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Portland's Midcentury "House of Tomorrow" is Now a Perfect '60s Time Capsule

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All photos by Kraig Scattarella

Location: Portland, Oregon
Price: $324,900

For those still stuck on Portland as a land of rustic crafts and handlebar mustaches, this 1959 home by architects William Fletcher and Donald Blair may be a revelation. Built near the Hazelwood neighborhood of East Portland as a model for a developer, it's a true Midcentury time capsule, down to the light fixtures, folded-plate roof and colorful prefabricated panels that recall a certain case home. You don't need that George Nelson clock in the living room—across from the Batman poster—to tell you what time period they're preserving. The client asked for something that had never been done before, and Blair and Fletcher responded with their own 1,650-square-foot spin on the Modernist movement. How many other homes give you a chance to sit on blue carpet in front of the suspended fireplace?

Fletcher and Blair were part of the 14th Street Gang of architects, so named because of the location of their offices, who helped popularize a Northwest Regional Style of architecture. This project, sometimes called the "Home of Tomorrow," is part of a larger group of midcentury homes found in the east side of the city. It's hard to imagine others have the style and personality of this low-slung 4-bedroom, 2-bath throwback, on the market for just $324,900; the landscaping was even redone in the early '80s by master Japanese gardener Hoichi Kurisu.


· 1300 NE 117th Ave [Zillow]
All House of the Day posts [Curbed]