroom layout had the tub/shower near the toilet.
Guest Bedroom
BEFORE: The guest bedroom was dark and dated with original finishes.
Laundry Room
BEFORE: While the original laundry room was renovated in 2018, the couple wanted to relocate the laundry closer to the bedrooms during the primary suite addition project. The plan for the existing laundry room is to function as a mudroom off the garage.
Front Entry
BEFORE: The home’s front entry needed to be updated to set the tone for the home’s modern updates. An outdated lighting fixture, double front doors, and a tall entryway with siding became a lot of the same look.
The Floor Plan
Before
Prior to the home renovation, the primary bedroom and bath were small and did not fit the empty nesters’ long-term vision for their home.
“Before, it felt like the volume of space was in the main common areas of the home like the living, kitchen, and dining room,” says Sierra Lemieux, Designer at Mountainwood Homes.
Our team presented several floorplan iterations, and the couple initially decided on a more minor addition. However, they couldn’t sleep and changed their mind and went for the more extensive home addition extending into the backyard since the design solved their problems better.
After
Adding a home addition to the back of the house in the backyard allowed the homeowners to create an expansive primary suite with modern amenities – something their 1970s home did not have before.
“Now, it feels like the bedroom wing is more proportionate now,” says Lemieux. “The space now makes sense to the rest of the home and feels balanced now.”
Design Selections
See the products and materials picked to transform this 1970s Portland home.
Primary Bathroom
SOURCES: Custom slim Shaker Walnut cabinets. Ceasarstone Calacatta Nuvo quartz countertops. Diode LED under vanity lighting. American Standard sink and toilet. Frank Lloyd Wright faucet from Brizo. Fleurco Voce Grande freestanding tub. Large-format floor tile from Z Collection. Bedrosians shower tile. Sherwin-Williams High Reflective White (SW 7757) for the trim, Gossamer Veil (SW 9165) on the walls. Matte black hardware from Berenson.
Primary Bedroom
SOURCES: Custom slim Shaker Walnut custom cabinets. Ceasarstone Calacatta Nuvo quartz countertops. Diode LED under vanity lighting. American Standard sink and toilet. Frank Lloyd Wright faucet from Brizo. Fleurco Voce Grande freestanding tub. Large-format floor tile from Z Collection. Bedrosians shower tile. Sherwin-Williams High Reflective White (SW 7757) for the trim, Gossamer Veil (SW 9165) on the walls. Matte black hardware from Berenson.
Hall Bathroom
SOURCES: Sink from American Standard. Black faucets from Moen. Soaking tub from Maax. Moen showerhead and valve. The ceiling and millwork are painted Sherwin-Williams High Reflective White (SW 7757). Wall colors are painted Sherwin-Williams Gossamer Veil (SW 9165). Walnut Slim Shaker Cabinets. Hexagon tile from Modern Surfaces. Shower Tile is from Arizona. The niche tile is from Modern Surfaces. Quartz countertops are Calacatta Nuvo from Caesarstone. Vanity lighting from Hudson Valley Lighting Group. Black hardware from Berenson.
Laundry Room
SOURCES: Blanco Silgranit sink. Walls painted Sherwin-Williams Gossamer Veil (SW 9165). Custom painted cabinets in Sherwin-Williams High Reflective White (SW 7757). Black large format tile from Z Collection. Black Pearl leathered granite countertops. Emtek hardware. Black light fixture from Generation Lighting.
Home Addition Construction
Watch the construction progress unfold. Project Manager Greg Spangler kept things moving and coordinated the various trade partners that worked on the job site.
After the Remodel
Primary Bedroom Addition
The addition to the back of the home provides a spacious primary bedroom, bathroom, and closet. New windows bring in natural light and a view of the backyard.
Primary Bathroom Addition
The addition allowed for a large master bathroom with floating vanity, double sinks, and a freestanding bathtub and walk-in shower.
Hall Bathroom Renovation
The new bathroom layout keeps the shower and vanity as the focal points of the space. Punchy black and white tile is a welcome renovation change to the hall bathroom.
Laundry Room Remodel
The goal of the laundry room renovation was to add more storage and space. The original laundry room was transformed into a mudroom since it’s a passthrough from the garage. Now they have a dedicated laundry room near the bedrooms on the other side of the home.
Guest Bedroom
In the guest room, there’s now a nook area where the client has space for her work-from-home desk. We installed new pendants on either side of the bed and added a clerestory window for more natural light.
Front Entry
Updates to the curb appeal included a new front door, a new statement pendant, and a tongue and groove accent wall on the front door wall.
Adding Value and Enjoyment
The primary suite addition to this Northwest Portland home shows what’s possible when you reimagine your existing home and create a space you can enjoy for years. Our clients liked their current mortgage rate and decided to reinvest in their home to make their dream home without moving. They had been planning to do this renovation for several years, and now they can enjoy their home. Learn more about the Collected Hideaway project. Remodeling in phases allows homeowners like these clients to plan and save for the dream wish list and create their dream home over time. Let’s chat if you’re considering adding to your home to make your space more livable and functional. We have helped many homeowners through the process so they love where they live. We’d love to work with you, too.