Matteri Residence - Portland, Oregon

When Patricia Matteri decided to live within her new home's modest 1000 square feet of living space, the biggest challenge was how to make a space that feels big, without being big.  Patricia knew that she wanted new stairs;  she wanted the front entry to have a view through the house to the south garden;  and she wanted a single bedroom and two bathrooms.

« main level before »		« main level after »

We started by relocating the stairs.  This solution makes the stairs more comfortable to climb, and more spatially efficient.  It also allows visual continuity from the main entry, through the living room and dining room, to the south garden.  A soffit between the dining and living room gives spatial definition to the spaces and also wraps new structure in the ceiling. 

By changing the entry, We created an 'entry space,' with a bureau opposite the new front door.  This allows the living room to have its 'own' space.  A new door from the garage will allow Patricia to bring groceries directly into the kitchen, and also give her easy access to items stored in the garage.