1859 Sept | Oct 2012_opt

Oregon Living
design
photos by Dina Avila
THE LEGACY HOUSE
Bruce Drake, a business professor at the University of Portland, first saw the cottage on his
morning commute through Portland’s Mocks Crest neighborhood. He loved the stonework
in the home’s facade and the circular window nestled within it—features more common to
houses in the English countryside than the Pacific Northwest. “It was absolutely elegant,” he
recalls. “I thought, if that house ever goes up for sale, I’m buying it.” Soon after, a ‘For Sale’ sign
out front prompted him and his wife, Eileen, to inquire.
They discovered that the cottage had a rich history. It was a model home built by The Oregonian
in 1928, designed to demonstrate how native woods could produce highly decorative
effects. By the time the Drakes stepped inside seventy-four years later, however, the interior
was a disaster. A 1970s-era kitchen renovation had left dark cabinets, laminate flooring and a
green-orange backsplash. Moreover, there was poorly installed sheetrock, and layers of paint
and carpet that had diminished the original woodwork. Despite this, the couple bought the
house in 2002, and decided to restore it using sustainable and salvaged materials.
Bruce found fifty newspaper articles describing the house’s construction. Next, the couple
hired Karen Richmond, a designer with Neil Kelly, to help them get the historic details right.
Once they started the demolition, the house proffered more clues about its original form.
While gutting the kitchen, they found a remnant of bullnose tile inside the wall that would
inspire new countertops. A built-in closet in the master bedroom was hidden behind drywall.
All of their hard work paid off when the finished home was accepted into the National
Register of Historic Places. In a strange twist, Bruce learned that the cottage ’s original architect
was his great uncle. This discovery, he says, made his first sighting of the house, and its subsequent
restoration, seem much like fate.
The Goods
Homeowners Bruce and Eileen Drake
Design/Build Karen Richmond | Neil Kelly | neilkelly.com
DIY RESTORATION OF VINTAGE FURNITURE
Refinishing furniture is expensive, time-consuming and not always necessary. Try these tips before you resort to stripping the piece.
CLEANING is always step one and
may be enough to give the piece a new
life. Use an oil-based wood cleaner.
If this isn’t enough, use a mild solution of
warm water and liquid detergent. Rinse and
thoroughly dry with a soft cloth. If a “haze” is
left over, buff lightly with steel wool—following
the direction of the wood grain.
114 1859 oregon's mAgAzine SEPT OCT 2012
RE-AMALGAMATION helps when
finishes crack, leaving an alligator-like
pattern on the wood. Use a solvent to
eliminate deep grime and cracks. Apply with
a clean, dry natural bristle brush and work in
quick, long strokes. Multiple coats may be necessary.
When complete, lightly buff with the
grain. To finish, wax with a hard paste and buff.
1 2 3
OVERCOATING enhances wood color.
Find a stain that matches the current
color. Stain the entire piece, let set
for fifteen minutes and rub off. Repeat until
stain matches original. When dry, buff with
steel wool and polish with a tack cloth. Apply
a coat of the original finish. Let set two days.
Buff, wax with a hard paste and polish.