A Designer’s 370 Rennovated Square Feet in Portland, OR

A Designer’s 370 Rennovated Square Feet in Portland, OR

Change of any kind gives opportunity for beautiful results. I think problem-solving and a variety of experiences brings out a unique creative edge. Having interests in several fields gives way to a new take on design. Mira’s career and condo have both changed drastically since she began them and each have been transformed by her background and vision.

Mira Eng-Goetz is an interior designer at the Jessica Helgerson Interior Design in Portland, Oregon. She moved to the city to start her career in interior design four years ago but her artistic drive has taken her all over the world. “My path towards a career in interior design has been anything but straight,” says Mira. “Prior to working for Jessica Helgerson, I studied egg painting in Ukraine, French in Toulouse, glass painting in Senegal, sculpture in Oakland, sushi in London and interior architecture in North Carolina.” Her renovated 1927 condo shows off the way her creative experience has helped her to approach problems and has added to her abilities as a designer.

Mira moved in three years ago and got to work. “My home needed some serious love when I first moved in. The original oak flooring was worn thin, the plaster was cracked throughout, the interior storm windows were broken, the cast iron tub had been painted way too many times, the plumbing fixtures were shot and the kitchen was incredibly cramped. I camped out for the first few months, with my trusty electric kettle, camp stove, rice cooker and futon.” Mira completely redesigned the layout of the kitchen and main room to add storage and flow throughout the space. She kept a consistent palette of blues, whites, wood tones and greenery. The apartment now is cool, bohemian, industrial and refined. Her use of white in the space helps it feel bigger, brighter and fresh. This change in Mira’s home has transformed the way she lives in a beautiful way.

Photography by Malcolm Lee

SOURCES

Kitchen:

-Western walnut countertops and shelving

-Custom foil finish cabinetry

-Refurbished 60’s french door range

-Ikea hood

-Ikea sink basin

-Blomberg fridge

-Daltile subway tile in matte

-Salt dining chairs

-Ikea dining table

-New white oak flooring

-West Elm free standing shelving unit

-Kingston Brass wall mounted faucet

-Moroccan lanterns from Marrakech

-Schoolhouse Electric Alabax ceiling lights

-Schoolhouse Electric Satellite sconces

-Hand sewn pillows from African and Japanese indigo textiles

-Benjamin Moore paper white paint in regal matte finish

Bathroom:

-Ikea free standing shelving unit

-Original hex flooring

-Toto toilet

-Kalista tub

-Schoolhouse Electric Satellite sconces

-Antique stool

-Fishtail palm

-Custom linen shower curtain

-Reclaimed sink

-Original medicine cabinet

-Benjamin Moore Moonshine in regal eggshell finish

Bedroom:

-Coyuchi bedding

-Western walnut shelving

-Vintage metal desk

-Vintage task chair

-Schoolhouse Electric Alabax ceiling lights

-Restoration Hardware sconces

-Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace in regal matte finish

1/16 When Mira moved in, her kitchen was a small space where the bed is now. She made the space cohesive and functional by adding walls and giving the kitchen and living area a more pronounced presence.

2/16 "The refurbished range is from the 1960's. I love it because you access the oven through a pair of french style doors, which are perfect for tight spaces where a conventional single oven door that's hinged at the bottom would feel cumbersome," says Mira.

3/16 "My counters are solid western walnut. I appreciate the warmth that wood counters can bring into a kitchen," says Mira. "I know it's not for everyone, but I enjoy the ritual of oiling my counters every Sunday evening."

4/16 The bedroom and office space off of the main space in Mira's apartment. "The extra deep window seat is my favorite place to read and nap. Occasionally, friends have been known to crash here for the night as well," says Mira. "The pillows are covered with indigo textiles from West Africa and Japan."

5/16 Mira's palette of shades of dark blue and white keeps this small space cohesive from room to room.

6/16 "In a 370 square foot home, storage is a true challenge. Drawers under the window seat are perfect for stashing art supplies and tools, piano hinged hatch doors on my bed platform access deep storage for camping gear and luggage, extra deep drawers at the foot of my bed are stuffed with quilts and linens and a wall of bookshelves and cabinetry house my books and dreaded paper files/electronics," says Mira. "In the end, I can honestly say that each object in my home has a place, which is a really good thing because otherwise, it would be a complete mess! I think I speak for a lot of people when I say, 'if it doesn't have a place to go, I'll leave it out.'"

7/16 Mira kept the original hex tiles, installed a salvaged sink, styled with global pieces from her travels and has added greenery wherever there is space in the bathroom.

8/16 Mira used glass doors to keep the brightness throughout the space.

9/16 "The white on the walls vary in shade going from darker to lighter as you move from the bathroom, to the kitchen and then to the bedroom," says Mira.

10/16 "Although small, my home office suits me just fine, especially with the view looking out over the rooftops of the neighboring buildings," says Mira.

11/16 When Mira took the kitchen from this part of the apartment, it left old plumbing that needed to be covered up. She built a custom platform bed with hatch doors to cover the fixtures and add additional storage to the bedroom.

12/16 Mira has created a bohemian, industrial and minimal space all in one. The pieces she has designed her home with work together so well without being from the same or even similar styles.

13/16 "I'm thankful for the steel casement windows and their old, wonky glass," says Mira. "They're set back considerably in the thick concrete walls, which makes for nice deep interior sills - perfect for placing a coffee mug, potted plant, paperback novel or elbow."

14/16

Original article and pictures take www.designsponge.com site