Hutch and Gretchen Johnson transferred in their beloved home in the Lake Oswego, Oregon, suburbs to a gorgeous 100-year-old home in Portland two decades ago. They brought with them ideas to decorate and decorate the home indoors and out while maintaining its original character and beauty. “I enjoy change,” says Gretchen, a painter. “Things are evolving all of the time.”
in a Glance
Who resides: Hutch and Gretchen Johnson
Location: Portland, Oregon
Size: 2,800 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms
Whitney Lyons
An abundance of character defines this century-old home. Much of the hardware is original in addition to some windows, windows and hardwood flooring. “The details are what brought me to the house,” says Gretchen.
Whitney Lyons
Gretchen is an avid gardener, so it is fitting that the layout changes included the outdoor area. She made her garden producing the pattern.
“I wanted to enclose the space to separate it in the road. The boxwood garden gives structure to the area that lasts all year long and can be very pleasing to my eye. I added the used-brick walkway, which I presume is in keeping with our Old English–fashion home,” she says.
Whitney Lyons
The windows and doors still grace the living room. The sofas were bought from National Upholstering in San Francisco and upholstered with fabric in the Seattle showroom.
Whitney Lyons
Above the living room fireplace hangs a painting from Versailles Gardens, an importer of French decor in northwest Portland. Continuing the theme, a bunch of botanical prints from France makes a beautiful focal point over a table. Gretchen located them in Sellwood, a popular neighborhood for antiquing in Portland.
Whitney Lyons
The hardwood flooring in the living room are original. The previous homeowners had painted them, and they had since been removed, but the result was not exactly what the Johnsons desired. “They were amazing hardwoods, but the color had turned an orange-yellow. I didn’t like this, so I decided I was going to paint the flooring,” Gretchen says. She also continued the white hardwood during the entire downstairs.
Statue: Versailles Gardens
The dining room features beautiful dark wood and windows that are magnificent; it is Gretchen’s favorite area. A lengthy, distressed wooden dining table from Restoration Hardware seems as though it had been created for this particular room. “it is a really fun room, especially at night. It sparkles with wood and the candles. It feels a little bit as a solarium,” says Gretchen.
Whitney Lyons
The Johnsons were worried there may be some caulking issues with the windows when they moved in, and they believed about options. A window specialist advised them to never replace these windows since they would never be able to find anything else.
Gretchen discovered this stunning French classic chandelier in an antiques store in Portland’s Sellwood area.
Antique French basket: Sesame and Lillies, Cannon Beach, Oregon; cable lamps: Digs
Whitney Lyons
Years past, the family room was a single-car garage. Whenever the Johnsons moved, they had beams put on the ceiling to match the remainder of the home. They eliminated installed hardwood flooring and the carpet.
Whitney Lyons
The couple had Leen fireplace and a stone Dennis installed. “I wanted it to have an English sense. It needed to be simple rather than overshadow the fireplace in the living room. This one was ideal,” says Gretchen.
Painting: Ira Yeager
An older flag holder came back to Portland. The cabinet is initially from Carmel, France; Gretchen bought it by a girl in Portland.
Seat: Mary Roberts Interiors, Lake Oswego, Oregon
Although individuals ask Gretchen why she’d change something in the kitchen, she has a new layout in mind. “I would like it to seem just a tiny bit less as a normal kitchen. I’d like to see freestanding pieces of furniture but still have it function as a kitchen,” she says. She would also like to place new windows into match the remainder of the house. The current windows were a part of a remodel completed years ago.
Whitney Lyons
San Francisco’s Ira Yeager is Gretchen’s favourite artist. His work is seen during the Johnson home, and he influences Gretchen’s own work. “I enjoy his whimsical 18th-century images as well as the colors he uses,” she says.
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This classic pine chest in the entry is from Partners in Time an antiques dealer in Portland.
Whitney Lyons
A simple yet elegant half bathtub sits off the staircase. The mirror is a French classic Gretchen bought from a buddy. The snakeskin table belonged to Gretchen’s mother.
Whitney Lyons
In another bedroom, the headboard is made of weathered shutters that Gretchen bought from Cecilia Kruse-Wright, a Portland inner designer. “I originally thought I would like to set them in my art studio, and perhaps that will happen one day. I believe they make a nice headboard,” says Gretchen. She added a personal touch by dangling of her paintings in the dividers.
Whitney Lyons
The master bedroom contains a balcony overlooking the yard. A sisal floor covering from Contract Furnishing Mart was installed across the upstairs. “The original floor was carpeted. I wanted an updated, fresh appearance, and sisal is really versatile and enduring,” says Gretchen.
The futon is a reproduction in the San Francisco showroom that Gretchen painted and antiqued. The couch in the foot of the bed is a family piece, and the stools are from an antiques shop no longer in business.
Whitney Lyons
The two detached structures on the property are the pool house and Gretchen’s art studio. The backyard is large and attractively landscaped, thanks to Gretchen’s green thumb.
Whitney Lyons
Gretchen intends to extend her art studio farther into their back garden. For today she functions in this quaint and colorful room just off the doorway. It’s full of her canvases and contains clippings for inspiration. “Whatever I see that motivates me, I will paint,” she says. She has been painting since she was a child; she’s currently working on a commissioned tulip painting.
Whitney Lyons
Gretchen, shown here, attributes her flare for layout to her mommy. “My mom always had a gorgeous home. A lot of our antiques came from her. It is nice to place things in your house that are meaningful. While I look around, so a lot of our items I grew up with,” she says.
“All of us use layout, even if you don’t believe you are artistic. When women put their makeup on or you get dressed, you are making decisions regarding color, proportion and design. You can decorate your home utilizing those very same principles.”
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