2512 NE 21st Avenue Classic Craftsman 4-Square a.k.a. Old Portland Style

Built in 1910 for Lyman T. Wilcox, a lumberman and his wife Alice, this Craftsman Style home features grand scale and intricate detailing.  Looking at this gracious house today, you would never know that just a few years ago it was awkwardly divided into ten illegal apartments.  The current appearance of the home is the result of the sensitivity and dedication of the current owners, who rescued this gem from its undignified past.

The exterior of the house features a large porch, square corner bays and exposed rafter tails.  The style of the house, while certainly rooted in the Arts & Crafts tradition and the Craftsman Style, is locally referred to as the "Old Portland Style".

No detail was overlooked in the restoration of this home.  After removing 10 kitchens and numerous partitions, they restored the lovely structure of this old house and had a clean canvas to embellish.  The paneled dining room features a hand painted mural by Jane McQueen.  It features actual houses in the Irvington neighborhood.  Other rooms have William Morris reproduction wallpapers.

One entirely new room is the kitchen. The owners created dedicated zones or areas for cooking and baking, a bar for beverages, and separate scullery and dining areas.  Some of the cabinets are antiques of various vintages.  The countertops are made of old logs pulled from the Columbia River.  Flooring is maple salvaged from a Coos Bay high school gymnasium.

The house is the perfect stage for the antiques assembled by the owners in a lifetime of collecting.  Special collections also can be found: in the living room, one cabinet houses a collection of Native American baskets, while a collection of hedgehogs has taken up residence in the upstairs hall.